When Does Forsaken Mean Not Forsaken?

The crucifixion and resurrection are the culmination of the incarnation. All of Jesus’ life and ministry build up to his death on the cross and his rising from the dead. It is at this moment, when Jesus hangs on the cross, that many believe God the Father forsakes God the Son as he bears the sin of the world. But is this understanding correct? Did God the Father turn away from the Son in his darkest hour? As we examine Jesus own teaching about his death, we see it is certainly not something which took him by surprise. Jesus knew very clearly that he would be killed and rise from the dead. Consider his own words to his disciples:

And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Mark 8:31-33

Not only does Jesus speak “plainly” about his death, but he recognizes it is very much the will of God. To suggest any other plan or consider any other understanding of these things is to join ranks with Satan.

And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? Mark 9:12

for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” Mark 9:31

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” Mark 10:32-34

Jesus does not simply have a general notion of what will happen in Jerusalem; he knows the details of being spit upon and flogged before he will be killed. And he knows he will eventually rise from the dead.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45

There is great clarity for Jesus that the Son of Man will suffer and be killed. Where does Jesus find this clarity? Looking again at Mark 9:12, it is “written of the Son of Man.” Jesus understands he will die based on the teaching of Scripture. He came into the world to fulfill the Scriptures by dying (and rising from the dead). It is important for us to realize that Jesus’ understanding about his death was not something he understood simply because he was the Son of God with divine knowledge. The suffering of the Son of Man was foretold in the Scriptures and Jesus was intimately familiar with the Scriptures.

However, knowing and understanding God’s plan was not going to lessen the agony of being mocked, beaten, and put to death. The hope of the resurrection gave Jesus encouragement, but it did not remove the emotional and physical burden of the crucifixion. As the time of the crucifixion draws near, we see Jesus bearing the emotional weight of his impending death.

And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” Mark 14:33-34

We may be prone to think that someone who is “distressed and troubled” lacks faith or does not have confidence in God’s sovereignty over all things, but we know that Jesus has great faith and solid confidence in God’s sovereignty. Consider what Hebrews teaches us about this time in Jesus’ life:

looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame Hebrews 12:2

Far from lacking faith, the author of Hebrews tells us Jesus’ hope was firmly fixed on what came after the cross. Jesus knew the resurrection and what it would achieve was worth the anguish of the cross. So, we understand there is a mingling of distress amid faith and trouble amid confidence. It is important that we keep this juxtaposition in mind as we continue reading the crucifixion account - Jesus experienced emotional distress while never wavering in his faith or doubting God’s sovereign plan for him.

As we move through Mark’s retelling of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, we find striking parallels with the words of Psalm 22.

The chief priests, the passersby, those crucified alongside him - they all looked down upon Jesus and mocked him. They saw no evidence that he was the Christ, the King of Israel. There is no outward evidence that God is with him at all, most of the disciples have left him, and it appears his ministry has ended in defeat. After six hours of enduring the cross Jesus exclaims the words from the opening verse of Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Shortly after this exclamation, Jesus dies.

Jesus certainly appears to be forsaken. His most ardent disciple has denied knowing him; no one speaks on his behalf to stop the crucifixion; those Pilate thought would intervene did not (Mark 15:9-10); even criminals look down upon him. But did Jesus actually consider himself forsaken? Had God actually turned away from him and left him to die? Was this a further example of the emotional burden Jesus carried during the crucifixion?

A skeptical interpretation of Jesus’ words might lead us to understand that Jesus believed God had truly forsaken him - the despair he felt in the garden had now overwhelmed him and he lost sight of God and his purposes. Perhaps he has a moment of despair in which he doubts this is God’s plan. However, such an interpretation would go against everything Jesus has said throughout the gospel of Mark, and it would contradict the teaching of Hebrews 12:2. Jesus fully expected to die in fulfillment of God’s plan revealed in the Scriptures. He knew in detail what was going to happen. It does not make sense that he would now abandon that understanding as those details come to pass before his eyes.

