Why Have You Forsaken Me?

Today on some Atlanta pastor Jeannie Greer takes us to the darkest moment Jesus is life here is the son of God spoken into existence would speak to a legion of demons and they would flee called the dead men in their graves and they got up there is that son of God, crying out under such strain that the capillaries in his face begin to verse what's happening here. What happened like this at some point in our lives. I know I have today on Senate life pastor and theologian Jeannie Greer reminds us of an incredible truth that Jesus knows exactly how that feels it's a part of our new series called difficult sayings of Jesus and were looking at one of the most shocking statement ever made. When Jesus asked his father why have you forsaken me.

Here's pastor Katie, I will confess you where we were about to go in Mark chapter 14. This weekend is a deeply mysterious place. I would say is one of the most mysterious places in all Scripture. It is a holy place. It is the kind of place. Honestly that I get a sense that ought to come into on my knees because there is nothing that I could say here that would do anything really except for take away the majesty of what is happening in these verses the apostle Paul called the things that we are about to look into. He called them the unsearchable riches of Christ. If they are in search of old, and whom I stand up here and try to search them out with you. Paul said that these were things that you could not know that Paul.pray this in Ephesians 3 that God would give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation that we could know the love of Christ, how wide, how high, how long, how deep is this love which surpasses all knowledge.

When you think about it. It's kind of a contradiction you know something that surpasses knowledge. What Paul means is that what you need is not a good explanation of these things. What you need is revelation of these things I am unable to give you revelation. I can give you explanation, but only the Holy Spirit can give you revelation, which is why we need to pray feel especially helpless this weekend to share these things with you because a lot of times when I spin up your I got a concept to communicate. I figured out how to explain it. How to apply it.

Funny stories to go along with it, none of that this morning. None of their day out on the lot application will have a lot of explanation I know have a lot of my many funny stories that I know of. Which means that if the Holy Spirit the real preacher does not open this in your heart.

I could spin up your all day long talk with the most eloquent words you can sit out there and listen as attentively as you want to do either of us any good, so good. We just pray and ask God to open the eyes of our heart and allow us to see what human ears cannot hear and perceive what human tongue cannot explain by your heads with me.I think what Paul said in Ephesians 3 how do I explain the unsearchable riches of Christ.I pray that the spirit of revelation will be given this weekend that we might know how high a wide healthy.

How long is the love that you have for us. We need not explanation God we need revelation savant. I pray that you might give that I pray God that we might be overwhelmed.as we look into a well that is deeper and wider than we ever have imagined, and we might sense not know but since deep in our soul. The love that presses in that is communicated in this mysterious thing I pray – that God in Jesus name, amen Mark chapter 14 verse 32 and they that is, the disciples and Jesus went to a place called Gethsemane, which literally in Aramaic means oil press and Jesus said to his disciples sit here while I pray he took with him Peter and James and John began to be greatly distressed, in trouble and he said to them, my soul is very sorrowful, even to death remain here and watch going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him when he said, father, daddy, all things are possible for you remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will but what you will and he came, he found them sleeping and he said to Peter, Simon, are you asleep, could you not watch one hour watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh your flesh is weak and again he went away and prayed saying the same words and again he came and found them sleeping for their eyes were very heavy and they did not know what to answer him, and he came the third time and said to them, are you still sleeping and taking your rest.

It is enough. The hour has come, son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners rise let us be going see my betrayer is at hand that he lifted up his eyes and the disciples walked in there coming in the distance with torches in the night with Judas ends a group of armed soldiers coming to take Jesus away to the crucifixion. One of the first things that you have to observe about seeing if I could be so bold with you is that Jesus does not die like many of the world's great heroes have died, he does not have the defiance, the bravado, the bravery that we would expect for him to carry into the hour of his death. They were used to. Some of the world's great heroes dying with their fist in the face of the evil Empire say you don't scare me. I think about seems like the ones depicted in movies like gladiator Braveheart where you got a hero that is staring down the Emperor say you can do whatever you want to be.

I will have my vengeance in this life or the next.

Do not scare me. You cannot touch me. Many Jewish heroes die that way that we know the same time Jesus died a lot of Jewish heroes that were executed and a lot of them would die on the cross, proclaiming God's victory over their enemies in the coming judgment on God's enemies Plato. Plato describes Socrates die on the says that unity was given to him want to drink, so the color his face did not change. He was very calm, even crack a few jokes after he drank to him like that was his way of defining the Empire, Polycarp, one of Jesus's own disciples of the died shortly after Jesus like Robert Studer, the apostle John.

When he died. He was 86 years old.

They came and brought him draw him out to be burned at the stake in the got in front of this entire Roman Colosseum Polycarp last words 86 years old. He took them up.

Tied up at the stake before they tied his hands down.

He gestured to the grout thing I'm afraid of this fire you want to be afraid of fires that burn in hell. This didn't scare me at all. This is temporary.

