NOT FORSAKEN

This coming week is a critical week regarding the Middle East conflict between the USA and Iran and Israel. And this week we are entering Holy Week in the approach to Easter for Christians, and Passover for Israel – a defining time for the spiritual reality of Christianity and the religion of Judaism (but not for Islam). For our Christian faith Easter focuses on the death of Jesus at Calvary and his Resurrection and the spiritual fulfillment fifty days afterwards of the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. For Israel Passover is about the supernatural deliverance of Israel out of Egypt and their Covenant of possessing the Promised Land. The future implications of Christianity and Judaism sharing these significant events at this critical time in history will one day become clear and evident, but only one day and no one knows when (The peace talks between USA and Iran have been put off till next week, the day after Passover ?!). There’s a lot to think and to pray about as the sword of the Word that Jesus brings is testing all things. Today we’re looking at the Easter event of the crucifixion of Jesus at Calvary and the nature of human forsakenness.

Forsakenness is the most desolate feeling a person can have, from feeling abandoned, rejected, betrayed, deserted or estranged. It was what Adam and Eve felt when they believed Satan’s lie that separated their minds and hearts from God’s love, plunging humanity into separation and feeling forsaken in our unbelief. The truth is that God had not forsaken them (Hebrews 13:5). But forsakenness was what Jesus felt from many, many people throughout his ministry. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. (Hebrews 12:3)
Jesus was derided by his brothers in his own family (John 7:3-5) and threatened by the people of his own hometown of Nazareth (Luke 4:29), and by the leaders of Israel, and by the Samaritans. He was betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, arrested by the Jewish guards, then forsaken and deserted by his own disciples at Gethsemane, then rejected by the people of Israel when they chose Barabbas, then mocked and scourged by Herod’s soldiers, then brutally marched up to Calvary to be crucified by the Romans.

As Jesus hung on the cross that day his innocent being, spirit soul and body, suffered the full impact of Satan’s hostility as all hell's hateful fury hit him, and as every vile thing ever done by countless millions of crippled hearts down through the ages and for the times to come assailed him. As he was about to die thunder cracked and the earth began to shake. He continued to rally his strength, but a certain missile of horror careened into him with more deadly impact than anything before.
Mark 15:33 Now when the sixth hour had come (noonday), there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour (3pm) Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me.

Jesus then began to live out the prophetic fulfilment of the first verse of Psalm 22 written by David (but originally spoken in eternity before the foundation of the world by Jesus the logos). ‘My God My God why have you forsaken me? But as we probe the words in that psalm we see this prophetic statement of Jesus change from hopelessness through hope to grateful victory.
Psalm 22:7 All those who see Me ridicule Me;They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!” Then vs.16 - The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots. he gathers more hope and in vs,21 he says – You have answered Me. I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. Jesus is actually declaring absolute victory.

Jesus never departed from his Father in spirit, and that loving connection strengthened his blameless soul at all times. And then he says ‘Into your hands I commit my spirit That was for us - that upward path from feeling forsaken in our cross experiences to the healing and salvation of our soul. The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in all points just as we are, so he was tempted to feel forsaken here just like we would be in our humanity. Jesus knew he had not been forsaken by his Father, but in his humanity, he had experienced forsakenness for a moment, so that we in our human weakness need never feel forsaken by God, for he has said I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)

Jesus faced every temptation and triumphed—not by escaping pain, but by holding fast to the Word of truth. His journey shows us how to move from feelings of forsakenness and abandonment to faith in a loving God in our journey of the healing of our soul. We are not alone. Jesus in his last moments cried out “Father into your hands I now commit my Spirit.” Then in one last gasp he shouted loudly for all about him to hear. “It is finished! “And he and we were placed securely in The Father's loving hands.

Matthew 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. The Resurrection is next Sunday
At the moment of his death the cosmos convulsed (Mark 15 at the ninth hour - 3pm).
And at that moment there were priests in the temple about to sacrifice the Passover lamb. Sacrifices were offered on that day from between 2pm and 5pm.
Exodus 12:3 On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household... you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. (so the Lamb was kept for four days before sacrificing it)
When their knives would have pierced the sacrificial animal the true Lamb of God offered himself on Calvary as the final sacrifice for all sin. The temple shook and the great veil in the temple proper which separated the place of God’s presence in the holy place from the rest of the temple was torn from top to bottom.

When that temple veil was torn it signified that Christ as both man and God had done away with the separation of mankind from God in the temple of our bodies. He also put an end to all Covenant Temple sacrifice for religious Israel, and that is very significant for the days in which Israel now live. He had gone ahead for all of us so that we could now have faith to come confidently through the veil of unbelief into the holy place of his abiding presence. We can now find a new hope as the anchor of our souls, and receive the power of his life within us to do what is right and pleasing to God.

The moment Jesus died the cosmic law of sin and death was being overturned to make way for a new cosmic law to come into effect - the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. That cosmic law did not exist in Eden with Adam and Eve. It would occur only after Jesus rose from the dead and sent the Holy Spirit to give us the risen life of Jesus within, and a new heart like his own. Our hearts can now be fulfilled with a new desire that freely chooses to fulfill the desires of God’s heart – that is how grace works in us. There are many people worldwide feeling forsakenness and confusion in these times and the times to come, and wherever we are we can be used of God to bring grace and truth to comfort those in need. Thank you, Jesus, for overturning the law of sin and death, and for giving to us the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. May we enter through that torn veil and live that life through the power and love of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Paul O’Sullivan – pauloss@me.com