If we combine the scenes of John 19.26-27 and Matthew 27.46 into Jesus’ 3rd and 4th words from the cross, I’m not sure we could find a more stark contrast of outcomes; a new relationship formed between a son and a mother in John 19.26 and, shockingly, in Matthew 27.46 the Father’s abandonment of the Son. Yet, they are connected by a theme that only the love of Jesus displayed in the cross could create. Jesus endured the most horrific abandonment imaginable that Christ-followers might live together in an unbreakable love.
Who really belongs to Christ's Body, the Church? The truth is both revealing and surprising and what we will discover is that everyone belongs. Regardless of the success (or failure) of their spiritual journey, everyone can experience the redemptive power of Jesus through His church.