Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nyberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 1030 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
945 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com.
Now here's our pastor, Todd Nybert. I've entitled the message for
this morning, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me? These were the words of the
Lord from the cross. Why hast thou forsaken me? He was forsaken by His Father. Why? At 9 a.m., the Lord Jesus
was nailed to a cross, and it was the third hour, and they
crucified Him. Verse 33 of Mark chapter 15,
and when the sixth hour was come, The Lord had been hanging on
that cross for three hours, and at noon, the zenith of the sun,
and when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole
land until the ninth hour. three hours of darkness while
the Lord was hanging on that cross. The sun stopped shining. This was not a solar eclipse.
The sun stopped shining. In Luke's account, it says darkness
covered the whole earth. And not that this proves it,
but there are accounts in other literature outside the Bible
that talk of this event when the sun quit shining on that
day. Now there's no record what was
said during that three hours. I'm sure people were terrified
to see the sun stop shining. People didn't know what to make
of this. And then at 3 p.m., we have this cry from the darkness. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? Now, this is a quotation of our
Lord from Psalm 22, 1, which is said to be the psalm of the
cross. Now, let me show you how this
psalm is the psalm of the cross. We read 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. He says in the verse after that,
they part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture. Now this is the psalm of the
cross, written a thousand years before it took place. But this
is David speaking prophetically of the cross. And he begins this
psalm with this statement. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? The Lord had lived for 33 years
in perfect communion with his Father. He had no sin to mar
any of that. He said, I do always those things
that please the father. His father said of him, this
is my beloved son. the son of my love, in whom I
am well pleased." How pleased the father was with the son as
he beheld him working out a perfect righteousness in obedience to
his father's will. Now, it was said of this one,
the Lord Jesus Christ, in the beginning was the Word. and the Word was with God as
a distinct person from God. The Word was with God and the
Word was God. This one who is a distinct person
from God was God, God the Son, equal to the Father, the Son
of God. Now, when he cries out, my God,
my God, why have you forsaken me? At that time when he was
forsaken, abandoned by God, he was no longer with God. He was forsaken by God. He was
abandoned by God. Now, in that Psalm 22.1, my God,
my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And why are thou so far from
helping me? And the words of my roaring. His friend, Judas, betrayed him. And his father did not help him. He's brought before the high
priest and the chief priests. Accusations are brought against
him. He's mistreated. And his father did not help him.
He is brought before Pilate. He is physically tortured, abused,
mocked, and made fun of. and his father did not help him. He is nailed to a cross and his
father does not help him. And he cries out, my God, my
God, why has thou forsaken me? The sun quit shining. as he hung
on the tree. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me?" Now, there's so little we can really understand
of this, and the Lord made us to know that when he turned the
lights out to make us understand that there's much in this we'll
never enter into. This is a transaction between
the Father and the Son. But this was the Savior's darkest
moment, and it was the apex of His obedience. My God, my God,
why hast Thou forsaken me? Now, I have three points to this
message. The reality of Him being forsaken,
the reason that God forsook him, and the results of God forsaking
him. And may the Lord enable us to
by His grace, hear the gospel in this cry of our Lord from
the cross, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Now,
the first point is the reality of him being forsaken. When David
said this in Psalm 22 verse 1, did he know this was a prophecy? I don't know. There are some
scriptures that indicate he knew exactly what he was saying every
time he said it. Psalm 16, he knew he was speaking
of the resurrection according to Acts chapter 2. But did he
know he was speaking prophetically at this time? Perhaps, but I
do know this, David felt forsaken. Have you ever felt forsaken?
Have you ever felt like your prayers didn't go past the ceiling
and that God was not hearing you and abandon you and would
have nothing to do with you? David felt that way, but God
never forsook him. He may have felt that way, but
he was never forsaken by God. But the Lord Jesus Christ was
truly forsaken by God. First of all, he was forsaken
by his people. You know, the scripture says all the disciples
forsook him and fled. And he didn't have them saying,
we know you're doing this for us and we love you for it. No,
they hightailed out of there. They didn't want to be identified
with him. They forsook him. He was forsaken by his father.
And he didn't have the father saying, I know these sins really
aren't yours, but they belong to your people, but you're bearing
them. Nothing like that. He felt nothing
but the awful frown and wrath of his father. He didn't have
his father saying, I know these sins are not yours, nor could
he think to himself, I realize these sins really aren't mine,
and I'm only bearing the sins of my people." That was not his
experience on the cross. Now, I know I don't understand
this, but I know God forsook him because he was made sin. And he didn't feel, well, at
least these sins are not mine. You know, if you felt that way,
you couldn't feel the shame of them. But the scripture says
he felt the shame of those sins. He felt the shame of the commission
of those sins. Even though he had never committed
them, those sins actually became his. He bore our sins in his
own body on the tree. And at this time, he is feeling. the wrath of God, being forsaken
and abandoned by God. He felt the full equivalent of
an eternal hell. And in him feeling the wrath
of God, it was unlike anybody else, because anybody else who
has felt the wrath of God, they've hated him. They've been cursing
him if they could make it to where he was no longer in existence.
