51 At that moment the parokhet in the Temple was ripped in two from top to bottom; and there was an earthquake, with rocks splitting apart. 52 Also the graves were opened, and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life; 53 and after Yeshua rose, they came out of the graves and went into the holy city, where many people saw them. 54 When the Roman officer and those with him who were keeping watch over Yeshua saw the earthquake and what was happening, they were awestruck and said, “He really was a son of God.”
55 There were many women there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Yeshua from the Galil, helping him. 56 Among them were Miryam from Magdala, Miryam the mother of Ya‘akov and Yosef, and the mother of Zavdai’s sons. (Complete Jewish Bible)
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One of the most human of emotions is loneliness. Christianity teaches us that we were made for communion with the triune God and at best incomplete outside of that relationship. I remember being three and waking up from my nap to what I thought was an empty house. The fear of abandonment and being all alone reduced me to sitting down on the floor and crying. As a teen I sometimes felt the most alone in the crowd of my school’s cafeteria. Loneliness and abandonment, the fear of truly being on your own against the world resonates with all people.
Now multiply to a near infinite degree the abandonment and loneliness that began to crush Jesus as the sins of all humanity came to Him on the Cross: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB).
The Father did not abandon the Son, but in that moment, when He became sin on our behalf, all Jesus could cry out was, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Hymn for Today: "He Ransomed Me" by Julie H. Johnston.
1. There’s a sweet and blessed story
Of the Christ who came from glory
Just to rescue me from sin and misery;
He in loving-kindness sought me
And from sin and shame hath brought me -
Hallelujah! Jesus ransomed me.
Chorus: Hallelujah! what a Savior
Who can take a poor, lost sinner,
Lift him from the miry clay and set me free!
I will ever tell the story,
Shouting, "Glory, glory, glory!"
Hallelujah! Jesus lifted me.
2. From the depth of sin and sadness
To the heights of joy and gladness
Jesus lifted me in mercy full and free;
With His precious blood He bought me,
When I knew Him not He sought me,
And in love divine He ransomed me.Chorus: Hallelujah! what a Savior
Who can take a poor, lost sinner,
Lift him from the miry clay and set me free!
I will ever tell the story,
Shouting, "Glory, glory, glory!"
Hallelujah! Jesus lifted me.
3. By and by with joy increasing
And with gratitude unceasing,
Lifted up to be with Christ eternally,
I will join the hosts there singing,
In the anthem ever ringing,
To the King of Love who ransomed me.
Chorus: Hallelujah! what a Savior
Who can take a poor, lost sinner,
Lift him from the miry clay and set me free!
I will ever tell the story,
Shouting, "Glory, glory, glory!"
Hallelujah! Jesus lifted me.
Thought for Today: We have all received from his fullness, yes, grace upon grace.(Complete Jewish Bible)(John 1:16).
Please pray: For the development of Christian leaders in New Zealand.
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