I sometimes wonder how Jesus made it through this last week of his earthly life–the last meal together, betrayed by a friend, a kangaroo-court of lies, pain and ever-greater pain. Did he keep one ear tuned to the words his Father spoke at his baptism?
Matthew 3:17 (ESV)
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
May your words, dear Father, be my strength.
Just like Jesus.
I would guess that as the magnitude of His ordeal became clearer to Him, the sound of His Father’s voice became more faint, to the point where, indeed, He felt abandoned.
I was thinking almost the same thing. If the words of the Father didn’t diminish over time, then they suddenly went silent–“why have you forsaken me?”