Abandoned or Victorious?

“About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni ?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me ?'” Matthew 27:46

I’ve been rereading the gospel accounts of Holy Week and keep coming back to these words. For most of my life I’ve heard pastors and theologians argue the idea of whether God turned His eyes away from Jesus as he took on the sins of the world and, with all due respect, I think they are missing the point.

Holy Week coincides with the fourth anniversary of Steve’s stroke, the ten days we prayed for a miracle and the day that He saw Jesus and started, truly, experiencing a life I can’t imagine. As true as I believe that to be, I couldn’t sleep last night as I kept reliving the night I found him and the deep pain and sorrow that my kids and I have walked through ever since. I wish I hadn’t, but I’ve had moments throughout these few years in which I felt abandoned. My theology knew better but my heart didn’t feel it. Could that have been true of Jesus? Could his words have been a universal, human response to deep and agonizing pain? One more way in which He identifies with us? Personally, I don’t think expressing doubt and fear is sinful. I mean, all we have to do is look to the Psalms for that kind of raw honestly. It’s possible to suffer, feel alone and also know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God has won. At least I can honestly say I’ve felt all three emotions at the exact same time. As for me, these rambling thoughts were a comfort at 1 AM as I considered, again, that Jesus sees me and understands.

However, as comforting an idea as that may be, it’s still just an idea. The beauty of this passage is what I think Jesus was REALLY saying. In the last moments of his life, as he suffered in a way I can’t imagine, I believe Jesus spoke these words as a shout of VICTORY! Scripture says he spoke them with a loud voice. Remember, he was most likely suffocating and yet, he made sure everyone heard those words.

The message I’ve never heard that leaves me in a heap of hope and gratitude is that Jesus was referencing Psalm 22 with his words. In His time, a Rabbi would often reference an entire section of Scripture with the first line which, in this case, is “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far from my deliverance and from my words of groaning?” Psalm 22:1

The people and religious leaders would have known the passage by heart but, sadly, I do not. So, I read it all this morning and it forever changed the scene I have in my head of how and why Jesus shouted, “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?”

Psalm 22 starts with words of suffering but quickly moves to declaring the holiness, faithfulness, and goodness of God. The Psalmist declares that God is worth trusting even though he is feeling abandoned and in danger of death. He then, without knowing it, prophesies the atrocities that Jesus would suffer as well as the words that the soldiers would use to mock Him. The detail is astonishing.

And then the Psalmist declares that families from all over the earth will recognize the Kingship of the Lord. Basically, every knee will bow. Generations will be told about the goodness of this King, descendants will serve Him and hope will be restored.

That is good news! Even in the darkest hours when we suffer and feel alone, The King has not abandoned us and never will. He has completed his mission to save and to restore. That is what Jesus is referencing with the words he spoke from the cross and that is worth reading over and over again. He came, lived, suffered, died and rose for us. Why… because we are loved and He is good.

“They will come and declare his righteousness; to a people yet to be born they will declare what he has done.“ Psalm 22:31