My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?

Introduction

And I hope they were beautiful to God. He knows our hearts and he hears the melody of them. I am uh that was loud.

I am brought back uh when I sing those songs to to camp uh as a child, it just kind of brings me back and brings really wonderful memories. So that was really enjoyable. Tim, I think uh you picked all the good ones on that that uh set of songs. I wanted to commend everyone for uh the job we did in inviting people to the gospel meeting. And I wanted to clarify something that uh, of course, it’s not about the numbers. And um I don’t want you to get that impression when we talk about inviting people. It’s not about filling these pews with a bunch of people. Uh it’s about getting people to hear the gospel, and it’s ultimately about the saving of souls. And I did see several visitors here during the gospel meeting, and I get the idea that some of them would not have been here had it not been for our effort in encouraging each other to invite.

And uh we we have one who’s kind of stuck around, Mr. Herbert, and hopefully he’ll keep sticking around. We really like him and glad that he’s with us this morning and been with us uh lately quite a bit. Uh on that note, uh, however, uh, we filled up that board only about halfway. And I know that two people were responsible for almost a hundred of those invites. And so really the rest of us were only responsible for maybe around a hundred or more, a little bit. Uh and so I think we could have done a better job. If we really understood the power of teamwork, um, we we might we might be able to accomplish more. And I’m not saying this to get on to you, but I have been a little surprised by the lack of participation, somewhat in several things that I’ve noticed.

And I just want to encourage a little bit more support and activity and feedback about different things that we’re trying to do as a congregation because we can do better. And I’m not saying we’re doing bad, but we can do better. I can do better. I want to talk to you this morning about one of the most famous and controversial things that Jesus ever said. And it was something that Jesus said from the cross when he said, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? We’re all familiar with this question. It is a perplexing question. And there is much controversy over what does it mean? And was Jesus forsaken? This is, of course, a quote from the 22nd Psalm in verse 1. And Jesus quoted it from the cross.

And Matthew and Mark both record that statement of Jesus.

Did God forsake Jesus while he was on the cross? And we’re really going to deal with this in two lessons. My next one will either be next week or the week after, Lord willing. I’m not sure which one I’m going to do. The word forsake is defined as abandon someone or something. The Hebrew word that’s used in Psalm 22 means to leave, forsake, abandon, leave behind, be left over, let go, according to vines. And the Greek word in Matthew and Mark means to leave behind, or in a in a bad sense, it means to desert, according to Strong’s. Okay, so the point I’m trying to make here is that we’re not talking about simply Jesus being allowed to die on the cross, and that that was somehow God forsaking him.

That’s not really true to the word forsake here. The word really has the idea that it’s cut off. The relationship was cut off. If it’s true that God forsook Jesus, that God turned his face from him. And certainly that is true to the context of Psalm 22. So that’s the kind of forsaking we’re talking about, a spiritual forsaking, a spiritual separation, if God indeed forsook Jesus. So in that sense, did God forsake Jesus on the cross? Now, before we dive into the answer, I want to tell you why this matters. It matters, first of all, because whatever outcome you have from this will affect many different outcomes. Many doctrines are affected by this. And many doctrines are created as a result of the wrong understanding of this.

1. The View That God Did Forsake Jesus

But secondly, it’s important because it has to do with whether you will be forsaken. Because if God could forsake Jesus on the cross, then how can we have confidence that he will not forsake us? So we’re going to look at the two views this morning. And the first is the view that God did, in fact, forsake Jesus. This is the view that I’m going to present, and the arguments that are made in support of this view. That yes, God did forsake Jesus. Of course, Jesus said, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Now, really, from there, the first place to start is with this idea that our sins became Jesus’ very own sins on the cross. This is what is argued. That Jesus literally and actually took the guilt of all of the sins of all of the world upon him.

And that in that in that way he became actually a sinner. And this is derived from 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 21 mainly. This is the key verse, the verse that was really used by Martin Luther and John Calvin and the Protestant Reformation real heavily, and is still popularly used today to argue this. Let’s read the verse. For he made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. So he that is God made he who is Christ, who knew no sin. He was perfect and sinless, to be sin on our behalf. And so what is argued there is that, you know, he became sin in the sense that our sins were imputed to him.

They were transferred to him. The guilt of our sins, so that it was as if Jesus committed those very sins. And the flip side of that is that if our sins could be imputed to Christ, then therefore for us to be righteous, his righteousness has to be imputed to us. So that when God looks at the sinner, he doesn’t see the sin of the sinner.

