Sermon -- Good Friday: The Fourth Word from the Cross (April 10, 2020)

Seven Words from the Cross:

The Fourth Word

Matthew 27:45-49

     The Apostle John wrote, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)
     God's very first word in the creation of the world was, “'Let there be light,' and there was light. (Genesis 1:3)  God pushed back the darkness as he began to order all created things and to bring life forth onto the world.
     But as Jesus hung from the cross, bearing in his body every bit of wickedness, violence, and corruption, God's light was withdrawn.  And if God is light, that means God himself was withdrawn from his only begotten Son. 
     “God is light” (1 John 1:5), but light was withdrawn from Jesus.
     “God is love” (1 John 4:16), but love was withdrawn from Jesus.
     The Lord is “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6)  All of that was put aside.  For God had made him to be sin—our sin.  If he is sin and bears all guilt, then he gets what the guilty deserve.  The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)  That is not just the end of breathing and brain waves, that is being cut off from God's mercy, being banished from God's presence, and being sentenced to the relentless, endless torments of hell.  The eternal Son of God was thrust into the darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
     For this reason, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  (Matthew 27:46)  For this reason he was forsaken: for you.
     He was abandoned so that you would be adopted into God’s family.
     He was rejected so that you would be reconciled to the Father.
     He was banished so that you would belong.
     He wore the crown of thorns so that you would receive a crown of life.
     The eternal Son was cast into the darkness so that you will forever be the children of the light.
     He was forsaken so that you never will be.