It's a blessing to me, and I
just appreciate and thankful for being here with you. A couple
of thoughts. I like to preach after a good
message. That way, if I shoot blanks, it won't make much difference.
And I just appreciate that that message was such a blessing to
me. And I also remember, I bet most of you don't remember, I
hope most of you don't remember, one of the first times I ever
preached was here. Don't remember, I bet. Good. 1980 and I shot blanks then, I'm sure. But what a blessing to be with
this congregation. I'm thankful. Your pastor is a dear, dear friend
to me. Love him dearly. What an encouragement. Turn with me to the 22nd Psalm. You might have your Finger in
Matthew chapter 27, but first I'd like to read a few verses
from Psalm 22. I read somewhere where there
are 22 Messianic Psalms. And then I found out that there
are 150 Messianic Psalms. But this has been known as the
Psalm of the Cross. And some think that our Lord
quoted this entire Psalm. while he was on the cross. Look
in verse 16 of Psalm 22. For dogs have compassed me, the assembly
of the wicked have enclosed me, they pierced my hands and my
feet. I may tell all my bones They
look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them
and cast lots upon my vesture. Now, obviously, from those verses
of Scripture, these words were said from the cross. Now, let's
read verses one and two together of Psalm 22. My God, My God, why hast Thou
forsaken me? Why art Thou so far from helping
me and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime,
But thou hearest not, and in the night season am not silent. Did David know when he penned
these words that these would be the words of the son of David
from the cross? I don't know the answer to that
question. But when David penned these words,
he was telling us what he felt. He felt as if he had been abandoned,
deserted by God, left to himself. Who hasn't felt that? I certainly
have. But these were the words of the
Lord Jesus Christ at His darkest hour. My God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken me? I have entitled this message,
Why Was He Forsaken? Why was he forsaken? For 33 years, Jesus of Nazareth
lived a perfect life. He never sinned. He lived a life of perfect and
continual communion with his Father. In Luke 6, verse 12,
it says he spent the entire night in prayer. And what must his
prayers have been like? Because unlike you and I, he
didn't have a sinful nature to struggle with. He didn't have
sinful thoughts. What must his prayers of communion
with his Father have been? He could say, which of you can
convince me of sin? I do always those things that
please the Father. His friend, Judas, betrayed him. Thirty pieces of silver. After
this perfect life, he was arrested. at that time, and his father
did not help him. Why art thou so far from helping
me? And the words of my roaring. As he's brought before the high
priest, he's falsely accused, he's mocked, he's abused, he's
mistreated, and his father did not help him. Peter denies he
even knows him at that time with oaths and cursing. And the scripture
says all the disciples forsook him and fled. And his father
did not help him. He's brought before Pilate. Then
before Herod and back to Pilate. mocked, abused, beaten and scorned. And his father did not help him. He's condemned to be crucified
and his father did not help him. Why art thou so far from helping
me? These are the words of the Lord
Jesus. And from the words of my roaring. Now would you turn
to Matthew chapter 27. I'd like to pick up reading in
verse 26 of Matthew chapter 27. Matthew 27 verse 26. Then released he Barabbas unto
them, and when he had scourged Jesus with the cat of nine tails. He delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor
took Jesus into the common hall and gathered unto him the whole
band of soldiers, and they stripped him and put on him a scarlet
robe. And when they had plaited a crown
of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right
hand, and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying,
Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took
the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had
mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own
raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came
out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, him they compelled
to bear his cross. And when they were come unto
a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
they gave him vinegar to drink, mingled with gall, and when he
tasted thereof, he would not drink, And they crucified him
and parted his garments, just like Psalm 22 said they would.
You know, it's amazing. It looked everything that happened.
It looks like we looked up in the scripture. What are we supposed
to do next? Here it is. Yet they had no idea what they were doing. And they crucified him, verse
35, parted his garments, casting lots that it might be fulfilled,
which was spoken by the prophet. They parted my garments among
them. And upon my vesture did they cast lots, and sitting down
they watched him there, sitting down to watch him suffer. And
they set up over his head his accusation, written, This is
Jesus, the King of the Jews. There were there two thieves
crucified with Him, one on the right hand and another on the
left. And they that passed by reviled
Him, wagging their heads and saying, Thou that destroyest
the temple and buildest it in three days, save Thyself, if
Thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise
also the chief priests, mocking Him with the scribes and elders,
said, He saved others. Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel,
let Him now come down from the cross, and we'll believe Him.