Just kind of covering it up. That really is the idea of the imputed righteousness of Christ doctrine that is that is very common in the denominational world and maybe the non-denominational world. By the way, before I go any further, this view that God forsook Jesus on the cross. I don’t have my mic, so I can’t go over here. Stu, you’re supposed to tell me to stay right here. This view is, I think, probably not uncommon among brethren. Now they may not agree with the imputed righteousness of Christ doctrine, but I think a lot of people just they just haven’t thought it through. But a lot of people have heard it preached that God forsook Jesus.

But the way that that presentation is originally done, uh, it teaches that God forsook Jesus on the cross. And that presentation is wildly popular among churches of Christ. Wildly popular at Florida College and all of that. I love the presentation. I do the presentation all the time, but I don’t do the part about God forsaking Jesus. So I think you know what my position is. Okay? But I’m going to be fair. I’m going to show both sides fairly. So, but I but I say that because we need to see that this is not just affecting other people out there. It’s something we need to decide for ourselves. Now, this idea that our sins became Jesus’ very own sins on the cross is given as the reason that God forsook Jesus.

And the reasoning kind of goes like this spiritual death, that is separation from God, is the divine penalty for sin. We all agree with that. Romans 6 23 says, for the wages of sin is death. What do you earn for your sin? What are the wages you earn? Death. And Isaiah 59 and verse 2 our iniquities have separated us, made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. So it is our sin that causes God to separate from us. We all understand that. God cannot look upon wickedness. One verse that’s used commonly is Habakkuk 1 in verse 13, which says, your eyes are too pure to behold evil. And you cannot look on wickedness with favor.

We all understand that. But here’s where it jumps the tracks. Whenever the argument becomes, well, since Jesus became actually guilty of our sins, God turned his face away for a brief time. For the first time in all eternity, that this close bond, this bond that is unlike any other, was broken, was severed. Even if for a brief time it was terrible for Jesus. And this is also used to explain why the darkness came over the land. Now you see how exciting this starts to feel? It builds into a whole narrative. As well, this explain is used to explain Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. And I heard it said this way, that there were a lot of people that were crucified. There were a lot of people that died terrible martyr deaths, even being burned alive at the stake, and they went joyfully, without hesitation, even singing to their death.

2. Nowhere Does the Bible Say Jesus Was Forsaken

Why would Jesus be sweating as great drops of blood? And be griefed to the point of death, as he told his disciples, and pray three times. God, let this cup pass from me. You see, and so the argument is: well, the only way he would have been in such agony is if he knew that he was going to not only die on the cross, but be forsaken by God. That’s the argument. You see? Does everybody see what I just said? I see some eyes kind of thinking. That’s good. Okay. Now, before I press on to the next view, let me just make a couple of comments here. I’ll just blank the screen out. Nowhere does the Bible say that Jesus was forsaken. Nowhere does the Bible say that Jesus was forsaken.

Well, Jesus asked the question, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? So doesn’t that teach that God forsook Jesus? Not necessarily. Because his question may not mean what it appears to me on the surface. I think there’s much more to it. Also consider who originally wrote that? David. Psalm 22. Did God forsake David in that Psalm? No, he did not forsake David. We’ll talk about that more. Verse 24. Proves that. And so simply asking the question, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Does not prove that God has forsaken you. Because it didn’t prove it with David. Therefore, for Jesus to ask it doesn’t prove that God forsook him. Nor can 2 Corinthians 5 21 be cited as support, because though the passage says that Christ was made to be sin, it does not at all say how.

3. The View That God Did Not Forsake Jesus

It is assumed that the how is that our sin was imputed to Christ, and he took on the guilt of the sin of the world. So this position that God forsook Jesus really raises more questions than it answers. And what we need is an explanation that takes all of the factors into account and solves the problems. And I believe that the next view does that. Now, I know that we’re we’re really studying this morning. This is not one of these get you excited kind of lessons, but I need everybody’s attention. Okay, now let’s look at the view that God did not forsake Jesus. The crucifixion is the main reason that Jesus came to earth. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

This was God’s plan from all eternity to send his son. And Jesus lovingly and willingly subjected himself to the will of the Father. Even praying in the garden, not my will, but yours be done. All the way to the point of the death on the cross.

