Never forsaken

by: Elora C. Seniah (aka Carole L. Haines)

“God made His own Son “to be sin” that He might make the sinner into a saint. It is revealed throughout the Bible that our Lord took on Himself the sin of the world through identification with us, not through sympathy for us.”  
(Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest) 

I don’t dwell on the cost of My Salvation very often, and I am seeing that it would be a good thing for me to focus on it more. In the above quote, Oswald Chambers drives home the Cost of our Salvation. Jesus actually became the embodiment of sin on that Cross. I cannot imagine the weight of it, the stench of it. During Lent one year, I was reading through all the Gospel accounts of The Crucifixion. Each Gospel has a different angle of looking at it, with different details.  

The Gospel of Luke portrays the words of Jesus on the Cross as,  
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)  

The Gospel of John relates it as,  
“It is Finished!” (John 19:30) 

Yet, Matthew and Mark relate His words as, 

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” 
(Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34) 

There is no contradiction of story here, just different points of view. I believe Jesus said all these things on the Cross, but each hearer remembered what was most significant to them.  I imagine the Apostle John was so relieved to hear Jesus say, “It is finished,” because that meant the suffering of Christ was finally coming to an end. But the Words I want to focus on here are, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” 

I will never have to worry about being forsaken by God because of what Jesus Christ has done for me. He promises me this. 
Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” (Hebrews 13:5) 

The word ‘forsaken’ “means-totally abandoned, utterly forsaken, to leave helpless, desert.” (Strong’s Concordance) 
I will never have to feel these pains from the Lord, but Jesus felt every single one of those on the Cross. He was God, part of the Triune Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He had never been separated from them before. But now, becoming the embodiment of our Sin on that Cross brought about the greatest suffering of Jesus, being forsaken by the Father and Holy Spirit for a Time, so we would never have to be. 
What an indescribable sacrifice of Christ. He became sin and experienced what it is to be forsaken, so that we, His Children, would never have to. 

Jesus, words just cannot describe our gratitude and love for you, we give you our very lives, as You gave us Yours. Thank You, Jesus.