And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
This verse has caused me many hours of contemplation and questioning. Why would Jesus feel “forsaken”, and why at this particular moment? Not while he was being slandered and maligned. Not while he was being hunted and persecuted. Not even when he was being beaten and nailed to a cross. No, it's now, at that specific moment, that He feels forsaken. In the ninth hour.
Many times I’ve brought this question before God and always there was no answer given. I have asked others repeatedly to no avail. I have read the Word, seeking answers, and I have sat in silence and waited. For naught. Tonight, unasked and unprovoked, the answer was given. Not a moment before it was time - in Divine timing, which itself is a little bonus lesson for me, personally. I'm not what I would call the most patient of students.
I will endeavor to give to you my understanding as it was given to me, but sometimes it’s given in a flash of insight and I am left with the essence of the knowledge and have to suss out the words to convey it. But, here goes.
We are seeds that have been planted in the earth, and in order for a seed to grow it must first break open. The stronger the seed, the harder the blow required. The longer the process. Seeds are broken open by the elements. Man is broken open by pain, which comes in many forms but always with the same effect. Through pain we are weakened and it is when we are weakened completely that we surrender. We “break”. It is at that moment that light can finally enter the seed to activate its growth, and it is at that moment that The Light enters “man”.
Jesus felt forsaken in that moment because that was the moment just before He surrendered to the process. Could He have surrendered sooner? Presumably. Could He have had a misunderstanding of what He thought would happen? Possibly. He believed, and taught, that “the wages of sin is death", and He was without sin.
Understand this, Jesus was God but Jesus was also human. He came to walk AS man, a LIVING example for us to follow. As humans, even when our faith is strong, we fear the unknown. Doubt still creeps in. Otherwise, we would have no need for faith at all.
We know Jesus had these moments because He asked God to let this cup pass from him. But in order for the prophecy to be fulfilled, in order to receive the glory of God through rebirth of the Spirit, we must surrender all to Him. All the fear, the doubt, and the pain, yes, but also, and most especially, our preconceived notions; our "earthly" ideals and ideas. Everything and all of it. We must die to "self".
And remember, the potter does not repair or rebuild a beautifully intact work of art. The potter begins His work with something broken, or with a lump of clay; something with no form. And what does the bible say about surrendering?
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself. Whoever does not is not worthy of me. Be transformed by the renewal of your mind. (Side note: “self” is created in our own mind. An entity we created so that we can fit into our current environment. “Self” is what the world has made you believe you are.) Trust in the Lord and do not lean on your own understanding.
Any one of you who does not renounce all [that he has/is] cannot be my disciple. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you. And after you have suffered a little while, [there will be suffering], the God of all grace will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
“Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” That was all He had left to surrender. "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”
The water referred to here is the water of life, the amniotic fluid, from which physical man is born. [not baptism] The Holy Ghost is “Spirit”, and only Spirit can birth a new Spirit. Believe me when I say this, you can not hide from the Holy Ghost. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10 You can fool a lot of people a lot of the time, even yourself, but you can not fool the Holy Spirit.
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."
"For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God."
Birth is painful, and ultimately, death is something we do alone. None can take that journey with us, but death itself is only a “moment” in time. Just a moment in our journey. We have to choose it or surrender to it to be reborn. [For·sak·en /fərˈsākən/ adjective / abandoned or deserted].
But why the ninth hour? That seemed significant; specific. Why is the number nine so special? The 'Fruit of the Spirit' comprises nine graces: love, peace, suffering, gentle, good, faith, meek and temperance. The 'Gifts of the Spirit' are 9 in number: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. Coincidence? There’s no such thing.
From doowons.com:
"Before we start one must understand that numbers were not invented, they were discovered.
To understand Nine one must consider Numerology. The Number Nine is the last number in a base 10 system. Which is the last and limit of ALL that is material. The Number Nine holds a code that affects every person on earth. This hidden code reveals a great truth and is encoded into the construct of our universe. Nine is not just a number, it is consciousness itself.
The process of reducing a number down to one digit is called by many names and is common practice not only in numerology, but in mainstream science. Since numbers are at the heart of Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Language, then one would have to consider numbers are an inherent part of this universe.
Composed of three trinities (3 times 3 equals 9), nine represents the principles of the sacred Triad taken to their utmost expression. Nine has been and still is considered thrice sacred and represents perfection, balance, [and] order, in effect, the Supreme Superlative.
From a numerological perspective, the 9 simply takes over, like the infamous changeling. Any number that was initially increased by a factor of 9 loses its own identity and instead takes on the characteristics of the 9. Some may call Nine the Singularity. [I and the Father are One] The Hebrews referred to nine as the symbol of immutable Truth. Nine is the number of the one who accomplishes the divine will. According to the Cabal, it is also the number of “achievement”. The free-masons have made it the eternal number of human immortality.
[This number is] The Number of man, as a numeral symbol of his gestation (nine months). [The] Number of the hierarchy, represented by nine choruses of the Angels. [Also]Representing the three divine manifestations in the three planes, world of spirit, world of thought, world of matter, which gives a triple manifestation of Trinity (3 x 3=9)."
There is so much hidden knowledge in the Word that can only be revealed by God Himself, The Holy Ghost, which is why you are instructed to seek. What you read in your bible and what most "see"? Just the breadcrumbs that you have to follow to find God. You were not instructed to seek out a church and believe what you are taught. You were instructed to seek HIM.
The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. Note: notice how he uses [eye] in the singular? Not an accident. He is referring to the 3rd eye. The eye of discernment.
Remember that there are no coincidences and everything is connected. Follow the clues, connect the dots, learn to listen, and soon you’ll be on the path.
