The Broken Heart

Finally, the journey begun weeks ago comes to an end.  We have come from the Mt. of Transfiguration to the hill known as Calvary.  The first was a moment of sheer glory and the second was a moment of sheer agony.  On the Mt. of Transfiguration a voice came from heaven.  One the cross of Calvary, there was no voice from heaven, only silence.  The only voice was the voice of the suffering One.  One of the things heard from Him was a Word first spoken by the Psalmist David.  "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?"  (Matthew 27:46)  In the final moments of His life, Jesus remembered those ancient Words from the depths of a soul all but depleted of its life.

 

Those who take the time to read more of the 22nd Psalm find themselves reading more words of agony, words that Jesus may well have said had there been enough life energy to do so.  As it was, there was only enough strength to verbalize the first line of the Psalm.  Perhaps, the rest was spoken silently from His heart.  If such is true, then Jesus would have said in His spirit to His Father, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?  Why are You so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?  O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer, and by night, but find no rest."  (Psalms 22:1)  Of course, there is more to read as we might well do on this holy Friday.

 

If Jesus did indeed take upon Himself the iniquity of all of us as well as the punishment we deserve for ours sins, it is not a strange thing for Him to cry out in this moment of sensing separation from the Father for the cost of sin is separation from God.  Such was something never before experienced by Jesus.  It was never experienced as He lived with the Father in the heavenly place, nor was it experienced as He lived on this earth.  The only time He sensed separation from His Father was in that horrible moment of taking upon Himself the punishment for our sins.   It surely must have broken God's heart.  It ought to break ours.