Seven Last Words of Jesus-Fourth word

Enduring three hours of a cruel beating while dragging his cross to the mount of Golgotha, Jesus Christ was crucified along with two rebels, one on his right and one on his left. He has lost a lot of blood, even before climbing the hill to Golgotha. The succeeding three hours while hanging on the cross, He received insults by the passers-by and mockery from the Jewish religious leaders and teachers of the law. At the sixth hour when the crowds were almost gone except for his perverse enemies and their soldiers watching and waiting for his death, darkness covered the whole area until the ninth hour. Jesus lasted only six hours on the cross. And at the ninth hour of punishment, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?‘ — which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’

The extremely painful experience that Jesus had on the cross, albeit having the foreknowledge about it, brought him to burst from inside out, realizing the heavy price he had to pay to save the world. “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” (Matthew 26:42).

Jesus addressed God as; My God instead of My Father at the pinnacle of his mission. Jesus, being in very nature God,  did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself  by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:6-8) 

Jesus Christ was found in appearance as a man, forsaken for our iniquities (Isaiah 59:2). He was the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

God made all this possible because He loves you and me so much.

What about us? We shout in chorus; we love God, but what have we done for God?

Prayer:

Almighty God, give us a loving heart to you and our fellow men, show us how to serve, care, and support one another. Guide all those who are called to lead and advocate progress, peace, and harmony in the world, neutralize and silence all their adversaries. Comfort those who live with grief. Calm their fears and lead them into peace and freedom. Help them see the light of heaven. Come embrace those in pain and physical suffering. May they feel you close to them. Strengthen and encourage all those who seek to serve and protect the vulnerable. Finally, we bring to mind any in our community that we know to be in need.  May love and goodness fill our lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.