Abused. Mocked. Betrayed. Humiliated. Tortured.
One of His closest betrayed Him.
His friends ran out on Him, despite their promises of loyalty.
The fickle crowds that cheered now scorn and call for His death.
The very objects of His love - His vehement contenders. Their harsh words ring in His ears, along with the thudding of His own ebbing pulse.

It's to be expected. He can handle this. He loved them so, someday they would see, they would understand. Every heart beat was an effort, but every successful pulse was for them, and for Him... even amidst the pain, the thought of how intensely God would be glorified because of all this sent a flutter of joy to His spirit.

Encompassing pain. Loneliness. Grief.

This He had done His best to prepare for, mentally and spiritually. It was worse than He had imagined, but that innate Presence sustained His spirit to bear it. And - oh it was so worth it! Through the haze of physical pain, the depth of His love brought tears to His eyes. How He loved them...

It wouldn't be long now. Surely soon He would be again in that Presence... Even now, He could feel that constant gaze, throbbing with love and holy pride.
How His heart longed to be home again, craved to be in the very midst of God Himself. Soon. With that grateful thought, He gained the strength to endure another moment.

Then... What?!
He blanched as the frigid shock jolted His Spirit to its core. Wide-eyed, He gasped and cringed.
The Presence within had shifted...
God had turned His back?
No!
His flesh reacted. Fear. Self doubt. Horror. Had He been wrong? Could He have somehow made such an eternal, appalling mistake?
Why?! How could this be? The loneliness of before was nonexistent compared with this utterly wretched...this gaping wound.... What was this unfamiliar filth, this agony of despair taking hold of Him? What was this engulfing His soul?

He recoiled at the realization.
Sin! Severing of hope. Separation...
Alone!
Not You, too! I did it all for You! That You would be glorified! Because You love them, and I love them! Because You asked Me, I did it all with joy! We were in this together all along...why would You leave me now?! Oh, why...I can bear everything but the loss of You!

But He understood. This was the climax of His love and loss. Above the physical pain and loneliness, beyond the human betrayel and misunderstanding, He braced His soul and accepted as this final price was extracted:

He bore our sin and its consequence: Separation.

Though His spirit understood and agonizingly assented, His flesh could hardly withstand the repulsion of separation. With His last, now rapidly vanishing strength, suddenly sustained only by the essence of heartwrenching grief, He cried...

"My God, My God! Why have You forsaken me?"

And in fierce loyalty and relentless love, He gave up His spirit to God as His final sacrifice.

It was finished.