By Jonathan S Singh
“Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)
When Jesus cried out these words, they were not the delusions of a man in pain. His faith was not failing Him. As Christ hung there, He was bearing the sins of the world. He was dying as a substitute for others. To Him was imputed the guilt of their sins, and He was suffering the punishment for those sins on their behalf, on our behalf. The physical pains of crucifixion, horrible as they were, were nothing compared to the wrath of the Father being poured out upon Him.
Jesus had a deep feeling of anguish when he took on the sins of the world. This is what Jesus dreaded when He prayed to God in the Garden to take the cup from Him (Matt 26:39).
“Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
Why did Jesus have to do all this for us ?
It was His Love for us. His Agape Love, Unconditional Love for us. There was no-condition of Christ’s Love for us (AGAPE).
We are all called to Love one another. Jesus says in Matt 22:37-45, “Love the Lord you God with all you heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.
Jesus even told us to Love our enemies. Jesus says in
Matt 5:39-41” But I say, don’t resist an evil person! If you are slapped on the right cheek, turn the other, too. 40 If you are ordered to court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. 41 If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile,* carry it two miles.”
Duty is going the first mile; love is going the second mile. In the Time of Jesus Every Jewish person had a milestone from his property. One mile from the edge of his property he would put a stone because by roman law if a roman soldier met him on the road and asked him to carry his pack, he had to carry his pack for 1 mile and when he came to that mile stone he could put it down saying I don’t have to go another step, my duty is over. But Jesus said if a man asks you to go one mile, go with him two miles. So Duty goes the first mile (that’s the law), but Love goes the Second mile. There is a difference between duty and Love. Duty does what you have to do; Love does what God wants you to do.
What does God want you and I to do ?
Luke 9:60
Jesus replied, “Your duty is to go and preach the coming of the Kingdom of God.”
· Are we doing our duty ?
· Are we telling our colleagues and friends of our Lord Jesus Christ ?
· Are we taking a stand for Our Lord Jesus Christ ?
In the words of John Heigi, “The church needs to stand for something, and that something is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The church is not a retirement center for spiritual Fat Cats; it is the recruiting center for the army of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Paul says in
Ephesians 6, put on the whole armor of God and take a stand in the end days.
· All defensive except one the Sword of the Spirit which is offensive or attacking.
The bible tells us to take dominion, to be fruitful and multiply. God intends for Christians to take charge of their lives. If you do not take charge of your life, somebody else will, think bout that. Many of us have taken the Key to our lives and given it to another individual and you are so obsessed with that person’s approval of you, you have forgotten God’s approval of you. Many of us are concerned about being people pleasers not a God Pleaser.
You know the Right hand is very significant,
1. The right hand is from which we get the phrase “he is my Right hand man.”
2. Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father; it’s a position of Power.
3. We have that phrase to this day “May I have your hand on it.” The right hand of Power, most hand shakes are given by the Right hand. Here is a Biblical illustration in Genesis 48
When Joseph was in Egypt and he went and got his father Jacob and then Jacob was then Blessing his two grand children Manasseh and Ephraim. Jacob placed his right hand on the second boy and his left hand on the first boy. It was backwards and his Sons said Dad stop it and Jacob refused to stop it because he crossed his hands and gave the best blessing to the second boy.
On the Cross of Calvary, The First Born of the Father was dieing for you and I (Gentiles) what was our position? Paul in the Galatians says we were outside of the Covenant without God and without Hope. And the Son said “Father why have you forsaken me?” God the Father said I haven’t Forsaken you. Today I have taken my right hand and I’m putting it on the Gentile people
· I’m grafting them in ,I’m forgiving their Sins and giving them eternal life,
· I’m taking their Sickness and I’m giving their Sickness to you . By your stripes they will be healed.
· I am adopting them in to the family of God and you are paying the price for that ,
· I’m giving them freedom and I have brought to you the bondage ,I’m giving them health and healing and I’m giving their sicknesses to you .
· Son I Am giving to you shame cause Jesus hung on the cross naked in Shame, between thieves. Rome did everything they could to shame the Son of God but the Son of God broke your shame barrier at the Cross when God the Father gave to you confidence. Confidence means “living with Faith”. We have the source of supernatural confidence because of what God gave us by crossing His hands .He put His left hand on His first born Jesus and His right hand on us. Thank God for the power of the Blessing.
Let me tell you a true story. A young boy made a small boat with the greatest care and skill. With great pride he carried it to a nearby river to sail it. While he was watching it, a strong wind blew and pushed the boat out into the current. In no time it went out of sight. I need not say how sad the boy was when he realized he had lost his boat. Although only a cheap toy, it was very precious to him.
Some days later the boy was going through the market and as he was walking he chanced to look in a shop window, and there was his lost boat! He wanted it back, of course, as soon as possible. He approached the Shopkeeper and explained to him on how he had made the boat with his own hands and on how he had lost it while playing with it a few weeks back, but the shopkeeper refused and said he had to pay for it. But the price of Rs.1000 was too high for him. He decided however, to buy it despite the cost. He worked hard night and day, and in a short while he had earned enough to buy it back. Straight to the shop he went, placed the money before the shop keeper and bought back his own creation. He held it tightly in his arms, and went home joyfully.
Challenge:
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God did not give us a Spirit of Fear but a Spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”
Jesus said “What you do for men, you have done for me. “
· We are all called to be full time missionary
· Are we sensitive to the people around us?
Matthew 20:26b-27 " Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,and whoever wants to be first must be your slave,just as the Son of Man did not come to be served,but to serve,and to give His life as a ransom for many."
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