Matthew 27:46, New King James Version

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’”

One afternoon, I sat down and was coloring in a devotional book when a thought came to me: Jesus laid down His life, and He experienced the moment of separation from the Father in a way He had never experienced before. Therefore, whoever lays down their life to follow Jesus, because they believe in Him as Savior and Lord, can return to the Father forever.

Wow, how great is the sacrificial love Jesus has for us! How unfair the exchange is between Him and those who believe in Him, and yet His grace and mercy closed up the gap!

“For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.”1 John 5:7, NKJV

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.”John 1:1, NLT

The Son, Jesus, who was never separated from the Father and was never alone, chose to make that move and willingly came to this moment so that He could make a way for us. We were sinners who had earned the wages of everlasting death, separation from God, but through Him we can receive everlasting life and dwell in the presence of God.

Have you ever experienced separation from your loved one?

Have you ever been in a waiting room while carrying hurt and pain?

Have you ever been alone, forsaken by the one you loved, betrayed by those you cared for, mocked by those you did right by, misunderstood by those you showed kindness and love to, or repaid with doubt and unfaithfulness for your faithfulness?

The conclusion should be: Yes, I do know what those moments are like. They are not pleasant, and if I could, I would put up a stop sign for them.

Jesus did not stop. Instead, He made Himself an offering so that we could receive the gift we could never earn or gain by ourselves. He replaced the wages we had stored in our piggy bank, the foolish earnings of our sins, and took the wrath of God that we deserved. Jesus walked the path of Calvary and endured the cross on Golgotha so we could enter the golden gate of the heavenly Kingdom, our eternal home. He became nothing, a stranger to those who rejected Him as His people, so that we could become His co-heirs and children of God.

What more can I say so that you could understand and recognize what Jesus has done for you? May your eyes see, your ears hear, and your heart open and receive the greatest love mankind could ever have!