He trusted in God. Let Him deliver Him now, if He'll
have Him, for He said, I am the Son of God. And the thieves also
which were crucified with Him cast the same in His teeth. Now from the six hours Noon. Noon. The sun at its zenith. Now, from the sixth hour, there
was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. Now, do
you reckon everybody around the cross freaked out at that time? What is going on? when all of
a sudden the sun refused to shine and a thick darkness was over
all the land. I suppose that at this time people
weren't quite as brazen in their speech. Perhaps scared. What's going to take place? Something
supernatural has taken place. Perhaps all you could hear at
this time was the groans of pain from those three men nailed to
a cross. Now this darkness lets us know
that in a very real sense we'll never understand what was going
on at that time. This was a transaction between
the Father and the Son. And me and you will never much
understand what was going on. And from that darkness, verse
46, about the ninth hour, Jesus cried
with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani, that is to
say, my God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? Now, this was the Savior's darkest
moment. And it was also the height of
His My God, my God, why has thou
forsaken me? Now I have three very simple
points to this message. The reality of the Savior being
forsaken. Second, the reason why the Savior was
forsaken. And third, The results of the
Savior being forsaken. The reality of the Savior being
forsaken, and when David cried this, my God, my God, why has
thou forsaken me? He felt as though he had been
forsaken. Abandoned. And deserted, that's
what he felt. But had he been? No. The Lord had never left him
for a moment. But the Savior really was forsaken. David wasn't. But David's Lord
was. The physical suffering of the
Lord Jesus Christ. I can't describe that. He'd been
beat with the cat of nine tails, the crown of thorns pressed upon
his head, spit upon, slapped. How much pain was his back when
he had to lay down on the cross? And then they nailed his hands
and feet to the cross. Who can think of the physical
pain that he must have endured? But the physical sufferings,
as horrible as they were, That was the easiest part. He was
forsaken by man, left alone. The Scripture says in Matthew
26, 56, then all the disciples forsook him and fled. He had no helper. He was forsaken
by God, deserted, abandoned. He went through all of this.
without the presence of his Father. Now, this is something that he
had never experienced. Oh, the communion, the delight
between the Father and the Son, and now he no longer has the
presence of his Father. Now, I want to say this carefully.
At this time, he was suffering what a damned soul would suffer. only infinitely more. You see, He had a capacity because
of who He was. And sin, the thought of being
forsaken by His Father, separated from His Father, the guilt, the
vileness, the hell of sin, oh, it bothered Him much more than
it could ever bother me or you because of who He was. I don't understand this, but
I was thinking about this. You know, the Scripture says
Without doubt, there's degrees of punishment in hell. Scripture
teaches that. Well, if that's the case, the
Lord suffered far more than any one single person in hell could
ever suffer, because He had all the sins of all of the elect
laid upon Him. At this time, my God, my God,
why hast Thou forsaken me? He couldn't even call Him Father.
Damned souls do not address God as Father. My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me? He lost all light. He lost all
communion. He was cut off. He was shown
no mercy. Nothing but his father's awful
frown. That's it. Forsaken by God. While he hung on that cross in
physical pain, the father didn't look at him and say, son, I know
these sins are not yours. They belong to somebody else.
