On this date 4 years ago, we remember the cowards that attacked our prized land. We remember those lives that were innocently killed. And we also remember those that showed acts of bravery as they scaled long stairwells and died within the walls of the “Twin Towers”. For the past couple of weeks on the History channel there has been a series about the events that lead to this horrible day that will never be forgotten. Today I would like for us to also remember another day for those of us here this morning that has receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and tell the story to those here, who may not have received eternal life through what Jesus Christ has done for you.
Starting from the fall of man, God throughout the Old Test. has given us pictures of Jesus Christ. Since before the foundations of the world was laid, God came up with a plan that He would one day, send us His only begotten Son into the world to pay for the sins of mankind that we might have the fellowship that was broken when Adam and Eve sinned. (expound sin – any voluntary transgression of the divine law, or violation of a divine command; a wicked act; iniquity) Starting with the book of Genesis God gave the Israelites pictures, types or even symbols that pointed toward a Savior – the man Christ Jesus as Timothy puts it. (read text)
The love that was displayed on the cross of Calvary was truly an amazing love and today I’d like for us to remember the price that was paid that we might claim the inheritance of eternal like, to such an act of love. In order to do this we are going to have to take a journey into the days of the Exodus when Israel’s bondage was broken from Egypt through the guidance and power of God.
As the children of Israel moved on toward the promise land, God gave not only laws to Moses, but feast and practices that were to be observed. The one that we are going to bring to our attention is the practice of the “Day of Atonement”. This atonement was to be observed around the month of Sept or October, as we know it today. The purpose behind it was this was the day Aaron (the H.P) would make atonement for himself as well as Israel. It was instructed to Aaron that he take a bullock and a ram to make atonement for himself and his household. Then he was required to take 2 goats and a ram for all of Israel. The 2 rams were to be presented as burnt offerings and the coals of these offerings were to be brought into the Holy of Holies as an incense offering before the Lord. (expound tabernacle and temple ground- temple yard (burnt offering alter, holy place; furniture – Holy of Holies- where the ark of the covenant stayed, only one allowed in was the H.P.)
Lots (votes) were cast upon the 2 goats to see which would be the sacrifice and which would be the scapegoat. Once this was determined, Aaron was to sacrifice his bullock and sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat within the Holy of Holies 7x’s. The goat for Israel was then sacrificed and the blood was to be sprinkled onto the horns of the alter. (Horns in the bible represent judgment). The blood on the horns represented the judgment of sins through the price of an innocent animal paying the price for sins. Israel’s sins were covered by the blood of this goat and then Aaron would confess the sins to the goat that lived and then turned looses. Taking the confessed sins with it, showing us that when God forgives sins, he doesn’t remember them any more.
Several hundreds of years later, God sent Jesus to leave His throne to take the form of a man to show us an Amazing Love. Throughout His time on this earth, Jesus did many wonderful works and many lives were changed. Many lives were saved, healed, and brought back to life during the life of Jesus’ earthly ministry. 33 years into His life, God saw it fit that His Son was prepared to be the sacrifice that would end the pictures that He gave Israel through the Feast of the Lord including the Day of Atonement. As we parallel this particular feast, let me point out some key factors before we go further into our text.
#1. just as Aaron was to cast a lot upon the 2 goats to see which was to be the sacrifice who would pay for the sins of Israel, Jesus was brought before the congregation of Israel along with Barabas to see which would be set free and which would die.
#2. Just as Gen 3 reminds us that thorns was to be the symbol of sin due to the fall of man, sin was placed on the head of Jesus through a crown of thorns.
After Jesus was condemned to die on the cross and beating that would have killed most people (expound), Jesus was then brought to Golgotha to be crucified. Nails were placed in his hands and feet then he was suspended in the air while his body weight caused an excruciating pain that would make breathing very difficult. His clothes were taken off; brining shame to his body and while the guards gambled for his garments. Spectators mocked Him while in pain and agony not realizing that they were watching their savior pay for their sins.
