3. Bearing our Sins, Part II

Yeshua gazed through His swollen, puffed up lids at the crowd. His body twisted from unspeakable pain, yet His heart contracted with compassion nevertheless. Man had been trapped by Satan in a snare without escape. No religious acrobatics could deliver man from this snare. For this reason Yeshua had come. He is man’s way of escape from corruption, his way of return unto G-d and imperishable life¹⁰¹.
 

NEITHER THE JEWISH PEOPLE, NOR A POLITICIAN NOR A POLITICAL SYSTEM, PUT YESHUA OF NAZARETH, SON OF MAN AND SON OF G-D, TO DEATH. THEY WERE MERE INSTRUMENTS. IT WAS S I N - OUR SINS  - WHICH KILLED HIM. IT WAS NOT FOR ANY POLITICAL OR RELIGIOUS REASON THAT YESHUA ENDURED THIS VIOLENT DEATH. HE SUFFERED DYING IN ORDER TO BREAK THE POWER OF DEATH  WHICH HAS HELD MANKIND CAPTIVE EVER SINCE THE FALL IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN. YESHUA DIED, AND THEN ROSE AGAIN, TO TAKE OUR CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE! ¹⁰²

He knew. He understood. This was His mission. Therefore He endured. Therefore He also forgave. His heart firmly anchored in the Father’s will and utterly focused on His mission He bore this suffering and weakness for man’s redemption. 

He saw His mother, this gentle woman of the family of David and house of Aaron, broken-hearted. Next to her was John, the only one of all His disciples who stood by His cross, risking persecution. Mary would be alone now with her faith in her Son. Yeshua’s natural brothers and sisters would assault her momentarily with “we told you so!” They might even sow doubt in her and destroy her faith. No, He would not leave her helplessly exposed to their doubt and unbelief. “Woman,” He said, His voice but a croaking whisper, “See here, your son.” And to John, “Here, your mother.” John would safe-guard her faith in Yeshua and share with her his intimate knowledge of Him. For no one knew Yeshua as closely as did His disciple John (Yochanan) and His mother Mary (Miriam).

Suddenly --- darkness descended upon the earth. Ice-cold horror gripped Yeshua’s heart. A realization distressing beyond description assaulted Him. The Source of all light, G-d Almighty, turned His Face away from Him^k  because G-d cannot look upon sin. All of mankind’s collective sin, sicknesses, ailments and diseases were now laid on Him¹⁰³. He became the receptacle of it all. He became the most abominable, vile and despicable creature upon the whole earth --- in our stead. He became our sa’ir la’Azazel - our scapegoat! 

All light had fled. The Face of G-d did not shine¹⁰⁴  for which reason the sun was obscured¹⁰⁵. And the light of the Son¹⁰⁶ was eclipsed by our sin and guilt that He bore. It was the hour of the power of darkness¹⁰⁷. Yeshua fought a mortal battle for His and our souls. For three hours the forces of hell battered and assailed the Lamb of G-d fastened to that cross. He could no longer draw on the Father nor on His own power. His sole stay was His faith in G-d’s Word and promise, His hope and trust in the Father’s steadfast love and faithfulness. No supernatural aid, no heavenly support came to His rescue. He was alone! Anguish and despair seized His soul¹⁰⁸. He could endure all because of the love of the Father. But at this most crucial moment of His life, why had G-d abandoned Him?
Yeshua’s heart felt like wax melting within His breast¹⁰⁹. His heart was breaking^l. The immeasurable suffering from the unspeakable torment became unbearable at last when the Father turned away --- the one thing Yeshua did not anticipate. 

As the Passover sacrifices were offered up in the Temple so was He, the Lamb of G-d, slain and sacrificed upon His altar of curse. From the depth of His tormented soul He finally cried out at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, having hung for six hours from the nails that fastened Him to the cross: “Eli! Eli! Lama sabachtani?! [My G-d, My  G-d, why have You forsaken me?]” ¹¹⁰
 

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