Last Words: Part 3 – Why

God never wants us to experience a life of pain and isolation, and he has done everything possible to ensure that never happens. Yet, there are times in our lives when we look at our situation and circumstances and ask, “Why?” It’s a question we ask when we are conflicted and confused. Yet, that simple question can unleash something powerful in our lives! In this message, Dr. John Cross looks at some of the most painful last words of Jesus – “Why have you forsaken me?” – and helps us discover how that question, “Why?” can keep us from ever having to experience isolation again.

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LAST WORDS : WHY

03.11.2018  |  DR. JOHN CROSS

 

Intro:

We are so excited to be part of Fellowship Church! We live in Colleyville, about 20 minutes from the Grapevine campus. We have received such a warm welcome from everyone. In fact, it’s kind of amazing! My wife and I have both been randomly selected for personal greetings by local law enforcement! You know, you’re driving down the road and out of all the people driving on the streets, they choose us to talk to!

 

ILL. Sunday Morning

January 14, 2018

6:15 am

 

I was driving my daughter, Hope, for band rehearsal here in Grapevine. It was dark. Very little traffic. I looked up in my rearview mirror, and I see the red and blue lights.

-Pull over

-He asks where we were going

-I was speeding 10 miles over

-He takes my license, vehicle registration,

and insurance info

-Gives me a warning for speeding

-Gives me a ticket for no Texas driver’s license

-Tells me that my Florida license is suspended.

I had no idea at all.

 

*I called Florida Highway Patrol and found out the reason is because I had dropped the insurance on two older vehicles we had left in Florida. I was told that my license was suspended because I did not return the license plates to the county government. When I tried to explain I had no idea about the law, even though I had lived in Florida for 27 years, the lady kindly said ignorance wasn’t an excuse!

 

*I got my Texas car tag and Texas driver’s license!

*I went to pay the fines and was told I had to appear in court! Again, I was shocked! Paying the fines was not an option! I was told it was simple and I’d only be meeting with the city attorney.

*This past Thursday was my court date at 8:30 am. I had no idea so many others would be there too!

 

-Finally, I had my day in court! I told my story to the city attorney and the city attorney dismissed both tickets and I didn’t have to pay a fine or any court costs!

 

Note: When it comes to sin, someone has to pay!

On the Cross, Jesus was paying for our sins!

 

Transition: A few weeks ago, Pastor Ed began this series “Last Words” referring to the last words of Christ on the cross! If you’ve missed those messages, I want to encourage you to check them out!:

 

Luke 23:32

“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Luke 23:43 Today you will be with me in paradise.”

 

Exp: Jesus was crucified at 9 am.

Today we pick up in the story with these words,

 

Matthew 27:45 “From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.”

 

Matthew 27:46 “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani?’ which means, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’”

 

Exp: It’s dark. Thick inky black darkness that covered the earth like a shroud. There was no ray of light whatsoever. Just chilling darkness. It was midnight at midday.

 

  1. 46Jesus cried out

lit. “a blood curdling scream, schriek”

 

Why? Why the darkness?

Why the screaming of Jesus?

 

  1. 46forsaken”…”to abandon, desert, leave down in”

 

Exp: God the Father abandons, turns His back on, forsakes Jesus when He finds Himself literally in the darkest moment of His life!

 

Why? It was at this moment that Jesus took upon Himself the sins of all mankind for all time!

 

  1. Jesus Was Forsaken So We Can Be Forgiven

 

2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made Him Who had no sin

to be sin for us,

so that in Him we might

become the righteousness of God.”

 

App: The Sinless Savior became sin for us Sinners!

 

Why was Jesus forsaken? It was in this moment that the holiness of God met the sinfulness of man!

 

Quote: John Stott

“Sin cannot approach God and God cannot tolerate sin.“

 

Habakkuk 1:13 “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; You cannot tolerate wrong.”

 

ILL. Magnifying Glass

-Laser Light Beam Will Start a Fire

 

App: At 12 pm God took the magnifying glass of His holiness and focused the energy of His wrath at one point, the cross of Christ. God’s wrath due to man’s sin was taken out on Christ.

 

Note: God was not angry at His Son, He was angry at sin!

 

ILL. Hands

-One hand I have my Bible representing mankind/sin

-Other hand is open/empty representing Christ

 

App: Jesus paid a sin debt He did not owe!

We had a sin debt we could not pay!

 

ILL. Imagine being $1 Billion in Debt

from Bad Business Deals

-You arrange a payment plan

-You’re making $250,000 a year

-You’ll pay ON the debt but never pay FOR the debt.

 

**Jeff Bēzos, founder of Amazon is worth over $100 Billion, comes and offers to pay off your debt!

 

App: Jesus paid FOR your sin debt! All you have to do

is receive His payment! His forgiveness by faith!

 

Fact: Jesus experienced hell for you!

 

Warning: If you refuse Jesus’ payment FOR your sin,

you’ll spend all of eternity

outside of God’s presence in hell

paying ON your sin debt,

but will never be able to pay FOR your sin debt!

