Psalm 22:1 - Good Friday

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

Today is Good Friday. On this day, nearly 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ was humiliated, beaten, tortured and crucified.

Let’s rewind.

30 years before the cross, God’s humility was displayed in the incarnation. God became man, became flesh (John 1:14). The eternal, omniscient, omnipresent God humbled Himself to human form in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus woke every day and lived and suffered the realities of life in this world: Jesus experienced hunger, thirst, sadness, pain and many other afflictions. The prophet Isaiah said, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:3). Jesus was tempted to sin in every respect that we are (Hebrews 4:15) meaning He suffered the same injustices and agitations that often lead us to sin. But He remained without sin, without blemish, without guilt, and He is the only man who ever has.

Jesus’ ministry was only in the last 3 years of His life, meaning for 27 years He marched

forward under the shadow of the looming cross. Jesus began His ministry knowing it would lead to His torture and death. God chose to do this, for you, for me. Jesus knew what He had to do to reconcile us to God.

Yesterday, Christians celebrated Maundy Thursday, remembering Jesus in Gethsemane, where He said, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:34-36) The Gospel of Luke describes the degree of Jesus' agony: “...his sweat became like great drops of blood” (Luke 22:44)

Why was Jesus in such agony? In the years since Jesus, hundreds of thousands of believers

have been crucified for their faith. Believers have been crucified as recently as the last decade in Syria. Many crucified believers went to the cross singing hymns, joyously, knowing they were martyrs. The Roman empire crucified hundreds of thousands of people, many before Jesus. But Jesus said His soul was sorrowful, even to death. Jesus, and the other crucified believers since, knew the physical punishment would only last a short time relative to eternity.

So why did Jesus carry such sorrow?

It has to do with our sin problem. Jesus is God, and has been with God eternally. John 1:2 reads “He was in the beginning with God.” He has been in eternal relationship with God. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) meaning that sin leads to death (James 1:15.) The Bibel teaches that sin separates us from God. But we know that Jesus never sinned. Jesus was the only person not deserving of death, not deserving of this separation, ever. He was totally and utterly innocent. Jesus took upon Himself the judgement we deserved.

Yet Jesus surrendered himself to His enemies, and on this Good Friday, He bore the wrath of man. His flesh laid open. His hair was ripped out. He was beaten, bruised, bleeding. God in human form picked up the cross and made His final march to Calvary. And there, He was nailed to the cross. To breathe He would have to pull Himself up by the nails He was hung on. In Jesus' final moments, bearing the wrath intended for you and I, He cried out to God, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46 ESV)

On that cross, Jesus suffered not only at the hands of men - but under the righteous judgement of God against sin. On that cross, in the three days between His death and resurrection, Jesus bore the wrath of God intended for you and me.

This Good Friday, as we prepare for the celebration of Resurrection Sunday, take some time to meditate on this truth. Remember what Jesus did for us.

“God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8