My God why hast thou forsaken me?

When Jesus said ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani!’ he wasn’t just quoting Psalm 22 or simply identifying himself with the role of Messiah.

God and sin don’t mix. They cannot come into contact. They are like powerful magnetic poles forever repulsing each other. The Kingdom of God is a place bereft of sin. Sinful people cannot enter or exist in God’s kingdom.

And wicked things and beasts of prey come not there!
And ruthless death and fierce decay come not there!
There all are holy, all are good;
But hearts unwashed in Jesus' blood,
And guilty sinners un-renewed,
come not there!”

(SASB 268 – inspired by Revelation 21:8)

When Jesus died, when he descended into hell, when he ‘became sin’ he was quite literally (to quote Philippians:2 first and Wesley second) emptying ‘himself of all but love’.

Jesus is not abandoned by God on Good Friday but in order to face the penalty of sin he wilfully abandons God by committing his spirit into his Father’s care and descending into hell.

When he cries ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani!’ his words are motivated by the sudden and stark awareness of both the terrible horror and the absolute loneliness of his commission. With this cry on his lips Jesus goes into battle, armed with nothing but love, faith and obedience.

The God whose nature repels sin like a ducks feathers repel water takes on human form so that he can wrestle hand to hand with the ultimate enemy of humanity ‘becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross.’

Jesus does not defeat death and sin from a safe distance but naked and alone creeps into the very heart of the abyss and confronts face to face the lord and creator of selfishness with the irrepressible power of sacrificial love.

Alas! And did my Saviour bleed, and did my sovereign die?
Did he devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?
Was it for sins that I have done he suffered on the tree?
Amazing pity, grace unknown, and love beyond degree!
Well might the sun in darkness hide and shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty maker, died for man, the creature's sin.
Dear Saviour, I can ne'er repay the debt of love I owe!
Here, Lord, I give myself away; ‘tis all that I can do.

(Isaac Watts)
Amazing love!

Yours mesmerised and humbled

A