My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

SERMON TITLE:   The Seven Last Words of Christ:  #4—“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
SERMON TEXT:    Mark 15:25-34
PREACHER:           Rev. Kim James
OCCASION:           March 19, 2017, at First UMC and Veterans Nursing Home
 
 
INTRODUCTION
 
                During this season of Lent, we’ve been contemplating The Seven Last Words of Christ.  Those sayings from the cross convey a lot of meaning—not only for Jesus and his original disciples, but also for us today.  We began with, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”  Then we heard Jesus promise, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”  Next, we heard Jesus say, “Here is your son . . . Here is your mother.”  This morning, we’ve arrived at statement number four, which is probably the most disturbing thing that Jesus said.  While the other statements are comforting, or at least refer to the natural ending of death, this fourth last word of Jesus makes us very uncomfortable.  And, yet, I believe—if we allow ourselves to feel the agony of Jesus—his cry of complaint might also have the power to give us hope.

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