In the few moments I'll be standing before Jesus, come on boys. Bring on the fire but that's not if you're honest how Jesus goes into the scene as it appears a week there I say almost scared you catch that he's trembling and what's really strange about is that everywhere else everywhere else in the Gospels, Jesus shows unflinching courage in the face of danger that he was the one just a few chapters before that the disciples that you can go to Jerusalem you'll die Jesus a note. He said his face. Mark said like a flint for Jerusalem and he could not be deterred. He was the one that always had courage.

He was the one that defied everything what is he doing now and by the way, it's not like he's withering in the face of pain because the first aspect of torture has yet to begin. Verse 33. There's a very strange little phrase says he began to be astonished and troubled in Greek literally what it says is suddenly he began to be astonished all once. In other words, there was something they are in verse 33 that had not been there in verse 32. Suddenly all at once he saw something and he was.

It says troubled by it. The word troubled is a very strong Greek word that means overcome with shocking horror. One scholar says it's indicates the kind of feeling that you would have if you came home one evening and found your entire family murdered, mutilated, strong up against the wall that is the word that's been communicated here when Jesus saw it all at once. It was so overwhelming to him. Listen, but he almost died from it, to see that verse 34.

He said that my soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Jesus does not exaggerate.

He almost died. What he saw almost killed him. Luke says that he was under such such strain that he began to sweat great drops of blood medical condition.

The doctors call him a try. Doses were you under such strain of some kind of the capillaries in your body burst under the straight one of our pastors Rod, Dale told me this happened about two years ago, said his wife and his three sons. The youngest of whom was three years old, leaving the neighborhood pool with her swimming in the last ones there is like if the three boys out to the van she's putting in the older one and then the young in the middle when she notices that her younger son is not there so she kind of walks back down the path goes into the pool area and saw something that no parent. This is like the worst seen a parent could ever imagine seeing there is her three-year-old son lying still at the bottom of the pool.

She jumped in, got them out yell got somebody else's attention.

They got this boy upon the on the deck. They administered CPR with him call the ambulance. Miraculously, they're able to revive him. The eminence comes to pick some up take to the hospital to run a contest on them near the short answer. The good news is he was fine. They got there there there just a note in the right amount of time. Riddell was not with him right else. I came back to the hospital just when I walked into the house. The room I saw was lying there now asleep.

My three-year-old I could see in his face is a liberty closely eligible purple blotches everywhere all over his face and asked the doctor what is this not set evidently right before your son lost consciousness of the bottom of the pool. He was screaming for you or for his mom screaming with such strain that the capillaries in his face, burst under the strain of not being able to get the attention of his father. I cannot imagine my kids being under such strain that they were calling out for me in that way and I could not hear them. Here is the son of God who spoke the world into existence created universes as easily as you and I speak words who walked on top of angry waves who spoke to storms and they dissipated who would speak to a legion of demons and they would flee, who spoke to people with the greatest diseases and they would be healed, who called the dead men in their graves and they got up here is that son of God, crying out under such strain that the capillaries in his face begin to bursts what he say what he said to bring verse 36. Notice what he prays about father. Daddy, all things are possible for you remove this cup from me because God daddy Abba about Betty, which is the term of closest intimacy with God.

Polygamist for the first time in his life. For the first time in eternity. There is no response to verse 37 I see what you don't see in verse 37 silence. You see, up until this point he has enjoyed an intimacy with the father. He often withdrew to be alone with God to draw strength in the father had always radiated with openness to him. Sometimes even affirming him publicly. This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Yet now, in reality, Jesus meets his father most only silence.

And so we stumbles back to his disciples, looking for some kind of comfort or something week. There is not if it's tender is made somebody when they're asleep. She wakes him up and he says guys I need I need something I need somebody I need you to be with me with their sleep is over 39 acres back again to the father. He says the exact same thing, and again a second time only silence what's happening here what's happening. William Ln., New Testament scholar says of the only explanation is that God had already begun to turn his face away the crucifixion had already started before the first nail was driven into Jesus's body, his soul had been abandoned by God. Jesus had lived his life. You see for the approval of the father and now the moment that Jesus needed his father most God the father turned his face away and Jesus staggered under the weight of it, almost to the point of death. William Lane says this is the horror of one who lived holy for the father who came to be with his father for a brief interlude before his death and found hell rather than heaven open before him under. In total, aloneness. If you ever been really alone.

I mean really alone. Maybe a close friend turned their back on you may be a spouse betrayed you. Maybe your parents failed you.

Maybe your kids no longer allow you to see your grandkids.

Jesus felt that kind of aloneness and not just aloneness. By the way, but rejection you're really rejected.

Here's one thing I know the closer relationship, the more painful the rejection and II get letters of rejection from time to time as a public figure and Megan Leslie Bob never met coming on the worst possible person.

