My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? –Psalm 22:1
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. -Isaiah 53:5–6
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
This anguished cry from King David’s despairing heart centuries ago was repeated by Jesus on the cross. Jesus felt abandoned by his Father as he took the weight of the world’s sin upon himself. So, if you feel like God has dumped you, remember you’re not the only one to feel that way. But if you continue reading the Psalm, you will know that David was heard and vindicated. You, too, can expect the same.
In the Gospels, we learn that Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day to eternal glory—his suffering turned into glory! What we need to keep in mind is that our suffering has a purpose. It is intended to mature, make us stronger, and enable us to witness and comfort others with Christ’s message of hope, rescue, and redemption.
Our human minds can’t fully comprehend the enormity of the price Jesus paid for us on the cross. If we did, our hearts would ache at the knowledge of his supreme sacrifice on our behalf and the depth of his love for us.
Although we don’t know whom the prophet Isaiah referred to in his day, this passage was very early applied to Jesus. The church recognized that it perfectly (and prophetically) described his mission on our behalf—he’s the one who bore the full weight of our sins and folly, he is the one who paid for our transgressions, and he is the only reason we are healed of our alienation from God.
How can someone else take upon himself the punishment due to our crimes against God and his holiness? We don’t know how this all works. We only know that this is what happened. God could have rescued us in some other way, but this is how he chose, carefully planned, and carried out. And there was nothing irrational or arbitrary about it.
Figure it this way: Jesus came into the world in perfect holiness and sinlessness. He led the perfect human life without the slightest flaw. Then, like the prophets of the Old Testament, he was persecuted and killed for telling people the unpleasant truth about themselves. In their rage, they murdered him.
But in a way, God said of all this, “Alright, since in your misguided religious fervor you insist on violence and murder of everyone I send to you, and now even my beloved Son, then I’ll decree this act of murder, the lowest point to which you can sink, to be the very thing that saves you.”
In other words, God tells us that it’s not our righteousness, goodness, or religious performance that leads us to his kingdom, but rather his mercy and grace. If he used the raw material of our sin and transformed it into the building blocks of our salvation, then there is no basis for claiming that we control (or in any way deserve) our salvation. It’s his work from beginning to end and has nothing to do with us, except for each of us to reach out and receive the gracious gift he offers from his hand.
How much clearer could he make it that he alone is the Author of our salvation? In this act of God lies our total security.
Today’s Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for giving your life for me and for paying the price for my sins that I could never pay. I pray that just as you lived and died for me, I may live and die for others. Help me, O Lord. Amen.
Today’s Commitment:
Today, I thank God for…
- Bleak Saturday: New Life - April 19, 2025
- Good Friday: What’s Good About It? - April 19, 2025
- Maundy Thursday: This Is Love - April 17, 2025