G. Jones
08/28/21
This verse has caused me many hours of contemplation and questioning. Why would Jesus feel “forsaken”, and why at this particular moment? Not while he was being slandered and maligned. Not while he was being hunted and persecuted. Not even when he was being beaten and nailed to a cross. No, it's now, at that specific moment, that He feels forsaken. In the ninth hour.
Many times I’ve brought this question before God and always there was no answer given. I have asked others repeatedly to no avail. I have read the Word, seeking answers, and I have sat in silence and waited. For naught. Tonight, unasked and unprovoked, the answer was given. Not a moment before it was time - in Divine timing, which itself is a little bonus lesson for me, personally. I'm not what I would call the most patient of students.
I will endeavor to give to you my understanding as it was given to me, but sometimes it’s given in a flash of insight and I am left with the essence of the knowledge and have to suss out the words to convey it. But, here goes.
We are seeds that have been planted in the earth, and in order for a seed to grow it must first break open. The stronger the seed, the harder the blow required. The longer the process. Seeds are broken open by the elements. Man is broken open by pain, which comes in many forms but always with the same effect. Through pain we are weakened and it is when we are weakened completely that we surrender. We “break”. It is at that moment that light can finally enter the seed to activate its growth, and it is at that moment that The Light enters “man”.
Jesus felt forsaken in that moment because that was the moment just before He surrendered to the process. Could He have surrendered sooner? Presumably. Could He have had a misunderstanding of what He thought would happen? Possibly. He believed, and taught, that “the wages of sin is death", and He was without sin.
Understand this, Jesus was God but Jesus was also human. He came to walk AS man, a LIVING example for us to follow. As humans, even when our faith is strong, we fear the unknown. Doubt still creeps in. Otherwise, we would have no need for faith at all.
We know Jesus had these moments because He asked God to let this cup pass from him. But in order for the prophecy to be fulfilled, in order to receive the glory of God through rebirth of the Spirit, we must surrender all to Him. All the fear, the doubt, and the pain, yes, but also, and most especially, our preconceived notions; our "earthly" ideals and ideas. Everything and all of it. We must die to "self".
And remember, the potter does not repair or rebuild a beautifully intact work of art. The potter begins His work with something broken, or with a lump of clay; something with no form. And what does the bible say about surrendering?
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself. Whoever does not is not worthy of me. Be transformed by the renewal of your mind. (Side note: “self” is created in our own mind. An entity we created so that we can fit into our current environment. “Self” is what the world has made you believe you are.) Trust in the Lord and do not lean on your own understanding.
Any one of you who does not renounce all [that he has/is] cannot be my disciple. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you. And after you have suffered a little while, [there will be suffering], the God of all grace will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
“Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” That was all He had left to surrender. "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”
The water referred to here is the water of life, the amniotic fluid, from which physical man is born. [not baptism] The Holy Ghost is “Spirit”, and only Spirit can birth a new Spirit. Believe me when I say this, you can not hide from the Holy Ghost. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10 You can fool a lot of people a lot of the time, even yourself, but you can not fool the Holy Spirit.
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."
"For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God."
Birth is painful, and ultimately, death is something we do alone. None can take that journey with us, but death itself is only a “moment” in time. Just a moment in our journey. We have to choose it or surrender to it to be reborn. [For·sak·en /fərˈsākən/ adjective / abandoned or deserted].
But why the ninth hour? That seemed significant; specific. Why is the number nine so special? The 'Fruit of the Spirit' comprises nine graces: love, peace, suffering, gentle, good, faith, meek and temperance. The 'Gifts of the Spirit' are 9 in number: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. Coincidence? There’s no such thing.
From doowons.com:
"Before we start one must understand that numbers were not invented, they were discovered.
To understand Nine one must consider Numerology. The Number Nine is the last number in a base 10 system. Which is the last and limit of ALL that is material. The Number Nine holds a code that affects every person on earth. This hidden code reveals a great truth and is encoded into the construct of our universe. Nine is not just a number, it is consciousness itself.
The process of reducing a number down to one digit is called by many names and is common practice not only in numerology, but in mainstream science. Since numbers are at the heart of Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Language, then one would have to consider numbers are an inherent part of this universe.
Composed of three trinities (3 times 3 equals 9), nine represents the principles of the sacred Triad taken to their utmost expression. Nine has been and still is considered thrice sacred and represents perfection, balance, [and] order, in effect, the Supreme Superlative.
From a numerological perspective, the 9 simply takes over, like the infamous changeling. Any number that was initially increased by a factor of 9 loses its own identity and instead takes on the characteristics of the 9. Some may call Nine the Singularity. [I and the Father are One] The Hebrews referred to nine as the symbol of immutable Truth. Nine is the number of the one who accomplishes the divine will. According to the Cabal, it is also the number of “achievement”. The free-masons have made it the eternal number of human immortality.
[This number is] The Number of man, as a numeral symbol of his gestation (nine months). [The] Number of the hierarchy, represented by nine choruses of the Angels. [Also]Representing the three divine manifestations in the three planes, world of spirit, world of thought, world of matter, which gives a triple manifestation of Trinity (3 x 3=9)."
There is so much hidden knowledge in the Word that can only be revealed by God Himself, The Holy Ghost, which is why you are instructed to seek. What you read in your bible and what most "see"? Just the breadcrumbs that you have to follow to find God. You were not instructed to seek out a church and believe what you are taught. You were instructed to seek HIM.
The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. Note: notice how he uses [eye] in the singular? Not an accident. He is referring to the 3rd eye. The eye of discernment.
Remember that there are no coincidences and everything is connected. Follow the clues, connect the dots, learn to listen, and soon you’ll be on the path.
G. Jones
08/28/21
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