JEFF TURNER

The death of Jesus Christ stands out as the most significant moment in the New Testament. When Jesus hung on the cross, he spoke words that seem almost impossible to understand. He called out to God, asking why he had been abandoned. This moment reveals something much deeper than physical suffering.

During the crucifixion, darkness covered the land for three hours. This was not just a natural event. During those dark hours, Jesus took upon himself the sins of every person who would ever be saved throughout all of history. This raises an important question. How could three hours be enough time to pay the punishment that would normally last forever for so many people?

The answer lies in who Jesus is. Because he is God, he could endure an infinite amount of punishment in a limited time. His divine nature made it possible to absorb what would otherwise require eternity. As he bore this judgment in the darkness, he experienced something he had never experienced before. For the first time in his life on Earth, Jesus’ perfect relationship with God the Father was broken.

Until those hours, Jesus had only experienced complete and uninterrupted fellowship with the Father. But now that connection was cut off in a way we cannot fully grasp. God the Father, who had always loved the Son perfectly, now judged him perfectly instead. This happened because Jesus was carrying our sins.

Jesus spoke those words because they were true. He really was forsaken in that moment. He asked “why” because he was completely without sin and did not deserve this punishment. Yet he willingly took our place.