Do you ever feel all alone with your emotions, having no one to understand what you feel nor why you feel that way? In this series we examine the emotions Jesus Christ felt when He was on earth, limited to a time in history, a geographical place, and a human body that needed water, food and sleep. We will examine the emotions Jesus experienced in specific situations; and why His emotional experiences enable Him to understand everything you and I feel. He is our help in time of trouble.

Remember:

Your emotions are God-given, you are entitled to them.

Your emotions are personal. No one can tell you how you should feel.

Your emotions must be managed or they will control you.

You are not responsible for someone else’s emotions.

Definition

Forsaken =deserted; abandoned

Do you know what it feels like to be forsaken?

Have you ever had to stand alone, rejected by others?

Situation

Although both Matthew (26:56) and Mark (14:50) record that the disciples all forsook Jesus and fled the garden of Gethsemane, neither records how Jesus felt about that. However, they both record a time when Jesus did feel forsaken.

Matthew 27:⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

⁴⁶And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

⁴⁷Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

⁴⁸And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

⁴⁹The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

⁵⁰Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

⁵¹And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

⁵²And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

⁵³And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

⁵⁴Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

Mark 15:³³ And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

³⁴And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying,Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

³⁵And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.

³⁶And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.

³⁷And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

³⁸And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

³⁹And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

Jesus felt forsaken by the Father. He was on the cross dying to pay the penalty for your sins and my sins. Justice we deserve was being served. Some theologians think the Father could not look on the sin Jesus bore in our place. Others think Jesus just felt separated from the Father. Either way, forsaken by God is a feeling you and I will never experience because He promises never to leave or forsake those who belong to Him. (Hebrews 13:5)

During His earthy ministry, Jesus gave His disciples these truths, evidencing His knowledge that He would never be alone from the Father.

John 16:²⁸I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

²⁹His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.

³⁰Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.

³¹Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?

³²Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

³³These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

What does it mean to you that Jesus has overcome the world?

Do you have peace in Jesus? Talk to Him about it. Jesus understands.

When you consider the emotion of Jesus, can you relate how He must have felt to what you feel in your situation?  Can you see how this experience of Jesus enables Him to fully understand how you feel?

Jesus is our great High Priest

Hebrews 4:¹⁴ Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

¹⁵For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

¹⁶Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Where is our great High Priest?  in Heaven, He passed to there

Who is our great High Priest? Jesus, the Son of God

What is special about our great High Priest?

He can be moved with the feeling of our infirmities

He was tempted like we are but did not sin!

Our High Priest sits on a throne of grace not judgement!

Our High Priest invites us to come boldly for grace and mercy

Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve

Mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve

Isn’t Jesus a great High Priest?

Focus – Hebrews 12:¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God

Challenge -Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you with an everlasting, unconditional love; has uniquely designed and created only one you; has a good plan for your life; runs with you; and will         accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run being yoked to Emmanuel!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with your focus on His mission: to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when together you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti