Mark 15:33-34

Mark 15:33-34: “33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?””

If you’ve ever been forsaken, then you know it is a terrible feeling. To be forsaken literally means to be abandoned or deserted. Christian, one thing you can be sure of is that God will never forsake you, because Jesus endured that forsaking on your behalf.

After Jesus was tried, scourged, and mocked, He was crucified. It was the third hour, around 9 a.m., when He was nailed to the cross. Then darkness came over the land from the sixth to the ninth hour. It was during this time that Jesus cried out in Aramaic, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Jesus was bearing the wrath and judgment of God for our sin. The One who had known perfect fellowship with the Father was experiencing the horror of being forsaken as He paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world.

Christian, have you ever felt like God has forsaken you? I can promise you He hasn’t. Jesus paid the penalty for your sin so that you will never have to experience that eternal separation from God. You might experience a break in fellowship with God because of sin in your life today, but that is not the same as being forsaken. Confess and repent, and that fellowship is restored (1 John 1:9). The penalty has been paid. The wrath of God has been satisfied. Jesus did that for you. God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Father, all praise to You for sending Your Son. He endured the unthinkable for us and was forsaken so that we would never be. Thank You that because of Jesus we have been made righteous and brought near to You. May we live lives worthy of the calling we have received. In Jesus’ name, amen.