What do you do when God feels distant?

In this episode, we begin our study of one of the most haunting and powerful statements ever spoken from the cross:

These words stop us in our tracks. They are raw. Honest. Emotional. And deeply meaningful.

But what did Jesus mean?

Was He truly abandoned?

Was this a cry of despair?

Or is there something deeper happening beneath the surface?

In this episode of Today With Jesus, we continue our study of Jesus’ words from the cross: “Woman, behold your son… Behold your mother” (John 19:26–27).

In Part 1, we explored the moment itself—the raw emotion, the setting at the cross, and the relationship between Jesus, Mary, and John. In Part 2, we turn our attention to what this statement reveals about Jesus’ heart and how it reshapes our understanding of family, care, and discipleship today.

In this episode of Today With Jesus, we begin a two-part study of one of the most tender and personal statements Jesus made from the cross:

“Woman, behold your son… Behold your mother.” (John 19:26–27)

Even in the midst of unimaginable suffering, Jesus pauses to care for His mother. What does this moment reveal about His heart—and what does it teach us about following Him today?

In Luke 23:43, Jesus spoke words of incredible comfort to a dying man:

In the previous episode, we examined what Jesus meant when He spoke these words from the cross. In this episode, we turn our attention to the compassion behind the promise.

The statement Jesus made to the thief was not out of character. Throughout His ministry, Jesus consistently showed deep compassion for sinners, the suffering, and the spiritually lost. The promise of paradise reveals the heart of a Savior who cares deeply for people.

In this episode of Today With Jesus, Dan Winkler and Robert Hatfield continue their study of the seven sayings of Jesus from the cross. We come to one of the most hope-filled statements ever spoken:

Spoken to a dying criminal in the final hours of Jesus’ earthly life, this promise reveals the heart, authority, and assurance of our Savior.

In Part 1, we focus carefully on what Jesus meant when He uttered these words.

In this episode of Today With Jesus, Dan Winkler and Robert Hatfield continue their study of the first of Jesus’ seven sayings from the cross:

In Part 1, we examined the statement in its immediate context at Calvary. In Part 2, we step back and ask:

How did Jesus live this prayer long before He prayed it?

And how can we bring that same spirit into our own hearts?

As Jesus hangs on the cross—wounded, mocked, and rejected—His first recorded words are not cries of anger or demands for justice, but a prayer: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

In this episode of Today With Jesus, Dan Winkler and Robert Hatfield begin a new journey through the seven sayings of Jesus from the cross. This season will examine each saying in two movements:

1. understanding the saying in the moment it was spoken, and
2. exploring how Jesus lived that truth throughout His earthly ministry—and how it can take root in our own hearts today.

Part 1 of this saying focuses on the context of the cross. What does it mean that Jesus prayed for forgiveness while enduring unimaginable suffering? Who were the “them” Jesus prayed for—and what does this prayer reveal about His heart, His mission, and His relationship with the Father?

The cross confronts us not only with God’s love, but with human guilt. It’s easy to talk about the beauty of the cross. It’s harder to face its blame.

In this episode of Today With Jesus, we consider a sobering truth: while Scripture records the roles played by Jewish leaders and Roman authorities, it refuses to let us push responsibility safely outward. The Bible presses the question closer to home.

Who is truly to blame for Calvary?

The cross exposes the depth of human sin and the uncomfortable reality that Jesus did not merely die because of others—He died for us. Our guilt stands in the shadow of the cross, even as God’s grace shines through it.

“He endured the cross, despising the shame…” — Hebrews 12:2

Roman crucifixion was intentionally degrading, designed to humiliate its victims publicly and permanently. In this episode of Today With Jesus, we slow down and look carefully at the shame our Lord endured on Calvary—and why He willingly bore it.

In this opening episode of Season 12, Dan Winkler and Robert Hatfield begin a new series on the Seven Sayings of Jesus from the Cross by first slowing down and looking carefully at the cross itself — and especially at the name “Calvary.”