Darkness

Matthew 27: 45-46
45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 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?’).
There was total darkness at high noon during Jesus’ crucifix-ion. I listen and hear nothing. The wild crowd who were jeering and mocking Jesus just a few hours before are now silent. All I can hear are gasps of fear and terror. This veil of darkness was over the suffering for my Lord, my Savior. During these three hours, Jesus’ face showed the incredible suffering he was feeling. I wonder what gave Jesus more suffering, the physical pain or the pain of separation from his Father. My mind now switches to the Father.
As a parent, I hurt when my children hurt. How much anguish our heavenly Father must have gone through as he watched his perfect, sinless son take on the eternal wrath for all sinners? I can hardly imagine what it was like for the Father to see his only son betrayed, beaten, and crucified. They both knew what would happen when Jesus was born. This was the reason for his coming. This love amazes me. It was God’s choice to come and pay the price for an unworthy sinner like me.
I too often take for granted my salvation that I was given at a great cost. Help me; Father, to live a grateful life in the light of your incredible love that I can’t fully comprehend. Let my life be a witness to this love so others will also be in awe of this love.