Forsaken

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 hour? 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. I have asked others repeatedly to no avail. I have read the Word, seeking answers, and I have sat in silence and waited. Tonight, unprovoked, the answer was given. 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, essentially, 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 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 really surrendered to the process. Could He have “surrendered” sooner? Presumably. Could He have had a misunderstanding of what He thought would happen? Possibly. He was taught, and believed, that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life”, and He was without sin. Yes, 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 need no faith at all. But in order to receive the glory of God, we must surrender all to Him. All the fear, doubt, and pain, but especially our preconceived notions. Everything and all of it. Remember, the potter does not repair 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.” ”Self” is created in our own mind. An entity we create so that we can fit into our current environment. “Self” is what the world has made you believe you are. “Be transformed by the renewal of your mind. 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. Birth is painful, and ultimately, we “die” alone. 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. Remember that there are no coincidences and everything is connected. Follow the clues, connect the dots, and soon you’ll be on the path.