If God could forsake Jesus on the cross, could He also forsake us? One of the hardest sayings from the cross to hear was when Jesus said that God had forsaken Him. This devotion looks at the reason Jesus felt God had forsaken Him.
Nuggets
- We usually associate this abandonment with when Jesus had taken on all of the sins of everyone who had lived, was living, and would live.
- If Jesus was going to have to go through everything we do, He had to experience the abandonment.
- The kicker is Jesus was doing His job — He was going through with being the sacrifice.
- He may he questioning God, but He is still reverencing Him.
- Jesus was still God on the cross – and He was also still Man.
Devotions in the Sayings from the Cross series
I have a confession to make. I am really struggling writing this devotion. I have no idea why. I’ve changed tracks a couple of times. I just don’t know what God wants me — and in extension, you — to learn.
So, I am just going to dive in and see what comes. I’ll try to make it coherent.
Let's Put It into Context
The words Jesus said were actually an Old Testament passage. They are found in Psalm 22. Now, we don’t know if He said the whole thing. Only the beginning of Psalms 22: 1 was recorded in the gospels.
We’ve already looked at how applicable the whole Psalm is to Jesus’ time on the cross.
Abandonment
“And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni?’ which is translated, ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’” (Mk. 15: 34 CSB)
Jesus took it as long as He could. He withstood the pain. He ignored the mockery. He turned a blind eye to the gloaters.
Then Jesus felt God abandon Him. And He lost it.
Jesus cried out with a loud voice. He was seriously hurt.
What was Jesus questioning? The why. “… My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’” (Mk. 15: 34 CSB emphasis added).
We usually associate this abandonment with when Jesus had taken on all of the sins of everyone who had lived, was living, and would live. God may not have been able to look on Jesus in this state.
Miles thought Satan’s demons might have been attacking their Vanquisher. Satan may have seen Jesus on the cross as a victory for his side — if he didn’t know the outcome.
Novel Experience
Well, think about it. Jesus had never been abandoned by God before. For some people, they feel that is a frequent occurrence. If Jesus was going to have to go through everything we do, He had to experience the abandonment.
Because I don’t know if I buy that God couldn’t look at Jesus right then. If He can’t look at sin, how are any of us saved? We are still sinners — even disciples.
I think it was Jesus had to experience the one thing He hadn’t yet: God, where did You go?
It doesn’t matter that God said He wouldn’t leave us (Deut. 31: 8). We think we have really messed up, and He’s hit the road. We think He can and will forsake us.
We had to see Jesus get to the other side of that. We had to see that God wasn’t going to sack His plan just because of our sensibilities.
Abandonment as Reward???
The kicker is Jesus was doing His job — He was going through with being the sacrifice. How many times do we think smooth sailing is doing His Will and trials are indications that we messed up?
And here God forsakes Him.
Noel put it this way. He wrote, “It is clear that however pious, however convinced of acceptance with God, there can be a state of mind in which a Christian may be deprived of the present sense of the Being of God; and that this will inflict great misery.”
God tests us. We think of that coming in a valley season. What if it comes in a mountaintop season? We get really confused then.
We can’t give up on God then, either.
It’s Personal
Look how Jesus addressed God. “… My God, my God …” (Mk. 15: 34 CSB). He may he questioning God, but He is still reverencing Him. He still had His faith.
Not Tom’s God. Not Sally’s God. Not Elaine’s God.
My God.
What am I always saying? (Yes, I know I have a tendency to be a broken record at times.)
God is interested in a relationship, not a religion. He wants it personal.
But it wasn’t My Father, was it? It was complete submission — even in the pain, even in the abandonment — even whatever came. Jesus was committed to the plan of salvation because His God asked that of Him.
Grove gave another explanation of why Jesus used this passage as His cry. Not only did the psalm find completion with the Messiah, but it also showed His innocence. Jesus did not commit the sins for which He was dying. He was the substitute.
Proctor described Jesus as possessing a clinging faith and love. We have to cling. Through the good and the bad. Through the pandemic and the once we get over it.
God doesn’t leave us in the good times. He doesn’t leave us in the punishments and trials.
But we have to call Him our Sovereign Lord in order for Him to be My God. We have to have already ABCDed.
ABCD
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Let’s look at it this way. Jesus was upset about the abandonment. He was quiet about the nails and pain.
The relationship was the most important thing to Jesus. It needs to be most important with us, too.
Divine but Man
Yes, part of the reason God couldn’t abandon Jesus was because Jesus was God. We have to remember, as Noel reminded us, that Jesus was still God on the cross. He was also still Man.
That doesn’t even get into the Trinity. How could the Three in One be minus One?
Noel brought up the point that maybe God gave Jesus a glimpse of the wrath He is going to unleash on sin in the future. He loved Jesus too much — and was too respectful of the job He was doing completing the plan of salvation — to pull the punch.
Making the Connections
Manton brought up the point that, even though Jesus cried out because God abandoned Him, nothing changed.
“The Father and I are one” (Jn. 10: 30 NLT) — They still were.
“The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands” (Jn. 3: 35 NLT) — He still does.
“He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven” (Heb. 7: 26 NLT).
God may have withdrawn His comfort. He did not withdraw His Presence.
As Foote pointed out, God did not totally abandon Jesus. Jesus did not rebel against God.
How Do We Apply This?
God does not abandon His children. No way. No how.
That means, when we feel He has, we have to re-evaluate. Something on our side needs to change.
As an aside, we are not going to out-suffer Jesus. We are never, ever going to have it worse than He did.
Yeah, it is really sad that, at Jesus’ worst point on the cross, it appeared that God abandoned Him. But through it, we know that He will always be with us.
Father. Your love for Your Son Jesus is evident throughout the Scriptures. Lord, it is almost unthinkable that You love us just as much as You did Him. Help us to be as obedient to You as He was. Amen.
What do you think?
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