My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me? (Matthew 27:46)

 “My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)

There is a sense in which Jesus’ question on the cross seems inappropriate. It almost sounds like a failure of faith. But I want to argue that it is not.

Jesus is actually, on the cross, quoting Scripture. It would be a good pattern for us to follow, to quote Scripture when we find ourselves in trial and temptation. It is Psalm 22, and the very first verse reads, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” Oftentimes in the New Testament when the OT is quoted, a little line of Scripture is intended to remind the hearers of the larger passage. Let’s look at some of the features of Psalm 22.

I’ve done a study on “all the but’s of the Bible.” I would like to another one on all the “yet’s.” We’ve got a couple here: ³“Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.” It is an acknowledgment that, despite distress, God is doing nothing wrong, and that He could not possibly do anything wrong. Also, 9 “Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb; You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.¹⁰ Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from my mother’s womb.”

Jesus, in His incarnation, stepped fully and firmly into the shoes of mere humans. He is speaking in this plaintive cry as a man falsely accused and afflicted. These last verses make direct reference to the incarnation, and that He is referring to “My God” much like you or I would do. It is clear that this incarnation, and this cross-experience, is God’s plan for this Person, for Jesus of Nazareth.

Verses 14-18 in Psalm 22 sound like a first-hand description of Jesus’ experience on the cross, as though David was right there at the foot of the cross in the 1st century, chronicling the events (I’ve linked so you can those verses yourself). But David wrote a thousand years earlier. He wrote about what God had planned, but what David, the psalmist, scarcely understood. Yes, there is a purpose here, and it is God’s purpose, not for Jesus’ immediate enjoyment, for the salvation of God’s people for His glory.

Verses 22-23 speak of the broad praise of people for this wonderful work of redemption. It would happen later in time, beginning after the resurrection of Jesus, and continuing even now. From all over creation, people would join to praise God’s name. And the “afflicted one”  affirms that God, “my God,” has come through: ²⁴ “For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has Hehidden His face from him; But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.” Yes, God heard and answered Jesus’ prayer, and He raised Jesus from the dead.

All of this comes around even to us, in the 21st century, who are actually mentioned in Psalm 22, and thus can appreciate Jesus’ quote on the cross. The last verse of Psalm 22 reads: ³¹ “They will come and will declare His righteousness To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.” We are the “people who will be born,” who have received the declaration of His righteousness in the Gospel.” Jesus is gladly proclaiming that He cried this cry of forsakenness, according to the plan of God, so that we wouldn’t be.