“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which is, being interpreted, ‘My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?’” –Mark 15:34
“It was the darkest, yet the brightest, day the world ever saw!
Never was such a deed of darkness as the crucifixion of the Lord of glory.
Never was such a sufferer as the Son of God when He hung upon the accursed tree.
Never such dismal hours as when there was darkness, not only over all the land, but darkness in the soul of the Father’s well-beloved, when a veil was drawn between, and the light of Heaven’s love was all eclipsed.
Who can realize the depth of suffering, and the agony of desertion, that drew forth the cry, ‘My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?’
It was the darkest day the world ever saw! But how the brightest?
Ah, the brightest! Because there shone forth, in fullest manifestation, the love of God to a lost and ruined world. It was dark to Jesus that it might be bright to us.
The Father forsook Him that we might not be forsaken to all eternity.
From the shame of Jesus we get our glory.
From His sufferings we get salvation.
From His wounds we get our healing.
From the wrath on Him we get our peace.
By His death we live!
If in the scene of the crucifixion this be the darkest part in the dark picture, then from it there may shine to us the brightest light.
In that Father’s frown we may see a smile, in the forsaken One believers may see themselves brought nigh.
And as they hear from their Saviour’s lips the awful words, ‘My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?’ they may also hear a God of love declaring to every ransomed one, to every soul that believes in Jesus, ‘I will never leave thee , nor forsake thee, to all eternity’ (Hebrews 13:5).”
–Robert Ireland, Light From Calvary: The Seven Last Words of Jesus (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1873/2024), 47-48.
Leave a Reply