Thursday, May 8, 2025

SEVEN WORDS ON THE CROSS: THE FOURTH WORD - FORSAKEN, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

 


This is one of the most emotionally powerful cries in all of Scripture—“My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). The anguished cry captures the mystery of Divine abandonment and human suffering, and opens the door to profound truths about God's Presence in our pain.

Matthew 27:46 

“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?”

Jesus cried out with a loud voice

On the cross, as the sky grew dark and the earth trembled, Jesus—God in flesh—cried out with a voice that has echoed through the ages: “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”

It is a haunting question. One that shocks us. Confuses us. Even troubles us.

How could the Son of God feel abandoned by His Father? How could Jesus—Who was sinless, perfect, and One with the Father—experience forsakenness? He felt deserted, abandoned, completely left alone.

And yet, in this cry, we discover not weakness, but incredible strength. Not hopelessness, but deep identification with human suffering. Not despair, but the doorway to redemption.

Today, I want to walk with you into this sacred mystery. Because in this moment of Divine silence, there is a message of hope for every one of us who has ever felt abandoned, unheard, or forgotten.

The cry of humanity

Jesus was quoting the opening line of Psalm 22: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

This is not just a cry of Jesus—it is the cry of every human heart at some point in life.

Have you ever felt like God was silent? Have you ever prayed and heard nothing in return?
Have you ever looked at your situation and thought, “Where is God in all this?”

In this moment, Jesus enters into our deepest pain. He does not just carry our sins—He carries our sorrow, our confusion, our isolation.

Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses…”

On the cross, Jesus took on the full weight of human suffering. Not just the physical agony, but the emotional and spiritual torment of feeling forsaken. The agony of utter depression, in the valley of death.

The weight of sin and separation

Why would the Father turn His face away?

Jesus was not forsaken because He had sinned. He was forsaken because He became sin for us.

2 Corinthians 5:21 – “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

In that moment, Jesus bore the full weight of every sin, every shame, every failure—mine and yours. And the holy Justice of God was poured out, not on sinners, but on the Saviour who stood in our place.

This was not Divine rejection—it was Divine substitution.

Jesus was momentarily separated so we could be eternally accepted. He was forsaken so we could be forgiven. He endured the silence of Heaven so that we would never have to.

Faith that endures the silence

Notice something powerful: even in His cry of abandonment, Jesus still says, “My God, My God.”

It is the cry of one who still believes.

It’s not, “God, if You exist.” It’s not, “I’m done with You.” It’s “My God.”

This is a faith that holds on—even when it hurts. Even when Heaven is silent. Especially when Heaven appears to be silent. Even when nothing makes sense.

Sometimes, our greatest act of faith is not shouting in victory—it is whispering, “My God,” through tears.

Job said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” (Job 13:15)

Jesus teaches us how to suffer with faith. How to grieve with hope. How to cry out without letting go.

A psalm of victory in disguise

Remember—Psalm 22 begins with abandonment, but it does not end there.

If you read through the rest of the Psalm, you’ll find it turns into a song of victory, of deliverance, of praise:

“You have answered Me.” (Psalm 22:21) “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord.” (Psalm 22:27)

Jesus was not just quoting a cry of pain—He was declaring the fulfilment of prophecy. The Saviour was pointing to the full picture. Yes, Jesus was suffering—but He knew it was not the end.

The cross is not the final word. The empty tomb is. The journey carrying our cross is merely our path - the resurrection into Heaven is the final answer.

In your life, pain may speak harshly, but does not have the last word. God always has a resurrection plan.

Because He was forsaken, we never will be

If you forget everything else, remember this:

Jesus was forsaken for a moment so you could be embraced forever.

Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we are never alone—even when we feel like we are.

Hebrews 13:5 – “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

When you walk through fire, He is with you. When you pass through the waters, He goes before you. When the world walks out, Jesus stays.

You may feel forgotten—but you are held. You may feel abandoned—but you are seen.
You may feel broken—but in Christ, you are being made whole.

What the Cross teaches us in the dark night of the soul

Jesus’ cry reminds us that:

  • It’s important to question in the dark
  • Faith does not mean the absence of pain
  • God can handle your “why”
  • The darkness is not always the absence of light. It may be the path to light.

But it also teaches us:

  • Even in your lowest moment, God is still your God
  • What looks like abandonment may be the path to resurrection
  • The silence of God is not the absence of God.

Call to action:

Are you in a season where God feels silent? Do you feel like your prayers are going unanswered? Are you wrestling with your own “Why, God?”

You’re not alone. Jesus walked that road too—and He walked it for you.

Hold on to “My God.” Trust in the dark what He showed you in the light. The same Jesus who cried from the cross now speaks from the throne: “I am with you always.”

Closing prayer:

“Lord Jesus, Thank You for entering into our pain, our questions, and our suffering. Thank You for not turning away from the cross, but walking through the valley of abandonment so we might never have to. Strengthen our hearts when we feel forsaken. Remind us of Your unfailing presence, even in the silence. And help us to hold fast to You with the same faith You showed on the cross.

In Your powerful Name we pray, Amen.”



Image with thanks to sdbinc.org

With thanks to youtube



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