Forsaken

What did Jesus mean when He cried out on the cross, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"  Was He really and truly forsaken by the Father, or was it a figure of speech?  Was He doubting God?  Why did He ask when He was the Son of God?  Did he not know the answer? 

      I.     The Necessity of His Humanity

·       Jesus took on humanity to be able to die because an immortal God cannot die.

·       Jesus took on humanity to be tempted.

God cannot be tempted because He has no sin nature in Him.

·       Jesus took on humanity to experience real human emotions

II. The Nature of His Limitations: Real Dependence 

Jesus did not have any superpowers outside of His complete surrender to the Father.

Jesus functioned as the prototype of the Spirit-filled man.

§  He refused to exercise His omniscience as God. 

§  He refused to exercise His omnipresence as God. 

§  He refused to exercise His omnipotence as God. 

Jesus relied on the Father…-

·       to lead Him in what to say.

·       to perform His signs and miracles.

·       for wisdom and direction.

   III.     The Nature of His Sufferings: Real Wrath and Alienation

·       God's attitude toward sin is fury.

·       Christ's substitutionary work on the cross made him the object of God's wrath.

·       One key word to explain what happened at the cross is propitiation - I John 2:2  

   IV.     The Nature of Jesus’ Question: Did His Father Forsake Him?

·       Jesus experienced the wrath of God, the wrath which we deserved, as our substitute.

·       This horrible cry from Christ actually sounds forth the hope of man, for it declared that the penalty of sin was being applied on our behalf! 

·       Notice that Jesus speaks as Man to God, not as Son to Father.