It also does bother me that much as a never met this person I know that is when I reflect in the media provide the momentum, but you got a close friend or that you let somebody my family do that then becomes much more painful. Nothing about what you like to do this when my kids when my kids looked to me in the moment that they're in pain when the moment that they're hurting when the moment they fill alone turning to me and not only not being there for them but also walking away from him walking away of scorn and safe, not even my child I'm not a perfect father and I will know my kids for a limited amount of time. What's it like to lose the affection and the closeness and intimacy that he had known with God the father for all eternity. Is there any human analogy I could give it to come up with something I would communicate that there is none anything that I would say by way of analogy just takes away from the majesty of what's actually happening in this moment. The tragedy somehow in that one moment Jesus experience the equivalent of an eternity in hell for us and in that moment.

Revelation says all they haven't felt silent all the angels with their hands over their mouths and did not know what to say because they could not comprehend what was out in Gethsemane Jesus stared into the horror of hell and he almost died from it and then he voluntarily went into it for us. That's what hell is hell is complete abandonment by God's yacht always thought that what made Jesus death so bad with the physical horrors that went along with it and they were terrible.

Cicero said one of the Romans goals and crucifixion was complete and utter humiliation so they would choose a public place like the mall for us and then it would strip men naked and they would beat them and they would crucify them so painful that men would weep and vomit, urinate all over themselves. Cicero said they would preceded by a beating that killed a lot of men before they ever got to the cross Roman historian Cicero said it was not uncommon to see a ripoff of a man's frame to flying off of his chest. Because of the way that they beat them eight. If what Cicero says is true, then we are pretty sure that when Jesus went to the cross, he was at least partially disemboweled many of you seen the passion movie is probably something in there that gives you a glimpse of a little bit of it but if what Cicero says is true, then it's much worse. Cicero said that they use them when they really wanted to point it would crucify women is going to crucify women it always turn around backwards of the refacing across because of Roman soldiers could not bear to see the look of anguish on the woman's face because of the kind of pain they put them through Jesus was nailed up on a cross naked in a public place in the full light of day. So yes the physical horrors of the cross were terrible, but listen, that is not in Gethsemane. What made Jesus staggered it was the abandonment by God that he faced that was the horror of the cross for him in Gethsemane Jesus looked full into the cup of God's wrath and overwhelm them so badly that almost killed his father's anyway, let this cup pass from me. Isaiah 5117 describes the wrath of God given to us like a cup a couple of toxic poison that was the wrath of God for the rebellion that you and I have lived with for the way that we chose our way instead of God's way. The faculty wanted to make our own rules that we want to give God glory when to give ourselves glory that God's righteous wrath.

The route we deserve was stored up in a cup, that he was going to give to us in Jesus in Gethsemane stepped them away and said no I'll take it for the was Jonathan Edwards who said that the wrath of God was stored up for us rightful wrath of God, like water behind the dam. Imagine you're standing in front of a gigantic damping like a Hoover dam something or just any you're a mile or so away from it. You want to do your your horror there. You see this crack begin to come down to the top of the dam and in a matter of a few seconds the entire dam is broken open and water wall of water several hundred feet high, flooding down that valley is nowhere for you to run. There's nowhere to go. Death is certain it's going to sweep you away and Vanessa's wall. This 200 foot wall of water is coming at you the ground in front your fee suddenly splits open opens up and all the water goes underneath it so that not a drop touches you, Jesus stood in the way of the wrath of God, he took the cup, he took it in our place. He drank it to the drags. He turned it over. Set it down and said it is finished.

By the way, what you really what you really entertain the idea that there are multiple ways to God as if God your Jesus is a God, if there's any other way with the capacity got to watch it. There is another way/a lot of other ways to be a person.

Be sincere to be there five. What greater insole. Could you possibly give Jesus Christ. Here he is in the hour when he calls out for his daddy. If there's any way because if there is no other way. God had determined to save us, and this was the only way if you and I had been in my garden and we had stood beside Jesus and said no, no, don't touch this Jesus would've said I have to this cup is your and I'm drinking it in your place so that you will not have to.

He was despised and rejected of men. He was in this garden, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

Surely, though he was barren. Our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. The price of our peace was upon him so that by his stripes we would be healed. All we like CPC had gone astray. You turn every one of us.

We had turned everyone to her own weight to the Lord laid on him in that moment, the iniquity of us all.

He drank that cup in my place but not a drop would be left for me.

You see, that's what the gospel is in its purest essence the gospel is one word substitution. The way we say around here is four words Jesus in my place.

Jesus drank the cup that I deserved it.

Live the life that I should've live to die the death that I should've died the drink this cup in my place so that no condemnation will be left for me because now I'm in Christ Jesus is not the God is just really merciful to me now. Now that he's in a good mood. Every bit of condemnation report under Jesus is nothing left for me and it's offered to you when I suggest there's the question, have you received it. Personally, because of the gift is a gift where he thinks somebody will pay for your sin, you will drink this cup underwrote a cup so bad it almost killed Jesus is looking at her. Jesus will take it in your place you received it is your don't delete any longer. Listening carefully. You don't have to fix yourself first come, just as you are. Surrender your life and your future and let him making new to learn more about following Jesus, give us a call or visit us online@jdgreer.com.

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Things I looking at one of the most all of Scripture, God turned his face away higher than we might Thursday on Senate life