While on the cross, the bible tells us that around 9am it became dark all over the land. This darkness was a very real darkness as though evil was very present. All eyes are still on Jesus as He screams out “Eli Eli lema sabachthoni” We read it in the KJV as My God, My God, why have thou forsaken me? In the Greek it reads, “God of me, God of me, for what purpose have you abandoned me?” Jesus Christ felt a way that He has never felt before in all his eternal life. All my life I have been taught that God turned His back on Jesus, but scripture tells us other wise. In the laws of interpreting the bible you have to check scripture with scripture, the bible will always harmonize. So how do we do this?
We know that God could have not turned His back on Jesus because Jesus said: Joh 8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. And in Joh 16:32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
So my question this morning is this…Why did Jesus feel as thou He was abandoned? Its my prayer this morning that its through the remembrance of this sacrifice that we see why Jesus felt as though He was abandoned here in our text and can say this was truly an Amazing Love. So why did He feel abandoned?
Jesus felt as though He was abandoned because:
I. He became sin for us. Vs 45
Sin is like a cut or break in a telephone wire. There must be a perfect connection from the source to the phone before there can be any communication. Sin separates our connection with God. Forgiveness is like a splice in a wire. It does not take a brand new wire to complete the circuit, but there must be a wire in which every single break has been repaired.
Sin separates man and God. There is only one way to get back to God; through Jesus Christ! Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear.
A. It’s because of sin that keeps our relationship with God broken. God wants to speak to us on a daily basis. And He tries to speak to us in various ways: Through His Word, His people, and through His creation. But how many of us listen?
B. Lets be honest with ourselves here. Do we all wake up in the morning and spend time with God? So what is the common denominator that keeps us from having that personal relationship with God? Sin. Sin is very present in each and every one of our lives.
C. Let’s be honest? Did you live a sin free day yesterday? I’m not talking about being a good person I’m talking about not bringing God honor and glory. COG did you lead someone to Christ this past week? Plant a seed? (SJWF – Sin of Silence) Anything that doesn’t bring honor and glory to God is sin, even if you just have a bad thought you have sinned against God. Sin as a whole is the result of lying, stealing, cheating, fornication, gossip, sexual impurities, and the list goes on.
D. With all of this sin, every bit of it was placed on the head of Jesus Christ that day. Jesus felt abandoned because He was now placed in a position that He has never been in. Jesus Christ became my sin and your sin. In a parallel with the Day of Atonement, in order for God to forgive sin, the goat that the lot fell on became the sin every single person in the tribes of Israel.
2Co 5:21 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. Can you imagine, feeling what Jesus Christ must have felt that day? The Son of God, becoming sin for me?
Understanding that Jesus becoming sin for us helps us to understand why Jesus felt so alone. Which brings us to our 2nd point: Jesus felt abandoned because:
II. He was judged for us. Vs 46
A. The bible clearly tells us that because I am a sinner and you are a sinner, sin has to be punished. Rom 6:23a For the wages of sin is death. But I want you to notice the Amazing Love that God has for us and the beautiful plan that God designed to restore the broken fellowship.
B. IAW the DOA, it was the goat that the sins of Israel was placed upon. Not just any kind of goat but one without spot or blemish. That was the only type that God would accept which illustrates His only Son. Not only was it without spot, but it was also innocent. The goat didn’t sin, it was man, but blood had to be spilled in order for sin to be forgiven.
C. So here is the problem, man is sinful in its nature. We were born in sin, and not one of us here can claim that we are innocent. But God who is perfect and pure can take the form of a man, be tempted and tried and become the sin offering for us and pay for our sins and the curse of sin is now broken.
D. Just as judgment was placed on this goat, judgment was place on Jesus Christ in our place. What is literally happening here? Jesus is on the cross in your place. (The penalty of sin is death and Jesus became sin) You see, you deserve to die, You deserve to pain, the suffering, the mocking, the shame.
E. You want to know why Jesus felt abandoned? It’s because He is on the cross for you and for me and we are watching Him pay for our sins while we live our lives as though there is no sin present.
