Forsaken
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Psa
22:1).
These words are quoted by Jesus as he hung on the cross (Mat
27:46; Mar 15:34; Luk 24:44). But was this literally true? Was Jesus actually
abandoned by his Father? The answer must be: "NO!":
- In quoting Psa 22, Jesus switched from the Hebrew azavtani (which means
"forsaken me") to the Aramaic sabachthani (which may mean "entangled me": the
same word occurs in Gen 22:13 for the "thicket" in which the sacrificial ram was
found). So perhaps this should be read: 'My God, my God, thou hast [an
assertion, not a question!] ensnared and provided ME as the sacrificial
victim!'
- If Jesus were abandoned by his Father, then the vivid and
twice-repeated type of Gen 22 -- which is suggested by the above -- is quite
misleading! "They went both of them together (the Father and the Son)" (Gen
22:6,8). The Father went with the Son to the cross (cp Rom 8:31,32, which is
citing Gen 22:12).
- The idea that God abandoned His Son is so important, if
true, that it ought to be supported by more than one solitary verse.
- Psa
22:24 is explicit that Jesus was NOT left without divine help.
- The emphasis
of such passages as Psa 18:4-17 is so strong as to require not desertion, but
actually its very opposite.
- Other Messianic psalms speak of alarm or doubt
such as is natural to human weakness (Psa 94:17-19, RV mg; Psa 71:9-12;
73:13,17,21,22; 42:5; 116:11). As lesser mortals experience a sense of
loneliness and helplessness, so also must have Jesus. But in neither their case
nor his was it true.
- "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee" was spoken
to the first "Jesus" (Joshua: Jos 1:5), and applied to those in Christ (Heb
13:5). Then, is it conceivable that the servant is greater than his
Lord?
- Psa 22:1 may carry the meaning: 'Why does my God LET IT APPEAR to
these my enemies that I am utterly forsaken?' This is the very idea in Isa
49:14,15.
- Jesus cites "My God, my God, why have... " as simply a reference
to the psalm itself, to call the attention of those nearby to the whole of the
psalm that was being fulfilled before their eyes.
- Other possibilities? Ever
since Gethsemane, there had been no angels to strengthen or sustain
him.
- Or... Jesus felt the removal of the Holy
Spirit.
