The Desolate Cry of Jesus: 'My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?'

In the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark, at the ninth hour of His crucifixion, Jesus cried out in a voice full of anguish, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34). These words, often referred to as the Cry of Dereliction, have haunted and puzzled theologians and believers for centuries. What did Jesus mean when He uttered this cry? Was He truly forsaken by His Father? And what does this moment of deep agony reveal about His sacrifice and atonement for humanity?

In this post, we will delve deep into the significance of Jesus’ cry, exploring its biblical context, prophetic fulfillment, and the profound theological meaning behind these heart-wrenching words.

1. A Moment of Extreme Agony: Jesus' Physical and Emotional Suffering

To fully appreciate the depth of Jesus' words, it is essential to consider the context of His suffering. At the time of His crucifixion, Jesus had endured extreme physical pain. He had been scourged, mocked, beaten, and crowned with thorns. The physical pain was unimaginable, but there was something deeper at work. The emotional and spiritual toll of bearing the sins of the world was far more intense.

As Jesus hung on the cross, He wasn’t just experiencing the agony of physical death; He was also bearing the weight of all human sin. The perfect Son of God was now experiencing what it felt like to be separated from God due to sin. This sense of separation, of being forsaken by the Father, was the culmination of the pain and alienation He felt on behalf of humanity.

2. Jesus’ Cry: A Direct Quote from Psalm 22

The cry "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" is not merely a spontaneous expression of distress. It is a direct quotation from Psalm 22:1:

• Psalm 22:1: "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?"

This psalm, written by King David centuries before Jesus, is a profound expression of anguish and abandonment. David felt forsaken by God in his own moments of crisis, and he cried out in desperation. Little did David know, these words would later become a prophetic cry foretelling the suffering and death of the Messiah.

By quoting this psalm, Jesus was fulfilling prophecy and connecting His suffering with the ancient words of David. But there’s more—Psalm 22 does not end in despair. It transitions from the cry of forsakenness to hope and deliverance, pointing to the ultimate victory that would come through Jesus’ resurrection. The entire psalm is a prophetic picture of the Messiah’s suffering followed by His ultimate triumph.

• Psalm 22:24: "For He has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; He has not hidden His face from him but has listened to his cry for help."

Thus, Jesus’ cry wasn’t just an expression of His agony; it was a declaration that He was fulfilling the prophetic Scriptures of the Old Testament. It pointed to God’s faithfulness even in the darkest of moments.

3. Theological Meaning: Why Did Jesus Cry Out in Forsakenness?

Many theologians have wrestled with the question of whether Jesus was truly forsaken by God in the full sense. After all, Jesus is the Son of God, and the Trinity is eternally united. Could the Father really turn His back on the Son, even for a moment?

Theologically, the cry reflects a temporary separation in terms of Jesus’ role as the sin-bearer. At that moment on the cross, Jesus became the sin offering for all of humanity. The holiness of God could not look upon sin, and thus Jesus, who knew no sin, took on the full weight of humanity’s sin. In doing so, He experienced what it felt like to be separated from the Father.

• 2 Corinthians 5:21: "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."

This separation was not permanent. It was part of God’s redemptive plan. Jesus' cry represents the depth of His sacrifice—He fully identified with humanity’s estrangement from God caused by sin. Yet, through His death, Jesus bridged that gap, offering a path of reconciliation for all who believe in Him.

4. Jesus’ Cry as a Symptom of His Deep Humanity

It’s important to note that Jesus was fully God and fully human. His cry of forsakenness reveals the deep humanity of the incarnate Son of God. In His humanity, Jesus experienced the full range of human emotions—anguish, despair, grief, and abandonment.

Jesus’ cry is a reminder that God fully understands the pain and rejection that we experience in our own lives. Jesus didn’t just come to save us from sin; He came to identify with us in our suffering. He knows the feeling of being forsaken, of feeling abandoned by those we love.

• Hebrews 4:15: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin."

When we face our own moments of pain, Jesus understands. His cry of dereliction shows that God’s Son was not immune to human suffering. Instead, He bore it fully and, in doing so, showed us the way to endure in faith.

5. The Ultimate Victory in the Cry of Forsakenness

Though Jesus’ words express an apparent moment of defeat, they are not the final word on His sacrifice. Psalm 22—the very psalm Jesus quoted—doesn’t end in abandonment. It transitions into a declaration of God’s vindication and deliverance:

• Psalm 22:27-28: "All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before Him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and He rules over the nations."

Even though Jesus felt forsaken in that moment, His cry pointed to the victory He would achieve through His resurrection. The separation He felt was temporary—it was the price for human redemption. The final victory over sin and death would come through His resurrection, which would forever solidify the possibility of reconciliation between God and humanity.

Conclusion: Jesus’ Cry of Forsakenness—A Powerful Testament of His Love and Sacrifice

When Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" He was expressing the depth of His sacrifice and fulfilling the prophetic Scriptures of the Old Testament. His words point to the reality of His separation from God as He bore the weight of humanity’s sin. At the same time, His cry foreshadowed the victory that would come through His resurrection.

Ultimately, Jesus’ cry of forsakenness is not one of defeat—it is a testament to God’s love and the immense cost of salvation. Through Jesus’ death on the cross, the gap between God and humanity was bridged, offering us eternal life and reconciliation with our Creator.