"About the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying,"Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani", which means "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46 (KJV)
As Jesus prepared himself for his crucifixion, what do you think was his deepest fear? Certainly He knew of the physical agony he was facing. Crucifixion is one of the most painful methods of execution ever devised. The very word we use to describe the worst pain imaginable, "excruciating", means "out of the cross." Reading the detailed medical analysis of My Master’s slow suffocation on the Cross at Calvary wounds and grieves my soul.
Our Redeemer was clearly aware that Satan, through Judas, would try to derail his plan. He was aware that Peter would betray Him. He knew His disciples that He had tried to train into bold and fearless ministers of His Word, would flee and lock themselves behind closed doors in fear of their own lives. But I think Our Redeemer's biggest fear was being abandoned by the Father. For as much as being in the eternal presence of God is part of the believers reward, being eternally cast out of Jehovah’s presence is a part of the unsaved person's punishment.
Hell is described as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. We are told those sent to Hades will be tormented day and night. The Scriptures warn smoke will rise from her forever and ever. Although there is no doubt that the fire and brimstone aspect of the everlasting fire will be horrific, the worst part will be being eternally separated from Our Maker. We know that Our Master is light, and Beelzebub is darkness. We will be literally removed from the light and the source of that light for all eternity.
Because Christ represented sin, Our Creator had to withdraw his presence from his Son. A Holy God cannot look upon sin. Sin sickens The Lord of Hosts and the stench of it nauseates Him. Our Redeemer knew this, so He suffered a very painful but temporary separation from God so that we would not have to experience an eternal and total separation from The Father for our sins. Agape' love is love that is boundless, limitless, and infinite. It is love that says no cost is too great, no burden too heavy, no pain is too much to bear. It is love so deep, so great, and so strong that it can not be understood by human standards. It is love that can not be defined or explained. It is love that is far beyond any a mere mortal could give. It is the love of our Heavenly Father and His only begotten Son, Jesus, for their creation.
It was our King taking the pain, the insults, and the torture and the death for OUR sins. It was One who was Holy and blameless taking our punishment. The Bible says that for a good man, someone might die to save them, though it would be difficult. No one would make that sacrifice for an unjust man. No mere man would. But Our Deliverer was no mere man. He knew we would be rebellious to God's commandments and would love the ways of the flesh. Our King knew our hearts would embrace the things of this world, and rebel against that which is pure, holy, and true. Although He knew all these things, Jesus still died for us.
The Word of God tells us there is no greater act of love than for a man to lay down his life for another. If this is true when a human lays down his life for another human, how much more true it must be for the Master to lay down His life for us. Our Deliverer loves us so much He died for us. Our Eternal King whose reign shall never end loved us so much He gave up His only begotten Son so we could have a right relationship with Him. The Scriptures tells us "He himself bore our sins in his Body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness, by his wound we are healed." (1st Peter 2:24) That surely is History's Greatest Love Story.
Copyright 2007 Timothy E. Davis