What’s the greatest event in history? Maybe because this is America’s 250th year, we might think of the Declaration of Independence, or the invention of the light bulb, or of the computer. Perhaps people may think of artificial intelligence. Christians will probably think of Easter, the day Jesus rose from the dead! Christ’s resurrection, when he conquered death, making eternal life possible for all of us—that was certainly the greatest event in history! For Christians, Easter is even more important than Christmas!
But there is another event that is even greater than the resurrection. But it didn’t happen in history, it happened outside of human history. We only learn about it by listening to the words Jesus spoke as he was dying on the cross. On Good Friday, he said seven last words, one of which was spoken in Aramaic, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani,” which Matthew tells us means: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) Martin Luther was meditating on the seven last words spoken by Jesus from the cross, but he gave up when he reached this saying. Luther said, “God forsook God. Who can understand that?”
Jesus quoted David in Psalm 22:1, but as he repeated David’s words, he gave them their true meaning. Jesus, the Son of God, who had always shared an unbroken relationship with his Father, experienced the unthinkable: being forsaken by God. Why?
Jesus did not cry out because he was rejected by mankind. He knew it was coming, he predicted it, he accepted it. His crucifixion was the low point of human history—not because it was so cruel—humans have acted just as cruelly to thousands of others. This was the low point of history because of whom we treated so cruelly. Jesus healed the sick, forgave sinners, and loved the unlovely. He humbled himself to serve all. Why would humanity reject the first really good person we ever met? It’s our nature. Every time I commit sin, I join the cry of humanity “Crucify Him” “Crucify Him.” The crucifixion of Christ is the goal of all sin.
But rejection by humanity did not cause Jesus to cry out on the cross. It was rejection by his Father.
Why? On the cross Jesus became sin for us. All my boasting, my lies, my angers, my desires for revenge, my worries, my lusts, my greed, my pride, my hatreds, Jesus became those things for me—and he took them for all of us. And his Father who is too holy to look upon sin, turned his back in disgust. I deserved God’s wrath, but Jesus took it. He became the sacrifice for my sin, for our sin. And therefore God turned his back on his Son. God forsook God. And Jesus cried out: “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani,” “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
That is the event that is greater than the greatest event in history! Good news, the cross didn’t end the story. Sin has been put to death. God’s wrath has been fully satisfied. Death has been defeated. The relationship of Father and Son was restored.
Christ is alive! And we can share His victory! Because of Good Friday and because of Easter, we need never face God’s rejection. If by faith we allow Jesus to be our Savior, then all our sins are forgiven. Jesus’ death will be our sacrifice. His resurrection will be our resurrection. His life can be our life forever.
Happy Easter!
Greg Giles is a published author, who, along with his wife Jean, has embraced the call to serve and teach around the globe. Their life together has included missionary work in Liberia, Bangladesh, teaching in China, and raising a family in Bemidji, Minnesota. Between global travels and local commitments, including serving as superintendent of Corn Bible Academy and their current part-time roles at Corn Heritage Village, the Gileses have found “home” in many places; yet, they now happily reside in retirement in Cordell. Please visit his website at reflections-on-wisdom.com.