If You've Known His Presence, Then You'll Notice His Absence!

11/9/2025

“Now, when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which is translated, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’” (Matthew 27:45-46)

What do you think Jesus meant, when He said “Why have you forsaken me Father?” That He didn’t like the circumstance He was in? “Why did you let me suffer like this and abandon me to this fate?”

I don’t believe that’s what He meant for a second. He knew the fate that awaited Him long before that. He heard the screams of haters in the distance, and the plotting of the self-righteous religion leaders long before He was on the cross. There were no surprises there. And He laid down His life—put Himself there on purpose for His friends.

So what then did He mean by, “Father, why have you forsaken me?”

It is not in my mind, but my Spirit and experience, that I’m certain of this point:

Hebrews 10:25 “...not forsaking the gathering together.” This is the same word in the Greek.

Because Jesus lived His life—as a Christian who has given their life to Him and now has Jesus’ Spirit can also live, if they are abandoned to Him without condition, and are sensitive to His Spirit,—“not saying anything the Father was not saying or doing anything the Father was not doing.” Jesus was connected to the Father and could feel His presence at all times.

“So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.’” (John 5:19)

“For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak... whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.” (John 12:49-50)

“...I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.” (John 8:28)

“The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does His works.” (John 14:10)

Jesus felt Father’s presence at all times in His life, that is... Until that awful moment when the Father had forsaken being Jesus’ “every minute companion.” And that was such a difference, that abandonment of the Father in His Spirit, THAT HE NOTICED THE ABSENCE! HE WAS ENTIRELY CONSCIOUS OF THE FATHER AND THE FATHER LEFT HIM ALONE—BECAUSE OF THE SINS OF MAN.

Day-to-day, if you are truly saved, you can feel as Jesus did—the nuance of Father hiding from you (to different degrees) when you have made a bad choice, or allowed your life to merge with the world for a moment, or let something into your mind or out of your mouth that never could have come from the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit.

If you have God’s Holy Spirit by legitimate conversion, He will let you know in your inner man when you have left Him, therefore He must forsake you. You will feel it, and know it, and care! Just as Jesus felt the excruciating agony of Father turning His back on Him because of the sins of man, you can know the absence of God’s life. The Rivers of Alive Water that were gushing within your inner man have dried up. And you can know to fight for and search for and be desperate for the return of Father’s intimacy with you, by finding how you have grieved Him.

It is a gift from God to have an intimate, ongoing relationship with Him as Jesus did, and it is a gift from God when He “forsakes” us also that we might stay in His River, if we are paying attention and care.

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this, My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” (John 15:7-8)

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you FRIENDS, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. (John 15:9-15)

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” (John 15:26)

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:12-15)

“I have manifested, displayed, fulfilled, personified Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.” (John 17:6-11)

“Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me.’ And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that better part, which will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:38-42)

The difference between:
1) Doing the right thing for Jesus—the wrong Tree in the garden—the desire to be in control, and to feel secure that we are doing the right thing, and will avoid punishment or win reward and recognition
2) And being, being, being WITH Jesus—the Tree of His Life

Is radically different. Night and Day—one might say.

This was not about Mary being lazy and Martha being diligent.

Jesus commended the person who just opened their hands and looked into His eyes and didn’t want to be more than an inch away from Him at any time.

Abraham’s song—the Result of all of the above. Good night :)