The End

“Jesus dies and is buried”

Matthew 27:45-61

Linda Ellis wrote a poem called, The Dash. The main point of this poem is that it is the “dash” of our lives that is most important. Let me explain. My tombstone will someday read as follows:

Joseph B Williams: 1950 – 20_ _

 What will the dash represent for me? Whose lives will I have impacted? What difference will I have made in this world once I have left it?

What happens during the dash is important for all of us, but for Jesus the end is what made the difference. The passage today tells us about the end and why it had to happen.

 ^46 “About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

 Imagine Abraham taking his son Isaac to be sacrificed. “But where is the sheep father? God will provide my son. And then raising the knife to sacrifice his one and only son, God suddenly provided the sacrificial lamb.”

 What was the depth of Jesus’ pain and agony as he cried out?

His Abba Father who had always been there for him; had sent angels in the wilderness to minister to him; had been there in the early morning to commune with him; had sent the Holy Spirit down in the form of a dove to empower him; had declared for all to hear, “this is my son whom I love, with him I am well pleased”.

This same Abba Father had now turned his back on Jesus; had deserted him in his hour of greatest need. Or in the visual of Abraham and Isaac - had driven the knife into his heart. Oh what dreadful pain for both of them.

But it had to been done. Someone had to bear the judgement. The perfect sacrificial lamb, had to take the sins of the world; your sins and my sins. The Scapegoat had to go into the wilderness alone to die taking with him the sins of Israel. The living Passover lamb made it possible for all to go to the Promised Land.

 Jesus’ dash didn’t matter anymore. Only the end.