Danny Fourie

Then everyone deserted him and fled.  Mark 14:50

Someone pointed out that Jesus in some sense did not come to our world to live, but to die. Jesus did not die a natural death – he was executed on a hill outside Jerusalem on Calvary.

His death was a grievous bodily suffering. It was also emotionally and mentally unbearable because everyone left him. The worst was that it became dark and his Father left him. He was totally alone. No contact with his disciples and followers – no contact with heaven. The relationship between the Father who said of Jesus, “This is my beloved Son,” was broken. Jesus often declared that he and the Father are one. On the cross he was alone.

Jesus was truly godforsaken. The godforsakenness was so bad; someone points out that on the cross Jesus did not address his Father as “Father”, but with the distant “my God”.

Why did all this take place? The heavenly Father left his Son on Calvary as we left God through our sinful lives. But God left his Son so that in the end we may again become his children. At Calvary the roles were reversed. We should have hanged on the cross. But Jesus hanged there. He was left alone and pushed into the darkness. We on the other hand were taken back as the children of God. Jesus paid the penalty for our sin and we come out unscathed.

You and I know that we could never be so lonely and abandoned or God is with us. Through Jesus the door to God was opened. And the amazing thing is that entrance is free. Pure grace.

Prayer: Thank you Lord that you were willing to face the solitude and darkness of the cross. Thank you that your sacrifice opened the door to our Father. Amen