Snapshot
When Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” on the cross, he was not expressing divine abandonment. Instead, he was employing an ancient rabbinic teaching technique known as remez. By quoting the opening line of Psalm 22, Jesus prompted his listeners to recall an entire prophetic psalm that walks through deep suffering to culminate in triumphant vindication. His dying words prove that God never turns his face away from our pain, but enters directly into our brokenness to declare ultimate victory.
The Power of Finishing the Lyrics
Iconic songs are ingrained in our culture. You can walk down pretty much any street and see people with headphones in listening to their favorite songs. Not only do we consume a vast amount of music, we love watching shows where people guess the song lyrics or song just from a few chords played. See if you can guess these lyrics and know the next few lines: “Don’t Stop Believin. . .” of course you know it as it is an iconic song played by Journey which centers on holding onto hope in the dark. Try a more difficult song: “It’s pressure like a drip, drip, drip that’ll never stop, whoa. . .” If you know Surface Pressure it is because you have a toddler that loves Encanto like my child does. The track captures the crushing, invisible weight of carrying the heavy burdens of others. In Scripture we will see something hidden right below the surface (pun intended), in some of Jesus’s last words on the cross. Many have developed a view of sin, God’s presence, and how he handles sin based on a few words Jesus said on the cross “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Many misunderstand what is occurring in these words of Jesus and it all has to do with how many people learned during the time of Jesus.
How People Learned During the Time of Jesus (Remez)
During the time of Jesus, not everyone could read. Often times, people learned from repeating after someone which was a rabbinic practice. The practice is called remez in which a rabbi would quote a fragment of a section in order to bring the rest of the passage to a person’s mind. Call and response repetition like this was standard in oral learning. By quoting the first verse on the cross, Jesus employed remez so his hearers would bring the entire psalm to mind. For example, if someone started a song, you would finish the lyrics just like we did earlier. Another modern-day example would be if I started this Bible verse, could you finish it: “for God so loved the world that. . .” If you can finish it, you then understand how many learned during the time of Jesus. So the question becomes, is the statement from Jesus merely a statement or is it part of something bigger?
Psalm 22: The Soundtrack of the Crucifixion
When Jesus uttered those opening words on the cross, his listeners would have immediately recognized the melody of Psalm 22 and mentally traced the rest of the song. The parallels between David’s ancient words and Christ’s crucifixion are striking:
- “Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer” (v. 2) In the Gospel account, onlookers mockingly wait to see if Elijah or God will rescue him, yet no answer comes in that moment.
- “But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all!” (v. 6). Jesus was beaten, flogged, and bruised to the point he was hardly recognized as human and all the people were despising him while on the cross.
- “Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, “Is this the one who relies on the LORD? Then let the LORD save him!” (v. 7-8). Several had mocked Jesus and even said to wait and see if God hears and rescues him.
- “My life is poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint” (v. 14). This is the very thing happening to Jesus as he is stabbed and water comes out and, in crucifixion, many of your bones go out of joint.
- “My enemies surround me. . . They have pierced my hands and feet” (v. 16). This is exactly what is happening to Jesus.
- “They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing” (v. 18). They cast lots for Jesus’s clothing just like the Psalm says.
If you read through Psalm 22, which is exactly the lyrics the people would have been finishing because he started the song, what Jesus is experiencing on the cross is written about in Psalm 22. Jesus then is not claiming the Father has abandoned him. Rather, Jesus is giving the people another chance to believe who he is based on the prophecy. Jesus, even in his dying breaths, is thinking about others and trying to open their eyes to the reality of him being the Messiah. This is amazing and good news.
Did God Abandon Jesus? Theological Implications
Jesus using Psalm 22 as a way to share a prophecy is a relief in understanding who God is and what he is like. First-century listeners would have remembered how the psalm ends: with total vindication. We know God did not abandon him based on verse 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.” Look at how Psalm 22 ends as it is not in despair, but absolute accomplishment as it says “They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!” This is exactly what has been proclaimed for two thousand years as God “has done it!”
We know that God is everywhere and does not abandon us in our sin and wickedness but that he actively pursues us. If God had to hide from Jesus, then he would have to hide from us but the entire Gospel is the good news that Jesus pursues us and is LORD over all. This interpretation preserves the essential unity of the Trinity rather than introducing an impossible divide. We know that God cares for us and has not abandoned us in our sin. For he is Emmanuel, God with us and this is a relief that God did not abandon Jesus as he does not abandon us either.
Living in the Reality of “He Has Done It”
God is holy, but he is also love. Love binds together and seeks a person out. Both the holiness of God and his omnipresence are true. God does not abandon us or Jesus in regards to sin but instead he is with us. This should bring comfort as there is nothing we can do and nowhere we can go to run from God’s presence. We no longer have to live in shame and brokenness as the God of the universe has chosen to be with us in the midst of our brokenness.
What Now?
- Anchor your faith in God’s presence, not fleeting feelings. Remember the truth of Psalm 22:24 when you feel abandoned. God has not turned his face away from your pain; he is actively present and already orchestrating your vindication.
- Live boldly from a place of victory, not shame. You can approach God with absolute confidence knowing that Christ entered your mess, bore your burdens, and declared over your life: “He has done it!”
- Point others to the triumphant end of the song. Jesus used his agonizing final breaths to guide onlookers toward who he is and what he was doing. While you are in the midst of trials, point to Jesus. Step into the brokenness of others without using empty clichés but provide hope in the promise that suffering never gets the final word.
Continue the Conversation
- Living Worthy of the Gospel: Philippians StudySnapshot In Philippians, Paul challenges his readers to live “worthy of the gospel,” which means living as a citizen of… Read more: Living Worthy of the Gospel: Philippians Study
- Did God Abandon Jesus? The Real Meaning of Psalm 22 on the CrossSnapshot When Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” on the cross, he was not expressing… Read more: Did God Abandon Jesus? The Real Meaning of Psalm 22 on the Cross
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Contact me: Jed.Wilson.Pastor@Gmail.com