The Cry of Loneliness
Thesis: Jesus cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!” is a desperate cry of loneliness. I believe this was the worst and the most horrible moment of the crucifixion of Jesus. When sin invaded His life and the Father walked away!
Scripture Text: Mark 15:33-39
33At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?“—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
35When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”
36One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.
37With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.
38The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
Introduction: Jesus’ lonely cry of, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!” is a desperate cry of loneliness. I believe this was the worst and the most horrible part of the crucifixion for Jesus.
I believe it was worst than the beatings, the betrayal of Judas, the desertion of the disciples, the humiliation of the crucifixion, being spit upon, the crown of thorns, the nails in His hands, the mocking, the emotional torment, and even the mental torment. None of these compared to what He is facing at this moment on the cross. This was the worst moment of the crucifixion. Jesus is all alone at this moment in His life. Not even the Father is with Him.
Can you hear His lonely cry?
Jesus had never been out of God’s presence before. God the Father “Abba” was always right there with Jesus. These two were in the habit of communicating on a daily basis. Just read the Gospel’s and you will see that they had an active vibrant relationship. They loved each other and they communicated with each other on a regular basis.
Jesus received His strength in the garden because He was not totally alone the Father was with Him. Yes, it was a very lonely moment for Jesus but it was the depth of their relationship that helped Him to say, “Not my will but yours be done!” They wrestled together there in the darkness and Jesus wanted to know if there was any other way. But God said, “No there was no other way!” Jesus asked if He could by pass this torture and this humiliation of the crucifixion. But God said, “ It’s the only way!” Jesus responded after much mental and emotional struggle with “Yes Lord!”
I watched this garden scene this week from The Passion of the Christ again and it reminded me how alone Jesus was in the Garden, but then it hit me, “He still had the Father!” He still had His strength in the midst of a desperate lonely moment. He still had His hope and His rock. God was still with Him at this time. God gave him the ability to face the rage of the enemy and to press on to the crucifixion. He was not totally alone at this horrible moment God was with Him.
But then as I watched The Passion I came to the part of the crucifixion were He cried out in pain with these words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!” And I saw something I never saw before. This moment in time is freeze framed into my mind and into my heart.
The darkness has settled in at this point, the physical agony is ripping at Jesus’ life. Then it happens it’s a flash flood of something foreign to His very nature. Sin enters into His sinless life. Yes, sin invades like a Cancer into His being and the horror of sin rushes over Him.
I thought about the darkness for a moment and this thought entered my mind, “The darkness of the day is reflective of the darkness that invaded the light of the world. Light has been invaded by the darkness and the loneliness of sin is setting in.”
At this moment in my life I heard His lonely cry?
The light is fading as sin takes over the life of Christ. He hangs their in agony of spirit and soul as sin eats at His holiness. Then the most horrible moment in the Life of Christ happened God walks away from Him. God His “Abba Father” walks away from Him in His agony because sin has enveloped Jesus. Jesus sees God’s departing from sin – He experiences utter loneliness for the first time in His life and He cries out in desperation, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Where are you going God! Please don’t leave me! Don’t leave me to face this horror all alone!
Let me ask you – “Can you hear His lonely cry?”
He’s crying out, “I need you God! I am all alone God! Please don’t desert me God!”
My friend this is indescribable pain and suffering crying out. This is abandonment crying out in agony! This is a horrible moment in the life of Jesus. This is a horror movie to Jesus. This is the worst part of the whole crucifixion. God has departed from Him and He is all alone for the first time in His life.
You might be thinking, “Why did God the Father leave His beloved Son?”
The reason is: Because at this moment in history Jesus became sin for us! And God has no relationship with sin!
Peter gives us insight into this moment in time when he states:
1 Peter 2:21-25:
21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
The pain and the suffering of Jesus reached its peak right here at this moment in the crucifixion. His father “Abba” turned away from Him because of the sin factor. Remember God is holy and because He is holy He can not embrace sin. He turns from that which is sin and moves away from it. God always will reject a life filled with unrepentant sin.
Let me ask again” “Can you hear His desperate cry?
Personal application:
I want you to think about this for a moment. Jesus the Son of God chose to take upon Himself the sin of the world so that you and I could be set free. He did this for you and for me!
Jesus’ most important personal relationship - the thing that He valued the most- was His relationship with His Father. It gave Him purpose, it gave Him hope, it gave Him strength, and it gave Him life. But when He became enveloped in sin He lost His most important reason for living. He lost his most valuable relationship. This is why He cried out to His Father. It hurt deeply, it pierced His heart and His mind more so than the spear or the nails. It wrenched deep into His soul and His spirit. But God had no choice He could not, nor would He ever embrace sin - even in His own beloved Son. Therefore Jesus experienced the worst ordeal He could have ever imagined the loneliness of rejection by His Father.
Here is the most amazing part of it all He did it willingly so that you and I could have a relationship with the Father!
The Lord Almighty is bound by the nature of love to reject sin and to walk away from anything that is contaminated with it. The result of sin is utter isolation from God. I have talked with many people who have said that “My worst nightmare in life was when I felt I was all alone and abandoned and nobody cared for me!” it was those lonely horrible moments were sin was in control and dominating their lives. Many face this horrible moment in life and some even commit suicide because they give up.
I can say that my loneliest point in my life came when one night I felt abandoned. I was living a life of sin and I knew I was alone and abandoned. But I choose to cry out to God. Do you know what? He heard my cry and He spoke to me and said, “Mike there is a way out of loneliness and this hopelessness and it’s found in Jesus.” He spoke to my heart and said, “You don’t have to live like this any more because Jesus paid the price for you!” I decided at this point in my life to listen to the Lord and to do things His way by committing myself to Him.
My soul, spirit and body were filled with His wonderful love and at that moment in my life I knew Jesus would never leave me nor forsake me. I would never again be alone crying out in the darkness of sin and its loneliness ever again.
But I am also reminded! Don’t allow sin into you life guard it! Protect it from sin because when sin comes in and resides -- God has to leave and that creates a horrible moment of loneliness. I have decided I never want to be alone in the dark ever again.
Conclusion:
Here is the good news for this Good Friday for each and every one of you.
Jesus paid the price for your sin and you do not have to experience loneliness any more!
So let me ask again: “Do you hear His lonely cry?” Remember he did it for you so that you would not have to go through the loneliness any more!
Jesus says, “I am the way the truth and the life no man comes to the Father except through me!” Embrace him today repent of your sin, open up your heat and let the Savior in, and then you will not have to cry in darkness any more!”
We have a way to our Father through Jesus Christ today and that is what makes Good Friday so good!
Our passage of Scripture ends with noting what the soldier heard and saw at the end of Jesus life.
It tells us that he heard His cry and saw how He died.
He heard His cry! He saw how He died! And it changed this soldier’s life! How do I know listen to what he says, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
Have you heard His cry today?
Have you seen how He died?
Can you now say ‘Surely this man is the Son of God the Savior of my life!”
