"Good Friday".

"My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me? ...

They pierced My hands and My feet;
I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
They divide My garments among them,
And for clothing they cast lots." Psalm 22:1,16-18

These disturbing and heavy words from the heart of King David were surely felt by David in some manner. Perhaps expressions from His heart of his early years of persecution, and yet no way of knowing this is what the Messiah was to experience. These same words were to be felt and even spoken, and fulfilled, in Christ Jesus on the first Good Friday, which wouldn't be for a 1,000 years from when David penned these words, and over 2,000 years ago from this Good Friday, March 21st, 2008.

The greatest, and most intense pain, our Lord knew as He patiently suffered was when He cried, "My God, why have You forsaken [tuned away completely] from Me." The perfect union of love from all eternity was severed. Jesus who loved His Father perfectly, and never knew a moment without His love and presence, was forsaken, and left to Himself.
We can not imagine such pain, and excruciating sorrow. This is why Good Friday, as evil as the Day was, is Good.
John Piper says, " .. the most astonishing thing is that evil and suffering were Christ's appointed way of victory over evil and suffering. ... there is no greater sin than to hate and kill the Son of God. There was no greater suffering nor any greater innocence than the suffering and innocence of Christ."

Jesus knew His Father would forsake Him, when He beheld the cup His Father gave Him to drink. All the pain Jesus would have to endure; the "lash on His back, the thorns on His head, the spit on His cheek, the bruises on His face, the nails in His hands, the spear in His side, the scorn of the rulers, the betrayal of His friends, the desertion of His disciples", were not the intense pain He would feel when he became sin, and the Father turned His face away.

Thank You Lord Jesus for drinking this cup of my sin,-- my filthy blasphemies, and drunkenness, and mocking, and unthankfulness, and every other abominable sin I thought, spoke, or committed, and still commit,-- and for enduring Your Father's wrath as You became a curse upon the Cross: And the whole earth, and even the universe, became dark. You were crushed by your Father, so that You would crush the head of Satan. You paid the penalty of my sin, so that I could be made the righteousness of Christ, and have forgiveness and eternal life. Thank You Lord. Amen.