They have no love but only hatred for God as he pours his wrath
upon him. But this one experienced the
wrath of God who loved him with a perfect heart. and a perfect
love, and he loved Him supremely. And what his experience was infinitely
worse than anybody else has ever experienced. He really was forsaken
by God. He couldn't even call God Father
at this time. He doesn't say, my father, my
father, why have you forsaken me? He said, my God, my God,
why have you forsaken me? Martin Luther said about this
statement, God, forsaking God, No one could understand this. He really was forsaken, abandoned
by God, left to himself, feeling the full fury and wrath and indignation
of God. Now, second question. Why was he forsaken? God really forsook him. He said,
why are you so far from helping me? And the words of my roaring,
why was he forsaken? Well, in Psalm 22, three, he
answers that question, thou art holy. Thou art holy. Now, here is what was going on. Why was he forsaken? Because
that is what I deserve. Now, I can say I deserve to be
forsaken, and I know it's right, but do I really feel that? Well,
sometimes to a measure, sometimes not. I can be so self-righteous
and so hard-hearted and so blind to what I am, and I may feel
it to a measure, I may not, I may not even really believe it. Here's
how I know I deserve to be forsaken. Here's how I know. he was. He is taking what I personally
deserve. And that's how I see the fullness
of my sin, not by looking within and feeling convicted, but by
seeing what he experienced on Calvary Street. I know this.
He is taking what I deserve to be abandoned, forsaken by God. 1 Peter 2 chapter 24 says, who
his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree. My sin became his sin, so that
the forsaking that I deserve, he took. David said, I've not seen the righteous forsaken,
nor his seed begging for bread. Now, when he was forsaken by
a just and holy God, he was not forsaken as a righteous man,
but as a guilty man. He is being treated how he deserved
to be treated, by a holy and a just God. 2 Corinthians chapter
5 verse 21 says, for he hath made him to be sin. Who knew no sin? that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Him. Now, there are two
scriptures that I'm going to give. There are many other scriptures
I could give, but let me give you a couple of scriptures that
let us know that this sin became His sin. Now, in Psalm 40, we
read in verse 7 and 8, Then said I, Lo, I come in the volume of
the book which is written of me. I delight to do thy will,
O God. Yea, thy law is within my heart.
Now, this is quoted In Hebrews 10, it's the very words of Christ.
So, in Psalm 40, Christ is speaking. And look what he says in verse
12. This is the same one speaking. For innumerable evils have compassed
me about, mine iniquities. not Todd's iniquities that were
charged to my account. Mine iniquities have taken hold
upon me so that I am not able to look up. They're more than
the hairs of my head. Therefore, my heart faileth me."
In Psalm 69, We read, this once again is the
Psalm of the Cross. It says in Psalm 69 verse 20,
reproach hath broken my heart, I'm full of heaviness, I look
for some to take pity, but there was none. For comforters, but
I found none, they gave me also gall for my meat, and in my thirst
they gave me vinegar to drink. Now see, those are once again
are prophecies concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And look what he says, He says
in this same psalm, save me, O God, for the waters are coming
to my soul. He's talking about what he experienced
on the cross. I sink in deep mire where there's
no standing. I'm coming to deep waters where
the floods overflow me. I'm weary of my crying. My throat
is dried. Mine eyes fail while I wait for
my God. They that hate me without cause,
and that's spoken of Christ in John chapter 15. They that hate
me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. They that
would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty.
Then I restored that which I took not. Who could that be but Christ?
O God, thou knowest my foolishness, and my sins are not hid from
thee. For his righteousness to become
my personal righteousness, not in word only, but in reality,
My sin had to become his personal sin, not in word only, but in
reality. And he is treated as a damned
soul being made a curse. The wages of sin is death. If God did not forsake him, It
would be contrary to His holy, just nature. He forsook Him because
He was indeed guilty. That's why He was forsaken by
God. He was forsaken by God because
this is God's eternal purpose. Revelation 13 says He's the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world. Now, He's the Lamb
forsaken from the foundation of the world. He's the Lamb resurrected
from the foundation of the world. This is God's eternal purpose. The universe was created for
this to take place. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken and with
wicked hands have crucified and slain." He said, for this cause
came I into this hour. The cup which my father gave
me to drink, shall I not drink it? He was forsaken because this
is God's eternal purpose. Why was he forsaken? That he
might glorify. his father. Now listen to me,
I say this reverently, this is the most God-like thing God ever
did. When he forsook his son as the sinner's substitute, how
he glorified every attribute of God. Romans 8.32 says he spared God
his own son. How that glorifies God's absolute
justice. He would not let sin go unpunished,
even on His only begotten and well-beloved Son. He spared not
His own Son. How that magnifies the amazing
love and grace and mercy of God that He would give His Son for
sinners. He spared not His own Son. How that glorifies His wisdom
in making a way for Him to be absolutely just and yet justify
ungodly sinners in a way that glorifies His justice. Listen
to me, it's not just the mercy and grace of God that demand
my salvation, it's the absolute justice of God that demands my
salvation because of what He accomplished on Calvary's tree.
