My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me? | John 19:28-29; Matthew 27:45-46

What kind of pain tolerance do you have? Some of you are tough. Your philosophy is “rub some dirt on it.” You don’t go to the doctor unless something is visibly broken or falling off and you are still like, “Give it a day or two.” Others, you are a little more sensitive. You get a paper cut and suddenly you are thinking, “This is how it all ends.” You stub your toe and you are calling the elders to come and anoint you with oil. What I have learned about pain tolerance is that it is not just physical, but personal. What one person shrugs off, another person can’t ignore. One comedian said, “Women have a lower pain threshold than men.” A woman said to him, “Try childbirth.” He said, “I have. How do you think I got here?” Pain has a way of humbling us. It exposes us. It reveals our limits. It reminds us that we are not in control. It shows us how fragile we really are. Here’s where it gets real: No one in human history has ever experienced the level of pain and suffering that Jesus endured on the cross for our sins. It wasn’t just pain you can see, but the wrath of God that you could not survive. He didn’t do this on accident, but He did it on purpose. He chose it for you and for me.

We are looking at the fourth and fifth sayings of Jesus from the Cross. There are seven because they are completely what Jesus wanted us to know as He is dying for us on the Cross. Every word mattered, because every word cost Him. Every breath was painful and every sentence intentional. The Cross offers a glimpse into the heart of God who is willing to be with us in death and suffering, so that we would not face ultimate death and suffering. Jesus’ last words from the Cross remind of God’s love for us and are meant to give us courage to live our lives for Him every day. In the fourth and fifth word from the Cross, we see God’s love for us in that Jesus physically and spiritually suffered instead of us.