But I'm treating you as if they were yours. You know, there would be a nobility
in that. The son could not say at that time, Now, I realize
that I'm suffering for somebody else. These sins are not mine. They belong to my people. But
I'm being treated as if they were mine, but they're not really
mine. You know, I've had times when I was a kid when I got charged by my parents for doing
things that I didn't do. Now, more often than not, I got
by with them not finding out about it, but when I can remember
several times when I was accused of something I did not do, and
I was whipped for it. And I remember my little self-righteous
soul, how indignant I was that I was being punished for something
I didn't do. But the Lord had nothing like that. He knew He
was guilty of everything He was experiencing. He didn't have
His disciples say, we know you're doing this for us. and we love
you for it." No, he was forsaken by God and man. Utterly isolated, cut off, and
alone. Forsaken by God. He was forsaken. Well, why was he forsaken? Why was he forsaken? I know the
answer to that question. Because I deserve to be forsaken
of God. That's why he was forsaken. Because
I deserve to be forsaken of God. As the sinner substitute, he
bore the sins that I deserve to be forsaken for. 1 Peter 2.24
says, "...who his own self bear our sins." Not just the punishment
of our sins. "...who his own self bear our
sins in his own body on the tree." You see, he did what he did as
a representative man for his people. He so identified with
his people that their sins became his sin. Their guilt became his
guilt. Turn to Psalm 40. Now, this psalm is quoted by the writer
to the Hebrews in Hebrews chapter 10. These are the words of the
Lord Jesus Christ. You remember this passage in
verse six. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire, mine ears
hast thou opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings
hast thou had not required. Then said I, lo, I come in the
volume of the book it's written of me. I delight to do thy will,
O my God. Yea, thy law is within my heart. Now, those are the words of the
Lord Jesus. Hebrews chapter 10, now look in verse 12, same one
speaking. For innumerable evils. have compassed me about? Mine
iniquities, not the iniquities that have been charged to my
account, but mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that
I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs
of my head. Therefore, my heart fails me."
Turn to Psalm 69. Look in verse 20, Psalm 69, reproach
has broken my heart. I'm full of heaviness. I look
for some to take pity, but there was none. And for comforters,
but I found none. They gave me also gall for my
meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. Once again,
a psalm of the cross, obviously. But look what he says. In verse
five. Psalm 69, O God, Thou knowest
my foolishness. And I think of my foolishness,
my evil foolishness, that I practiced all my life. It became His. And He owned it. Thou knowest
my foolishness. Sins are not hid from Thee. Now, for His righteousness to
be mine, my sin had to become His. And He is treated as a damned
soul made a curse. Made a curse. for us. Why was he forsaken? Because
God is just. That's why he was forsaken. Because
God is just. For God to have hurt him or helped
him would have been contrary to divine justice because the
wages of sin is death. Absolute justice kneaded out
on the Savior's head. That's why He was forsaken. Because
God is just. Why was He forsaken? He was forsaken
because this is God's eternal purpose. Revelation 13.8, the
Lamb slain. from the foundation of the world. Christ Jesus has always been
the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. And everything
that happened to Him, as Peter said, Him being delivered by
the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken and with
wicked hands have crucified and slain. Everything that happened
to him happened because it was God's appointment and God's purpose. Turn to Acts chapter four for
just a moment. Acts chapter four. And this is the early church,
this is. I like the way Brother Don was
talking about he he never changed his doctrine, you believe the
same thing you believe when you first started preaching. Well, the early church,
this is what they Believe right off the bat, look here in Acts
chapter 4 verse 26, the kings of the earth stood up and the
rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against
his Christ for the truth against thy holy child Jesus whom thou
has anointed both head and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and
the people of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever
thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. Now, remember,
when our Lord was on the cross, He wasn't a victim. He was there
according to the appointment of His Father, the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. Why was He forsaken? Well, He
was forsaken that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. You know, I love that Scripture
in Romans 9. Where am I? Paul is quoting what took place
in Exodus chapter, wherever it was where the Lord said this.
The scripture saith to Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have
I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee and that
my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Now, scripture
hadn't been written yet. Scripture hadn't been written
yet. It was God who said that to Pharaoh. I know. For the Scripture,
saith the Pharaoh, even for this book is God's Word. He was forsaken that the Scripture
might be fulfilled. David said, My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me? Scripture must be fulfilled. Why was he forsaken? He was forsaken
that He might glorify His Father. He said, Father, the hour has
come. Glorify Thy Son that Thy Son
also might glorify Thee. Oh, how He glorified His Father! How He glorified His father in this, in so many
ways, but you know, he would rather be forsaken than
his father's law be dishonored or his father's character be
dishonored. How he glorified his father's holiness and justice
and hatred of sin. Oh, God's impartial justice. Even when sin is found on his
son, he must die because the wages of sin is death. But oh, how He glorified His
Father's power. What power He manifested in His
death. He actually made it to where I'm without sin. My sin is blotted
out. It's put away. It's no more.
