During communion today, as the juice was in my hand, I was reading in Matthew 27 on the crucifixion of Jesus. I made a note or two after taking communion and am following up this evening. The verse at hand is Matt. 27.45,46:

"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

I am meditating on that three hours of his intense suffering, from noon until 3 pm, and thinking how far short I come in understanding such suffering, such a willingness to suffer for ones enemies, even at their hands. What love is this?

The sun refused to shine, veiling his form in a blackness that still did not equal the cold abyss of desolation he entered. He endured the just wrath of God against sin. Scripture says, "he was made to be sin for us". "He became a curse for us". "He bore our sins on the tree". And, "with his stripes we are healed".

As the word translated “land" in this verse also means earth, the whole earth felt the darkness of “the hour", his hour. Grouping like the newly blinded, his tormentors has stunning witness from heaven itself that they were lost in the night. As Judas before them, they had “betrayed innocent blood". Therefore, God would honor their plea at the trial, “his blood be on us and on our children. We have no king but Caesar". Oh, how they would wish to wash their hands of blood as easily as Pilate had done. But his vain hope of relief would be their own. They will look on him whom they pierced. (Rev. 1.7)

In becoming "sin for us", Jesus accepted the death penalty for sin as his own, though he "knew no sin" of his own. The curse of sin was place by God on the shoulders of the Son. This was the covenant of grace willingly made between them "before the morning stars sang together", before the foundation of the world. In himself alone is our “covenant of peace" with God.

His hour had come, the hour he had foresaw since a young boy in Jerusalem attending his first passover. He knew then he was the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". Yet he pushed ahead in love for us. Though suffering the onslaught of daily temptations, the lure of pleasure and the threat of pain, no inducement of Satan could move him a single iota from his mission. Never failing, never faltering, Jesus moved with relentless courage toward the cross and the greatest suffering ever known.

Who is God that he would offer himself for us like this? What manner of love is this, that God would so humble himself, not only to become a man among men, but to die the criminals death, an unjust death, so that the most cruel and ungodly sinner might have the forgiveness of their sins and the promise of eternal life?

"Did ere such love and sorrow meet

Or thorns compose so rich a crown"

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" (I John 3.1)

The suffering Christ endured during those hours was the complete absence of divine love. To be sure, the Father still loved his Son, but as it will be the sinners portion, the portion of all who reject the sacrifice of God in their behalf, so the Son of God must endure a death defined by the complete separation from life himself, the only true living God.

All have sinned, all have violated the principles of love enshrined in the law of God, and therefore, all deserve death as their chosen reward for rebellion adjacent that which has no fault (Rom. 3.23; 6.23). The love of God cannot be impugned, mocked, and rejected without the natural consequence of our choice. (Rom. 1.18-32) God is merciful, yet he is perfectly just. And justice demands an answer, justice demands a deliverance for all the victims who have suffered so cruelly at the Satan-inspired inhumanity of toward it's own. (Rev. 6.9-11)

Before the Father vindicates his Son by resurrection (for Satan could not hold the sinless One in the grave), before his glorious enthronement as our High Christ would know, as it had never been known before or since, what total negation, total rejection, what absolute meaninglessness is to the soul separated from God and man.

The darkness of the day mirrored the darkness of his suffering soul. He cried out in his abandonment, “My God, my God!" No answer came. No comfort was given. No reward offered. Jesus, as our sin bearer, could not see beyond the portals of the tomb. He had no hope. He drew his last breath having endured the darkness of our own demanding souls.

Therefore, it was by faith alone, that he uttered his last words on the cross, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. It is finished".

By faith alone the Son of God became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. (II Cor. 5.21). The Lamb of God, without murmur of complaint, as a sheep led to the slaughter, Christ redeemed us by his own blood. “We are bought with a price".

The bread of heaven was baked in the furnace of affliction that we might eat and be satisfied. The wine of life was crushed in the press of God that our raging thirst for eternity might be quenched.

Here, at the cross, is the only righteousness that satisfies, sanctifies, and secures the soul once dead in sin. “The Lord our Righteousness" will be the theme of ages to come, the glory of saints on high, the conversation piece between men and angels. What then should consume our hungry souls today? What true bread do we have to share with souls languishing by the road, alone in the night, or pleasuring themselves in the sun? What testimony do we bear when our neighbor puts God on trial again, accusing him as the cause of heartless suffering in the world? Who will speak with a cross-inspire courage in a world awash in its own filth? Those with a voice will be those with a cross.

Since we have this reality, a day of darkness that bears us the light of life, what manner of persons should we be in all our conduct, all our conversation, all our worship, witness, service, and sacrifice in his name?

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Col. 3.1-15

“So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name."

Hebrews 13.13-15a

“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it."

Luke 9.23-24