Did God Forsake or Desert Jesus?

from Google Images

Some believe toward the end of Jesus’ crucifixion, Jesus began to buckle under the wrath of God. They conclude that his humanity cried out, as he felt so utterly alone, believing that even his Father had abandoned him. Others conclude that the Father did actually abandon Jesus, his Son, as the full weight of humanity’s sin was placed upon him on the cross. They say, “Separation from the Father must have been the worst part of the Cross for Jesus who had never before experienced anything but intimate fellowship with his Father.”[1]

 

Personal Reflections on Jesus’ Arrest

from Bing Images

As Jesus was taken away, his only objection was how the Jewish authorities had come against him. They came under the cloak of darkness (Luke 22:53), just like so many of their deeds before (cf. John 7:53 and John 8:1-3). These men, who claimed to uphold the Law, unlawfully sought to arrest Jesus. They had plenty of opportunity to take him during the day (Luke 22:53), but they needed the cloak of darkness to hide their sin from the people. They were afraid. They were cowards, many people coming together to build up courage. Like a mob, they came against one Righteous Man. Jesus showed them their sin, but they continued in their evil deed unable to reply adequately.

 

A Final Warning

from Google Images

At this, his final Passover season, Jesus told his listeners to behold the fig tree and all trees. They began to bud at the time of Passover, showing that summer was near (Luke 21:29-30). He used this to signify that, once believers saw the signs of the judgment against Jerusalem and the Temple, they should understand that the time of Jesus’ coming and the Day of the Lord was near (Luke 21:29-31). Moreover, he claimed that everything he predicted about Jerusalem and the Temple would occur in the space of one generation (Luke 21:32; cir. 30-40 years).

 

The Parables of Light and the Eye

from Google Images

It would be ludicrous to light a lamp or a candle in order to hide it away in a secret place or place it under a covering that doesn’t offer those in the room the benefit of its light. If we are to understand what Jesus says in Luke at this point, we must look elsewhere to define the words used in the parables of Luke 11:33-36). Jesus claimed he was the Light of the world (John 9:5). He had come into the world (John 1:9) and shone out of darkness (John 1:5). Clearly, darkness is powerless to extinguish light, and Jesus is the Light through whom men, who live in darkness, believe (or see – John 1:7). Jesus’ proper role in the metaphor of the Parable of the Lamp or Candle (Luke 11:33) was to illuminate the house (Israel).