F. He didn’t deserve it, I deserved it (Illustration, me and my brother, he got beaten for something that I did)
G. Its through Jesus suffering that we can escape the wrath of God because God judged His only son. Jesus felt abandoned because the God went from being the Father to the Judge. (How many of you have ever felt as though your parents have abandoned you because you were being punished for something that you didn’t do?) How is this Amazing Love?
Rom 5:6-11 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. (illustrate a man in jail, you wouldn’t even think about letting your only son die for someone who is scum to society, but you might let him die for the Pres of USA by sending him to war but even though you would let him die for one that is debited to society- )But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only [so], but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
Do you see the beauty in all of this? This ought to make every person in this room right now feel about this tall. Have you ever heard of such a love story as this? God giving us His only son to take the form of man, become sin for us, who knew no sin, take our cross that you and I deserve and get blamed for all of it?
I’m sure by now we have all witnessed the Passion of Christ, and it was horrible to watch, but what I can assure you was would have been worse was the judgment that Jesus went through when the Father went from Abba Father to Judge.
Its through this judgment that we can feel the abandonment of Christ: And its through this abandonment that:
III. It satisfied the Father. Vs 50, 51
A. We are told in these verses that after the punishment of sin was administered, Jesus gave up His spirit to the Father. It was then the veil in the temple was ripped in half. Understand that this is a very significant moment for all of mankind.
B. It symbolizes that the barrier between God and man was removed. Now all people are free to approach the throne of Grace any time that we want because the broken communication has been restored.
C. Through the shedding of blood of Jesus, Jesus became our High Priest that entered into the Holy of Holies in heaven the book of Hebrews tells us and offered this sacrifice to God. That’s why Jesus said that its finished, because through His blood being sprinkled on the horns of the alter, ours sins were paid for.
D. We don’t need a veil any more because Jesus is our intercessor. When we go to Him in prayer, He intercedes for us. In other words, He sticks up for us, when we fall short ever-single day.
E. But you know the sad thing is, just as the barrier of sin has been restored, many people will not accept Jesus as their Lord and savior. I quoted a verse a min ago and I would like to finish it. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.
F. You see because of sin its appointed for man to die. And after death, Judgment. But wait preacher; I thought you just said God judged sin. Yes He did, did you hear the rest of that verse I just read to you? The gift of God is eternal life. You have to receive the gift in order for it to be valid. How did God do that? Through Jesus dying on the cross for our no good for nothing selves, God recognized that it was us on the cross when we put all of our faith and trust into Him.
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death (judgment): that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. There is a song that I heard one of our teenagers sing once; I’m forgiven, because you were forsaken, I’m accepted you were condemned, I’m alive and well your spirit is within me, because you died and rose again. Amazing Love how can it be, that you my King would die for me, Amazing Love I know its true, and Its my joy to honor you, in all I do, I honor you.
G. But here’s the thing, were all still sinners and One day you will die, all of us will. Whether its while we are serving God or living a life of sin. Another thing that I want to point is because we all have a God breathing soul in us, we all will live forever. But it all depends on were we want to spend that eternity. You see by default the place that we will all go without Christ is Hell because we are all still sinners, but by confessing our sins and believing Christ died for us we can have eternal life. I don’t care how good of a person you are, if you die right now without Christ you will die and spend an eternity in Hell.
Let me ask you this morning, do you feel the pain that Jesus went through that day for you? Do you feel the abandonment that He felt as God executed judgment in your place? For those of us that are saved, what does Jesus see when He looks down at your life right now? What does He say? Does He say….I took your place and you wont even remember what I’ve done for you. This is your cross, not mine, This is your shame, not mine. What does He see? Are you living your life filled with faith and thankfulness of what He did for you?
How about those here this morning that God is speaking to. Do you feel the abandonment? If you died right now where would you go? (music) Heaven, Hell? If you don’t know then friend you can now for sure (expound) You say but preacher you don’t know what I have to give up…Is it worth spending an eternity in hell for? Preacher you don’t know my pain, I may not but Jesus does. You see when you place your trust in faith in Him, The Savior of the World now becomes your best friend.
During this time of invitation, maybe you have question I would love to meet with you. Maybe you just have received Christ as your Savior would you make that POF public by coming forward, and telling the whole world that you are not ashamed?
