Matthew 27:45-61
Linda
Ellis wrote a poem called, The Dash. The main point of this poem is that
it is the “dash” of our lives that is most important. Let me explain. My
tombstone will someday read as follows:
Joseph B Williams: 1950 – 20_ _
What
will the dash represent for me? Whose lives will I have impacted? What
difference will I have made in this world once I have left it?
What
happens during the dash is important for all of us, but for Jesus the end is
what made the difference. The passage today tells us about the end and why it
had to happen.
46 “About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”
(which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
Imagine
Abraham taking his son Isaac to be sacrificed. “But where is the sheep father?
God will provide my son. And then raising the knife to sacrifice his one and
only son, God suddenly provided the sacrificial lamb.”
What
was the depth of Jesus’ pain and agony as he cried out?
His
Abba Father who had always been there for him; had sent angels in the
wilderness to minister to him; had been there in the early morning to commune
with him; had sent the Holy Spirit down in the form of a dove to empower him;
had declared for all to hear, “this is my son whom I love, with him I am well
pleased”.
This
same Abba Father had now turned his back on Jesus; had deserted him in his hour
of greatest need. Or in the visual of Abraham and Isaac - had driven the knife into
his heart. Oh what dreadful pain for both of them.
But
it had to been done. Someone had to bear the judgement. The perfect sacrificial
lamb, had to take the sins of the world; your sins and my sins. The Scapegoat
had to go into the wilderness alone to die taking with him the sins of Israel.
The living Passover lamb made it possible for all to go to the Promised Land.
Jesus’
dash didn’t matter anymore. Only the end.
(If
you would like to read Linda Ellis’ poem The Dash, click on the link
below.)
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