One Minute Wednesday finishes the Easter Season with this classic passage, Jesus’ conversation with the Father as he hung on the cross. Or why this day is called “Good Friday”. This is my last OMW for a while as I take a break. But as Arnold said in his classic line: “I’ll be back.”
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, eli, lema sabacthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? – Matthew 27:46
This is not gentle whisper with the father. At noon on what we call “Good Friday”, Jesus lets the world in on this conversation. This question formed by crying out to the Father was not one of shock, or surprise that this had happened. It was a declaration, harkening back to Psalm 22, quoting the first line of the song that predicted this very event. And now, that moment was upon him which we can never fully comprehend. He was taking on the sins of the world, for all time, mine and yours and every person that has ever lived. He was completing his mission (“It is finished” he cried out moments later.)
I’ve been trying to imagine what bearing the sins of the world was like for Jesus. Here’s my best attempt so far. Do the math and draw a comparison. First, I imagine my own big sins in life, (pretty easy to remember, though I’d like to forget). But then there are smaller known sins just of this week. Now add in the unknown ones I don’t even recognize. Now multiply X 52 weeks for the year. But we’re not done. Multiply that by (almost) 60 years. And that’s just me. An unimaginable amount, that already feels like infinity.
But of course, we’re still not done. Now try to imagine all the sins of all the people who have ever lived, for each day of their lives. One way to do that might be to draw the comparison with the size of planets and suns in our solar system and galaxy. Imagine the moon’s size represents your sins and watch the video to get the idea of how vast God’s love is for us, and the depth of what it means that “God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son”.
The intensity, immensity, and agony of this event are impossible to fully capture. But just when it seemed the story was over, sin and death are conquered. Once, and for all time, for all who will respond to his grace – forgiveness. This is news worth sharing. As it says elsewhere, “God made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf…”