 

NoteHell is a place of:

-No Light….God is Light

-No Love…..God s Love

-No Life…….God is Life

 

App: “Today is the day of salvation,

now is the appointed time!” (2 Cor. 6:2)

 

Transition: Jesus Was Forsaken So We Can Be Forgiven

 

  1. If We Have Been Forgiven, We Will Never Be Forsaken

 

Matthew 27:46MY, God, MY God, why have You forsaken ME?”

 

Exp: It appears as if Jesus is saying God has failed Him. Doubters and skeptics think this must have really happen because who would include this if it wasn’t really true?

 

Quote: Martin Luther

“God forsaking God. How can it be?”

 

Key: This was a cry of distress, not distrust!

 

Note: In the darkest moment of Jesus’ life,

He still looked to His heavenly Father!

 

How?

 

  1. Jesus prayed, “My God, My God….”

 

Exp: At the lowest point of Jesus’ suffering

and when being abandoned, He still turned to God!

 

Problem: When we feel abandoned,

we tend to follow our Feelings rather than by Faith!

 

Quote: Corrie Ten Boom

“Look within be depressed, look around

be distressed, look above be at rest”

 

Note: Jesus did not cry out to His family or friends, but to His Father!

 

  1. Jesus looked to the Word of God!

 

Exp: He is quoting Psalm 22!

 

  1. Jesus clings in faith to God!

 

  1. 46 “My GOD, My GOD…”

 

App: He trusted God even though that moment was unbearable. He did not give up on God even while asking the, “WHY?”

 

App: There are a lot of things in life we’d like to know the answer to the “WHY?” We feel abandoned by God when:

-A spouse dies

-A child dies

-We get cancer

-Our spouse leaves

-No one at work seems to understand

-The person you want to date is not interested in you

-Everyone else seems to advance in life,

but you’re not

 

Why? Why?

ILL./Joke: Why?

Is baked chicken better for you

than fried chicken?

Does spinach, celery, carrots, broccoli,

asparagus have the vitamins,

but candy doesn’t?

 

Fact: Even if God gave us answers to the “Why” questions, our minds could probably not understand the answer!

 

Question: What’s better, an explanation or help?

 

ILL. Fall of 2013 Playing Basketball with the Boys

-Knee cap turned, but my leg didn’t

-Dawn told me I should go to the Doctor

-I started literally falling!

-Go to Dr. and get an MRI

-Dr. explains that I have a couple of torn ligaments in my knee

Imagine: After he explained my problem, he said, “There’s your explanation! And left the room…

No! I wanted help!  -He did surgery, etc.

-As they were rolling me in I was quoting to myself, Hebrews 13:6

 

Hebrews 13:6 “Never will I leave you,

never will I forsake you.”

 

forsake”-“abandon, desert, leave helpless, let down,

give up on”

 

Literal Translation: “I will never, not, not ever,

no never leave nor forsake you.”

Key: Five negatives in this promise!

 

App: Because Christ was forsaken, we can be forgiven and therefore we’ll never be forsaken!

 

Listen: Don’t confuse life with God! Don’t mistake God’s silence with God’s absence!

 

Phrase, “God forsaken feeling”…..It’s just that! A feeling, and it’s not reality!

 

ILL. Daniella Delices   (FAMILY PHOTO -1- FULL)

-About 4 years ago (2014) her husband suddenly at work

-Left Daniella with 6 kids from grade school age thru high school (FAMILY PHOTO -2- Daniella and Kids)

-They continued serving the Lord stayed involved in church

 

Last July, Jonathan her oldest son, a senior in college planning on going to law school, went to get dinner one night at a fast food place. He was approached by 3 guys who tried to rob him. They left.

-After he got back in his car and left, they chased him down and shot and killed him!

 

-I’ll never forget walking into her home with two of my kids who went to try to console their friends.

 

Daniella was crying out, “Why? Why? Why?…..Lord You Are Good! Lord You Are Good…..I Trust You Lord!”

 

Note: Daniella continues to pray, look to Scripture, trust God, stays connected at FC, and serves!

-Her second oldest son, Nick, is a student at UNL

and was here serving at C3 Conference!

 

App: When God feels most absent, He is most present. We may feel, abandoned by God but we’re not! Jesus was forsaken so that we can be forgiven and never forsaken!

 

Exp: Where is God when it hurts, He is in us…..

not in the things that hurt,

helping transform bad into good!

 

Closing: In just a few weeks we will celebrate Easter weekend!

It starts with Good Friday.


ILL. Good Friday

-Was not “Good Friday” 2000 years ago!

-Today, we look back at an empty cross and an empty tomb!

 

App: We have hope!

 

Look back at what God did on the Cross/Tomb

Presently, God is with us, in us, upon us, beside us!

Future, Heaven is our home! No more pain,

sorrow, sickness, or suffering!

 

Where Was God,  You Ask?

Where Was God When There Was No Answer

To Your Prayer?

Where Was God In The Midst Of Your Pain?

 

The Best Case Scenario Is That God Is In Control

Of Your Worst Case Scenario

Even When You Can’t See HIM!

 

The Cross Says God’s For You!

He Will Always Stand With You

Jesus Was Forsaken, So You Would Never Be Forsaken