6 April 2014 - ENCS

Pastor Joshua Harris started the "Cross Words" series

Focusing on the last words of Christ, not just theories

Matthew twenty seven verse forty six was the core text today

"My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" Jesus did say

Everyone can all relate at one level to feeling forsaken

When bad things happen or a loved one's life is taken

 

But for Jesus, whose life's purpose was prophesied in Matthew one

We often forget that He spent His first thirty years as a human's son
Although Jesus was perfect and therefore knew everything

To His parents Mary and Joseph, He willingly was submitting

 

To Matthew twenty six and twenty seven, Pastor Josh did revert

There were so many examples of how Christ Jesus was hurt

His betrayal by Judas, his disciples sleeping while he prayed

The disciples leaving Him, being ridiculed, tortured, and flayed

Peter denying Him three times, criminal justice being perverted

And then three hours of darkness when Jesus was deserted

So Jesus is the only person who can say He knows how we feel

Because no matter what our situation, He experienced it for real

 

Similarly, God had to watch this happen to His beloved Son

It was not fair at all, but for our sake it really had to be done

At the time of Jesus' death, the temple curtain was ripped in two

Symbolizing that everyone was now saved, not just the select few

Jesus took on all of the world's sin and pain and hurt

So we will never be forsaken by God, Pastor did assert

We should have confidence when talking with God, per Hebrews ten

Thanks to Jesus the High Priest, no intermediary will be needed again

We should have "full assurance of faith" with our hearts sprinkled clean

For on our collective behalf, Jesus did on the cross sacrificially intervene

 

In conclusion, 'let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess"

Pastor said that our only real response to God should be "yes"