I don't have any sin. That's the power of His death,
how He honored and glorified His Father's wisdom, that the
Father had a way to be just and yet justify somebody like me.
What power is manifested in His death? Oh, how He glorified His
Father's love and His Father's grace and His Father's mercy. in saving somebody like me or
you. You know, every attribute of
God that he's been pleased to make known is glorified in the
death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every single one of them. Why was he forsaken? Now, here's the one that I really have the
hardest time getting a hold of. Why was he forsaking? Because
of his love to his people. Let me make that even more personal.
Because of his love to me. I love my family. I've got one daughter. If she
was guilty of a crime, if I could, I believe I'd take her place.
I believe I would. I love my wife. If she had some
kind of disease that I could take to myself, I'd take it and
I'd give her my health. I know I would. But you know,
I can't do those things. I can't. But he can. And he did. Having loved his
own, which were in the world, He loved them to the end. Why, you ask? Well, the reason
is not found in His people, only in His great love. He took my sins and my sorrows. He made them His very own. He bore the burden to Calvary
and suffered and died alone. Why? Because He is love. I stand amazed in the presence
of Jesus the Nazarene and wonder how He could love me, a sinner,
condemned, unclean. Why was He forsaken? Because
I deserve to be. Why was He forsaken? Because
God is just. Why was He forsaken? Because
it was God's eternal purpose. Why was He forsaken? Because
He glorified God. Why was he forsaken? Because
he loved his people. And what are the results of him
being forsaken? He died. He bowed his head and he gave
up the ghost. He died. How can the God-man
die? I don't know, but he did. He
died. And he was in the grave, dead,
for three days. What was going on during that
time? I had no idea. No idea. I know that when he
died, his body never saw corruption. And I believe that that's because
the moment he died, complete satisfaction was made. What was
going on during that three days? I have no idea. But I know exactly
what happened when he was raised from the dead. At one time in
that tomb, as he lay there dead, all of a sudden he opened his
eyes. And the Scripture says he was delivered for our offenses
and raised again for our justification. What happened as a result of
him being forsaken? The complete justification of
all of the elect. Every single one of them. Justified means not guilty. Because he was forsaken, everybody
he died for will never be forsaken. He says, I will never leave thee,
nor forsake thee. The soul that on Jesus hath leaned
for repose, I will not, I will not desert to His foes. That
soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never,
no never, no never forsake. Because he was forsaken, his
people will never forsake him. Jeremiah 32, 40 says, I will
make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn
away from them to do them good, but I'll put my fear in their
hearts that they shall not depart from me. Every one of us say,
when we hear him say, will you also go away? To whom shall we
go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life, and we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ,
the Son of the living God. What are the results of Him being
forsaken? The complete salvation of all
of the elect. Every one of us. You know, when he died, God raised him from the dead.
You know why? God could ask for no more. And he could require no less. And because he was forsaken,
all of God's elect are saved. 2 Corinthians 5.21 says, For
he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him. And you know what
that means? That means I am the righteousness
of God. You know what the righteousness
of God is? You're looking at it. If Christ
died for me, If my sin actually became His sin, and the proof
that it did is He died, I'm actually made, every believer
is actually made the very righteousness of God in Him. Now, believer, don't look for
a thing from yourself. Look to Him only. Unbeliever,
don't look for a thing from yourself. Look to Him only. Turn with me to the book of Lamentations, right after Jeremiah. Verse 12, once again, these are the words
of the Lord from the cross. And he says. Is it nothing to
you? All ye that pass by. Behold and
see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done
unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of His
fierce anger." Is it nothing to you? Now, know this. It's either nothing to you, or
it's everything to you. Amen.