A second interpretation reads this declaration of forsakenness in light of a broader understanding of Jesus’ death as an atonement for sin. In his absolute holiness, God the Father cannot look upon sin and “turns his face away” as God the Son takes our sin upon himself. Just as Adam’s sin brought separation from God, now Jesus, in his human nature, bearing that sin, endures a time of separation from God the Father. Jesus does not merely experience human death but suffers the wrath and judgment of God as an offering for sin. He must endure separation from God the Father just as Adam and his progeny were separated from God because of sin. Unfortunately, such an interpretation misses the forest of Psalm 22 for the tree of its first verse.

I would suggest that given all the allusions to Psalm 22 prior to Jesus’ cry of forsakenness, we should see this cry as a call to remember the Psalm in its entirety. Just as we might hear the words, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,” and call to remembrance the rest of the song, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” should recall the entire psalm in Jewish minds. With that in mind, let us go back and look in detail at more of Psalm 22.

O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. v.2-5

Can you hear Jesus praying in the garden in these verses? “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” A prayer unanswered yet filled with trust in his father’s goodness and faithfulness.

Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.

v.9-11

Again, we can see Jesus abandoned by most of his disciples and surrounded by trouble yet trusting that the God he has known from birth will not abandon him.

But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen! v.19-21

I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. v.22-24

From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever! v.25-26

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. v.27-28

All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it. v.29-31

Birds and Fish M. C. Escher (1960)

David writes Psalm 22 as a reflection on his own experience. There was a time when he felt forsaken (v.1); in the midst of his cries for help, he found no answer (v.2). “Yet” (v.3) David knows God is trustworthy and faithful. Given the opening declaration, we should be surprised at how little despair appears in Psalm 22 and the overwhelming sense of confidence in God’s presence and faithfulness. It is confidence in God’s holiness and faithfulness that leads David to understand that God has not forsaken him. Did you catch that declaration in Pslam 22:24? “For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.” Though David’s circumstances make it appear as though God has not heard his cries, David concludes that God has indeed heard his cries and stands beside him in his affliction. Not only does the Lord stand by David during his affliction, but “all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before [him]” (v.27). David concludes there is great victory coming even in the midst of his apparent forsakenness. David knows with certainty that God has not hidden his face from him but hears his every cry.

Let us step back into the scene of the crucifixion. Everyone watching is mocking Jesus as though God was never with him in the first place. His miracles become a source of mockery rather than majesty (Mark 15:31-32). No one is proud to be associated with him. He is not even shown respect as a great moral teacher. If you are one of the chief priests, you are feeling surprisingly good about yourself right now. You have managed to vanquish an adversary (though you clearly needed his help to do so - Mark 14:53-64). Everything about the situation is declaring, “You have finally won!” But Jesus dying words declare, “Not so fast! Take a closer look at everything that is happening right now in light of Psalm 22.” With a loud shout Jesus is calling everyone to pay attention. Consider everything that is happening - the mockery, the casting lots for his garments, the nails in his hands and feet. Psalm 22 is unfolding before them - and what does that psalm have to say about the one who appears forsaken? Not only does the Lord stand beside him, but the Lord will be glorified through him among all the nations throughout all generations! We even see a glimpse of this in the response of the Roman centurion who witnessed Jesus’ death: “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39) - a small taste of “the joy set before him” spoken of in Hebrews.

We know from Mark 14 that Jesus endured great distress over his death. His suffering was by no means easy and the agony of it was not lessened by his deity, but whatever suffering Jesus endured it did not include God the Father abandoning or turning away from him. Throughout the crucifixion, Jesus is keenly aware of what is happening just as he was keenly aware of what would happen well before he was taken into custody. Though everyone watching may think he has been forsaken, Jesus knows it is the kind of forsakenness we find in Psalm 22 - that which is not really a forsakenness at all. While his enemies gloat, Jesus likens them to David’s enemies - “dogs…a company of evildoers” (Ps. 22:16). While men scheme against him, Jesus sees the unavoidable fulfillment of Scripture. While his disciples have fled, Jesus knows that God remains close by his side, and these parting words are meant to let everyone else know that as well.