He spared not His own Son. How that glorifies the sovereign
purpose of God. He purposed this before creation,
and it comes to pass in time. He spared not His own Son. How this glorifies Christ's willing
obedience to His Father, to come and do what His Father called
upon Him to do. Why was he forsaken? Because
of his love for his people. He was going to take their sin
because he loved them. He loved his bride. Now some
have said that Adam, remember he watched Eve eat the fruit. Maybe he wasn't even there when
she ate it. And he comes up and she said, look, I ate this fruit.
It's good. Some have supposed that Adam
knew what was going to happen. He knew that it was an act of
rebellion against God, but because of the love he had to Eve, he
decided to go ahead and eat the fruit and fall with her. Now,
is that the case? I don't know. In a way, I doubt
it because when he ate the fruit, it was an act of rebellion against
God. That seems almost noble, the way he went down with Eve.
This was an act that he plunged our entire race into being dead
in sin. I don't want to put anything
noble about that. When the Lord Jesus Christ willingly
took my sins, it's because of His love for me, for His whole
bride. He did what He did out of love
for His bride. He would bear the full curse
and responsibility of their sins because He loved them, what it
cost Him. Christ did this to show us what
trust is. Though he slayed me, yet will
I trust him. Now, what are the results of
him being forsaken? We see the reality of him being
forsaken. We see the reason he was forsaken.
What are the results of him being forsaken? Matthew 121. In the opening chapter of the
New Testament, we read this, the angel said to Joseph, thou
shalt call his name Jesus. For he shall save his people
from their sins. When he was forsaken and died
and was raised again, shall is changed to he has saved his people
from their sins. They've been completely saved
from their sins. My sins cannot condemn me because
he put them away. I'm saved from the penalty of
sin. I'll never have to pay for it. I'm saved from the power
of sin. I can now do what I could not
do before. I can believe the gospel. I can love God for who
He is because I've been given a new nature. And I will be saved
from the very presence of sin, perfectly conformed to the image
of the Lord Jesus Christ because He was forsaken. I will be saved,
I am saved from all my sins. And now he says to me, I will
never leave thee nor forsake thee. Because I was, because
he was forsaken, I will never be forsaken. Now, here's why
he has no reason to forsake me. Because of what he did for me
when he bore my sins, not only did he put those sins away, he
justified me. He made me so I have no guilt.
He made me so I stand perfectly righteous before God. The scripture
actually describes every believer in Colossians 1.22 as holy, unblameable,
and unreprovable in his sight. He made his bride without spot
or wrinkle or any such thing. He has no reason to forsake his
people. They're the perfect bride. by
what he did for them. By one offering, he hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. What are the results of him being
forsaken? Well, his people will never forsake
him. Jeremiah 32.4 says, I will make an everlasting covenant
with them. I will not turn away from them to do them good, but
I'll put my fear in their hearts so that they shall not depart
from me. Now, if I could fall away, I
would fall away, but I can't fall away, therefore I will not
fall away. He said, I give unto my sheep
eternal life. None of his people will ever
forsake him. They'll persevere all the way
to the end. Now, this is a true story. There was a missionary who was
trying to preach the gospel. to a tribe that had a very limited
vocabulary, and he tried to present the gospel, and then he asked
the people, have you heard what I said? Do you understand what
I'm saying? And a woman replied to him, here's what she heard
when he preached the gospel to her in this primitive language. He die or me die. He died. Me no die. That is the gospel. Either I die or he's going to
have to die for me. If he died for me, I cannot die
because all my sin has been put away. Now, because he was forsaken,
Everybody he died for, everybody he represented will never be
forsaken. Thank God, bless Christ, that
he was pleased to be forsaken by His Father so that He could
glorify His Father and that His church would never be forsaken. We have this message on DVD,
CD, if you call the church, write, email, or look on our website. We'll send you a copy. You can
get a copy on our website. This is Todd Nyberg. To receive
a copy of the sermon you have just heard, send your request
to todd.nyberg at gmail.com. or you may write or call the
church at the information provided on the screen.