Are we to believe that in that very moment when Jesus was performing that very thing that had been planned for all eternity, that single most important and weighty thing that could ever be done, the single most loyal and devoted act of love that has ever been committed. Are we to believe that in that very moment that God abandoned, totally abandoned Jesus spiritually and cut himself off? Are we to believe that in light of the promise, I will never leave you nor forsake you? Hebrews 13 and verse 5, which is a quote from either Deuteronomy 31 6 or Joshua 1 and verse 5. It’s in both of those places. Maybe we should say this. Would this fly? I will never leave you nor forsake you unless you are my only begotten Son, performing the greatest act of love and devotion and obedience and humility that could ever and was ever committed.

Then I will forsake you. Do you see how contradictory that would be? I believe that this one verse absolutely disintegrates the whole notion that God forsook Jesus on the cross. Because, brethren, this promise is for every faithful disciple. Without exception. The only exception would be if you’re not faithful. If you are faithful to the Lord, the promise is I will never leave you nor forsake you. And who was more faithful than Christ? And what more faithful deed could be done than the dying of Christ on the cross? On the flip side of that, as I said in the introduction, if God could forsake Christ, then how can we have confidence that he will not forsake us? I don’t believe we could. But I don’t believe God forsook Jesus either.

So I believe we can have that full confidence. Here’s another powerful verse. In Psalm 22. Now you might be turning to Psalm 22, because I’m going to do a little extra reading from there. Turn your Bibles, please, to Psalm 22. Now you recognize this Psalm as the one from which Jesus quoted, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? That very same psalm. Look at what it says in verse 24. For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, nor has he hidden his face from him. But when he cried to him for help, he heard.

God, where are you? And that really stretches down through verse 21. But starting in verse 22, we see a shift, which is also common in these types of psalms. Verse 22 says, I will tell of your name to my brethren in the midst of the assembly.

Which is quoted in Hebrews chapter 2 and applied to Jesus, that though Jesus was divine, he was also human and therefore not ashamed to call them brethren. My point.

Look at verses 16 through 18. For dogs have surrounded me, a band of evildoers have encompassed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. Any question who that is? I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me, they divide my garments among them and for my clothing, they cast lots. It’s a prophecy a thousand years beforehand of the death of Jesus. It’s powerful. And therefore, verse 24 fits in this overall context of applying to Jesus. It applies specifically to Jesus. And the point is, nor has God hidden his face from Jesus. Do you see that? Again, I believe that annihilates any argument that can be made in support of God forsook Jesus on the cross. Now go to the question. You might think it to be almost strange that Jesus would say, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

4. Jesus Knew the Plan Exactly

If you take that on the surface, if you just lift it out of the context without any understanding of the 22nd Psalm or what Jesus was trying to do in quoting that first verse, which we’re going to talk about next lesson. Then it makes it sound like Jesus was mighty confused. I mean, it’s like, okay, he knew what was going on up to a point, but then God just kind of surprised him with this forsaking business. And, well, what’s going on? Why? I thought I understood. I thought you were going to be with me. And now you’re not with me.

Why have you done this, God? I’m confused. Did Jesus know why he was forsaken? If indeed he was forsaken? Did he know? Well, he said, why have you forsaken me? So if the answer to that is no, well, then he certainly didn’t know any earlier. He didn’t know from the foundation of the world. And he certainly didn’t know in Gethsemane, which is ironic. Because the argument goes, as I said earlier, that Jesus’ agony in the garden is proof that he was forsaken. So they want to say that he knew in the garden, but he didn’t know on the cross. If he didn’t know on the cross, he didn’t know any earlier. So that’s inconsistent. If the answer to the question is yes, Jesus did know why he was forsaken, then why did he ask the question?

So it’s a bit puzzling. It’s a bit puzzling. But I think there is a solution and an answer. And I’m not going to spoil the answer ultimately, which I will give you in the next lesson. I’ll let you kind of think about it. Jesus knew the plan exactly. In 1 Peter 1 and verse 20, for he was foreknown before the foundation of the world. But in these last days has appeared for the sake of you. That’s a long time for something to be planned. That’s a long time for God and the Son to know about this plan and to think about it and to be prepared for it. I think he knew just exactly what was going on. Oh, here’s a beautiful one in Hebrews chapter 10, 5 through 7.

Therefore, when he comes into the world, he says, and this quote’s from Psalm 40, which is a prophecy about Jesus, sacrifice an offering you have not desired, speaking there of God, but a body you have prepared for me. So God did not ultimately want animal sacrifices as the ultimate sacrifice. He wanted something more. He wanted Jesus. In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sins you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, Behold, I have come. In the scroll of the book, it is written of me to do your will, O God. Do you think Jesus knew why he came and what was going on? Do you think he was confused? I don’t think he was confused. Now, let’s return in our minds and on the slide to the passage that we looked at earlier briefly.

