When I feel Alone
I’ve often asked myself in times of loneliness (when I’m really feeling like there is no one who understands what I am going through) If God cares at all. When I feel deserted and closed off from those who are close to me, I sometimes group God into the same category as everyone else. I imagine that because I failed, or because I let Him down, He has ceased to care when I’m alone. But the truth is that it’s times like these that the life of Christ can shine deepest into my situation.
When Jesus was preparing Himself to go to the cross, His disciples were still mostly unaware of the sacrificial death He would have to go through. Jesus walked with many earthly friends and followers, but He bore the truth about His painful death alone.
In Luke 9:44-45 Jesus says, “ ‘Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.’ But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.”
Even though Jesus explained His death to His disciples, they did not fully understand. In Luke 24, we see that they did not truly see until Jesus opened their eyes to the Scriptures about Him after He had resurrected.
Jesus Felt Abandoned
As the time for Jesus’ death drew near, He led His disciples into the garden of Gethsemane. His disciple Judas then betrayed Him by leading to Him a crowd sent by the chief priests and elders. However, what is almost worse than the betrayal that Judas brought is what happened next.
Matthew 26:56 says, “ ‘But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets.’ Then all the disciples left Him and fled.”
At the beginning of His darkest hour, Jesus’ disciples and friends deserted Him. None of them remained with Him. He was alone. But there was one Person who stayed with Jesus during this trial, and that was God the Father. So, even when everyone else left, God was there. We know this because in John 10:30 Jesus says, “I and the Father are one.”
But before His final breath, Jesus would face an even greater loneliness on the cross.
Matthew 27:46 says, “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ ”
As Jesus hung on the cross, the sins of the world were heaped onto His shoulders, and at this moment He truly felt abandoned by God.
God Cares When We Are Alone
Because Jesus is the Son of God, not only does God care about the times when we are alone, but He also understands them better than anyone. I believe that is why the final word from Christ that we see in the book of Matthew is this:
“ ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ ” (Matthew 28:19-20)
During the last moments on earth with His disciples, Jesus makes a promise to those who believe in Him. He says, “I am with you always.” That means that no matter how alone the world makes you feel, God has not forsaken you. Even if you know you deserve to be alone, Jesus made a way so that you don’t have to be. He paid the price for our sins and took the abandonment we deserved on the cross. When you ask God to forgive you and believe that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, God sees you as being covered by the righteousness of Christ.
Jesus came and was made alone so that we would never have to be alone – so that we could live with Him forever. That is worth being thankful for.