“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Mark 15:34

This is the dreadful hour of judgment for Christ. In this hour the righteous God will maintain Himself over against man in his sin and unrighteousness. It is the hour when supreme love reveals itself as terrible wrath. It is an hour when man on this earth sees a little of the suffering of hell.

Jesus had been crucified at nine in the morning, according to our reckoning of time. During the first three hours there was a lot of activity. The Lord was crucified outside of the city limits ofJerusalem, near a “high-way” that led into the city. Apparently there was a lot of traffic on this road. Many passers-by saw the three crosses. Some or many of these people mocked and ridiculed Him. During these three hours Christ spoke the first three reported utterances. The first one was likely spoken while He was being crucified. Then the second and third were about the future relationship between Mary and John and the salvation of the converted malefactor. He would be with Jesus in Paradise. At twelve noon it suddenly became very dark. It is interesting that historical records of people living in other parts of the world, such as Mexico mention a day which became dark at mid-day. What happened between twelve o‘clock and three o’clock is a blank in the record . All we know is that during these three hours of darkness Jesus suffered indescribable agonies. Apparently even the mockers and soldiers we re silent. Then suddenly, out of that painful and fearful silence came this outcry of Jesus, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

What do these words mean? Why did Jesus speak them? We can also ask the question, “who was forsaken by God?” In trying to answer these questions we should, at the outset, realize that we are speaking about heavenly mysteries. No more than man can describe and grasp the meaning of the incarnation in Bethlehem can he really comprehend what happened at Calvary. The best we can do is say something about it, try to know what it means and, as a result, try to worship God because of His love for us.

When we ask the question, “Who was forsaken by God?” it surely cannot mean that God really was forsaken by God. The common answer throughout the ages bas been that Jesus in His human nature was forsaken by God. Do not forget, however, that Jesus had a perfect human nature, in which He loved the Lord with His whole being. God meant infinitely more to Him than He does to an unbeliever, or even to us as “imperfect” Christians. Jesus loved God so deeply. His Father’s presence was the environment of His whole life. He was always thinking , working and living to please His Father. His joy was that the Father always heard His prayers. And now this God forsakes Him.

No one likes to be forsaken, left behind, or rejected by others. Man was created to be a creature who needs fellowship, and to be accepted by others.

If things are right, he also feels the need of being accepted and blessed by the Lord. Jesus was perfectly human. Before His crucifixion men had left Him. First the multitude of people left Him; then the disciples, including even Peter, left. But He might still enjoy the comfort of the angels, and the blessing of His Father in heaven. Here all forsake Him, even God. In fact, all the emphasis falls upon the latter. God bas forsaken Him. At the same time, no doubt, God let loose all the devils to assault Him. Psalm 22 which Jesus quotes here, compares this attack of the demons with the ferocious attack of charging bulls of Basban.

Worse than that, God Himself is pushing Him away. It is one thing if a mother no longer cares for her child, and leaves it on its own. But it is quite another thing when a mother, while the child is clinging to her, pushes it away, disowns and rejects it. Jesus here wants to cling to His Father. That‘s all He has left. In His heart He no doubt was saying, “My Father, my Father.” And in response the Father says to Him, “Get behind me, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The word forsake here means to be deserted, left behind in difficulty, like a man who is drowning and reaching out, crying for help. God never forsakes His own, the Bible says. But here the tables are turned. Deep is calling to deep. Here the great Jeremiah sinks away in the pit of suffering and wrath. David never saw the righteous forsaken, but here it does happen.

The cry comes from the depths of Jesus’ soul, in the experience of hell, “Why God, why?” Notice that even then He says, “My God.” Even in this indescribable agony He clings to His Father and calls Him His God.

Have you ever been at the bedside of one crying in pain? It deeply moves everyone who is near. But here is One in hell as it were, and His cries are heard by men on this earth, throughout the world. Never did the world quake as it did here, at His cry from the bottom of the abyss of suffering. It was “with a Loud voice,” we read. But there was no answer, nor for three hours. He was left alone. Which father would abandon his son in such circumstances? We would say, “No one.” But God does.

Is not that exactly the manner in which the cry of agony is interpreted in the context ofPs. 22, which the Lord quoted? Notice what we read there:

“My God , my God why has thou forsaken me?

Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou answerest not:

And by night, but I find no rest.”

Why did He have to suffer so intensely? Why was this necessary? Theologically we have the answer. God was “laying on Him the iniquity of us all” of all His people. Jesus was suffering what we otherwise would have to suffer in hell forever. The Apostle’s Creed says that “He descended into hell.” Concerning this statement the Heidelberg Catechism says that He suffered unspeakable anguish, pain and terror of soul, especially on the cross to deliver us from the anguish and torment of hell. This cannot mean that God was actually forsaking and rejecting the person of His son. But it does mean that Christ in His human nature was actually experiencing the wrath of God as poured out in hell. No doubt, what Jesus suffered here was even worse than what the wicked do and will suffer in hell. Jesus endured all this agony while He loved God His Father. This surely is and will not be true of the wicked.

Didn’t Jesus know all this? Didn’t He know that He would be forsaken in the crisis of that final hour? Didn‘t He have the answers to all such questions during His active ministry?Didn’t He know throughout His life that He would have to go this way to make this payment for the sins of His own. Was He confused about what was going on? He could still quote from Ps. 22.

Who are we as mere mortals to be able to give all the answers? The same is true regarding His prayer in Gethsemane. There comes a time when we as mere men can go no further in trying to describe and understand the full meaning of infinite love and suffering. Someone once compared this condition of Christ with that of a devout Christian who is in great pain and a semi-delirious condition and then still quotes from the Scriptures. This may help us a little. But nothing on this earth can be compared with the infinite mysteries of His love in saving sinners.

In this suffering of Christ, atonement is made for those whom the Father has given Him. Our sins are paid for, once and for all. And because of this the Lord gives us the most wonderful assurances that we will never be forsaken by Him. No one can separate us from the love of Christ. His covenant faithfulness will stand forever. Just before Jesus left this earth He gave a few final words and instructions. One of them was, “Lo, I am with you always.” He meant to say, “Remember, this is a promise!!!!”