Winning Ways -- Hillcrest Baptist Church

The God-Forsaken God
by Tom Goodman
September 30, 2015

PrayerWalk with Us on October 3! Find out more and register at www.Hillcrest.Church/PrayerWalk. Tell us if you need childcare for kinder and under when you register.

First-Sunday Fellowship. Bring a covered dish to the Multipurpose Center at 5:30pm on Sunday, October 4. There will be no HILL classes that night. Join us for food and fellowship and hear from Dr. Jim Richards, executive director of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

God-forsaken.

These days, we just use that term to express our displeasure at our setting. "What a God-forsaken place!" we'll say about a region without water or greenery. Or a city on the skids. Or even just a town that doesn't interest us anymore.

We tend to use the term to describe a place, but not a life.

And yet, on the cross Jesus lifted up the cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

He had been forsaken by the religious leadership, forsaken by his own followers, forsaken by the political leadership that had the duty to protect him, forsaken by the crowds he served -- but nothing, nothing, was like the abandonment of his Father.

It was a quote from Psalm 22, and Psalm 22 is stunning in many ways. The old poet described Christ's crucifixion a thousand years before it happened:

"They pierce my hands and my feet" (verse 16)

"They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment" (verse 18)

"My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth" (verse 15)

"All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. 'He trusts in the Lord,' they say, 'let the Lord rescue him'" (verses 7-8).

But it is the very first line of the poem that Jesus lifts up from the cross. How did it come to this? At the start of Jesus' earthly ministry, at his baptism, the Bible says the heavens opened, the sun shone out, and the Father said to Jesus, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). Now at the end of his earthly life, the heavens close, the sun hides, and Jesus says to the Father, "Why have you forsaken me?"

Indeed: Why?

Join us this Sunday at 10am as we reverently consider the question raised in Psalm 22 and echoed from the cross. It's the last week in Sacred Blues, our study through selected psalms.

--Tom

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Winning Ways - from Hillcrest Baptist Church, Austin, Texas	Contact Tom Goodman, Pastor
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The God-Forsaken God by Tom Goodman September 30, 2015 PrayerWalk with Us on October 3! Find out more and register at www.Hillcrest.Church/PrayerWalk. Tell us if you need childcare for kinder and under when you register. First-Sunday Fellowship. Bring a covered dish to the Multipurpose Center at 5:30pm on Sunday, October 4. There will be no HILL classes that night. Join us for food and fellowship and hear from Dr. Jim Richards, executive director of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. God-forsaken. These days, we just use that term to express our displeasure at our setting. "What a God-forsaken place!" we'll say about a region without water or greenery. Or a city on the skids. Or even just a town that doesn't interest us anymore. We tend to use the term to describe a place, but not a life. And yet, on the cross Jesus lifted up the cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He had been forsaken by the religious leadership, forsaken by his own followers, forsaken by the political leadership that had the duty to protect him, forsaken by the crowds he served -- but nothing, nothing, was like the abandonment of his Father. It was a quote from Psalm 22, and Psalm 22 is stunning in many ways. The old poet described Christ's crucifixion a thousand years before it happened: "They pierce my hands and my feet" (verse 16) "They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment" (verse 18) "My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth" (verse 15) "All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. 'He trusts in the Lord,' they say, 'let the Lord rescue him'" (verses 7-8). But it is the very first line of the poem that Jesus lifts up from the cross. How did it come to this? At the start of Jesus' earthly ministry, at his baptism, the Bible says the heavens opened, the sun shone out, and the Father said to Jesus, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). Now at the end of his earthly life, the heavens close, the sun hides, and Jesus says to the Father, "Why have you forsaken me?" Indeed: Why? Join us this Sunday at 10am as we reverently consider the question raised in Psalm 22 and echoed from the cross. It's the last week in Sacred Blues, our study through selected psalms. --Tom Beacon Articles Available Online: The staff newsletters that appear each week in the Beacon are also available on our website. You can find them here. Check out my weblog here. Do you know friends who would appreciate Winning Ways? Just forward this e-mail to them! Have you subscribed to Winning Ways? You can subscribe by clicking here and following the instructions. Your e-mail address will not be sold or given away to anyone, and you can automatically change your subscription or drop it by following the easy steps provided with each e-mail. FRESH NEWS AT HILLCREST UPDATED WEEKLY: www.hillcrestaustin.org LISTEN TO RECENT SERMONS: Click here. MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTERS: Click here. If you do not have access to the web, please send a note to newsmaster@hbcaustin.org to tell us of any changes you would like to make.