I’ve been doing a great Bible study on Mark with a group of women from church. This week’s text was the Crucifixion. Not a new passage, but one of the questions floored me. It focused on “My God, why have You forsaken me?” and what exactly was happening between Jesus and God at that moment, and asked how it applies to us when we feel alone or forsaken. It hit me for the first time that in that moment, Jesus knew total separation from and abandonment by Someone who was one with Himself. Because the Trinity is three in one. So He specifically experienced the pain of divorce, like I have, only magnified. That’s incredible and awe-inspiring to me.
It’s easy, even natural, to think that Jesus can’t empathize with the problems in our lives. Obviously He didn’t go through the specific sufferings of our modern world. But over time, I’m learning that although the circumstances may be different, the heart issues are the same. In every pain, every difficulty, He’s right there with us. And He endured separation from God so we would never have to suffer total forsaken-ness. We are never alone. That’s the deepest comfort there is.
I’m feeling great and loving life these days, so this isn’t an indication of my own emotional state. I just wanted to share it, because I know someone must need to hear it.
I’d never really thought about that. I can’t even imagine how that must have felt as Jesus IS God. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I’ve never once thought about that passage in terms of our understanding of divorce. That is so insightful!
Drawing the comparison between Christ’s separation from The Father and the experience of divorce is something that really hits home for me.
Even though I was the one who did not want the divorce and pushed for marriage counseling and pastoral counseling, I often came away from the sessions (and certainly from the divorce itself) with the constant feedback that my failure to perpetuate the marriage was such a colossal disappointment to Christ.
I think your observation that Jesus experienced the same separation and loss is very insightful.
Your observation that someone might need to hear that…also absolutely correct.
Thank you.
Thanks for this Brenda! A really great thought. There are so many times that I feel like God simply doesn’t care about my pain, like I am invisible to Him, but of course He does. It really puts it into perspective to think that Jesus experienced those same feelings—and look at the result of that pain! Jesus walked through something horrific, but God used His pain to save the world . . .
So glad you’ve joined our Bible Study! This was such a great lesson for me, too. Glad to have stumbled upon your blog!
Thanks for the great comments, everyone. And hi Nell! :)