5. He Became Sin in the Sense of a Sin Offering

In 2 Corinthians 5 21, he made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf. Now, the question is, in what sense did God make Jesus sin? In what sense did he make him to be sin? That’s really a better way to say it. To become sin. Because as I said, that passage doesn’t tell us at all how Jesus became sin. So we have to have a view that takes all of the scriptures into account. He became sin in the sense that he became a sin offering. That’s the answer. I believe that’s the only answer it can be. In Isaiah 53. This is another prophecy of Jesus made over 700 years before Christ. And in verse 4. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.

Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. Now let me ask you, was he smitten by God? We esteemed him smitten by God. Do you see the difference? He appeared to be smitten by God. If you were there, you would have wagged your head saying the same things that those who passed by said. So you look at this and you say, now this man is forsaken by God. Look at him up there on that cross. God is his enemy. We esteemed him smitten by God. Someone asked me recently, what do you say to someone who asks you, why does it appear that God was forsaken on the cross? And my answer was, it appears that God was forsaken. That Jesus was forsaken by God on the cross.

That doesn’t mean he was. In verse 5, but he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Well, what does that mean that God laid on Jesus our iniquity? Is that the imputation, the transferring of our sin, the guilt of our sin was all piled upon Jesus? Is that what that means? No, it means the same thing as the beginning of verse 6 says. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. He bore the punishment that we deserve.

Verse 8, by oppression and judgment he was taken away. And as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due. Who deserved the blow? The people, the sinners. You and me. We deserve the blow. We deserve the death. We deserve the punishment. But who took that punishment? Jesus Christ took that punishment. That’s profound. That’s powerful.

I tell them, very often, better than I deserve. And I’ll usually get a little chuckle or something out of people because they just think that’s a little weird that somebody would say that. Sometimes I’ll just get a downright weird look. One time somebody just asked me, Well, I mean, doesn’t God want good things for you? You deserve good things. I said, but I’m a sinner. And my point was, I don’t deserve anything. I deserve death. I’m the one who deserved it, and he took it for me. That’s powerful.

In verse 10, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He has put him to grief. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days, I think a prophecy of his resurrection. And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. And we go to verse 11 at the end. It says, For he shall bear their iniquities. Verse 12 has, and he bore the sin of many. Again, does that mean that the sins were transferred to him? No. It means the same thing as we have in verse 10 offering for sin. That’s the way that he bore our iniquities by being an offering for sin and bearing the punishment that we deserve. He took our punishment.

Not our guilt. You see the difference? He took our punishment, not our guilt. He died. We deserve to die. The wages of sin is death, and he took that death for us. But he did not take the guilt of our sins as if it were his very own. Because then he would have become a sinner. And we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4 and verse 15. He suffered as if he were a sinner, though he was not. That’s the point of 2 Corinthians 5 21. He made him who knew no sin to be sin for us. And I think this explains many passages like another one is 1 Peter 2 24, which is our last one before we close.

Conclusion

And he himself bore our sins in his body on the cross. Meaning he bore the punishment that our sins deserved, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, for by his wounds you were healed, which is a quote from Isaiah 53, what we were just looking at. So you know what we need to do? We need to die to sin. We need to be done with it. We need to put it to death, and we need to put ourselves to death. That old man needs to be dead. And we need to live to righteousness, not having the righteousness of Christ somehow whitewashing us. But we live to righteousness. It is a life that we lead. And we live that way and trust in Christ, and our sins will be forgiven.

Not just covered over. They will be removed and will be as far as the east is from the west, and they will be, as Micah said, in the depths of the sea. And as Hezekiah said, you cast my sins behind your back. That’s what God through Jesus Christ has done for us, brethren. And this Jesus, who was foreknown before the foundation of the world, and who suffered and died on the cross. He will never leave you, nor forsake you. As God never left or forsake him. Would you bow your head with me in a word of prayer? Our Father God, we thank you so much for your Son. We thank you, Father, for your word. We’re sorry for our sin. We’re sorry for turning away from Jesus.

And we pray that you’ll forgive us. Father, we’re so thankful that as long as we remain faithful to you, and we know we can’t be perfect, but as long as we hold on to you and don’t give up serving you, you will never leave us nor forsake us. Please comfort us with that thought. And thank you for loving your son and for being united with him to the end. It is through him that we pray. Amen. Well now be dismissed to our Bible classes.