“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

This is one of the seven last sayings of Jesus on the cross and is recorded in gospels of Matthew and Mark. It reflects the profound sense of abandonment that Jesus felt on the cross whilst atoning for our sins.

Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink. The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.” Matthew 27:45-49

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?” Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, “Look, He is calling for Elijah!” Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.” Mark 15:33-36

Betrayed by one of his disciples; deserted by others; arrested at night; unfair trail; multiple floggings; countless mockings; ridiculed by his enemies; led to Calvary with beatings; suspended on the cross with nails to sustain his weight; pain and suffering courtesy of the people whom he came to save. In all these, Jesus never complained. He never felt forsaken either. When his soul was troubled, he heard a voice from heaven to comfort him (see John 12:27-28). When he was in agony in the garden an angel was sent to strengthen him. But now, something happened which made Jesus cry out with a loud voice “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

The verses before this notes how everyone reviled Jesus. The condemnation of men continued until the darkness took over. The birth of Jesus was followed by light, and now fittingly, his impending death was marked by darkness. Yet another sign that something beyond natural was happening here. During this time was when Jesus felt forsaken. Why? Because at this time the sins of all mankind were poured on Jesus who was offering himself. The sin offering where the high priest placed his hand on the lamb signified this moment. The Father, hence at this moment temporarily hid his face from his son. (You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Habakkuk 1:13)

Jesus was meant to do this part alone. And he succeeded. But this temporary barrier which hid the face of his Father was more painful than all the suffering he endured until this point. So close is their relationship that an absence of a few hours was excruciating. But this was necessary. For the sake of all mankind, for all our sins, Jesus fought against the power of darkness, the prince of this world, and his forces and emerged victorious.

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? Psalm 22:1

David said these same words as we see in Psalm 22. While Jesus could have uttered any sentence to convey his anguish, He specifically chose these words. The abandonment of Jesus on the cross was temporary, and David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote this Psalm which encapsulated the suffering, praise, and posterity of the Messiah. The people near the cross could have picked up on this too, but alas it doesn’t seem so. While silenced by the unusual darkness and no doubt afraid during the entire duration, the people now returned to mockery, not understanding the great feat which the son of man had taken and succeeded.

For our sake, Jesus offered himself as an atonement on the cross. He carried all our sins on himself, and this created a temporary wedge between Him and the Father, and this was the most painful for Him. Because of His blood, we are cleansed, and we now have an opportunity to build our relationship with the Father. But how is our relationship? Do we feel the same sense of abandonment when we move away from the LORD? Or do we feel so only after suffering harm because of our departure? Or do we not even realise that we have abandoned the LORD and prioritised the world? The Father showed his love for mankind by sending Jesus his son. Jesus showed his love for mankind by offering himself as a sacrifice. Knowing abandonment, the LORD promises to never abandon us.

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

Now it is up to us to show our love for the LORD by renewing, rebuilding and strengthening our relationship.