Day 4: The Utterance of Abandonment

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 

Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34

In the extraordinary darkness of the ninth hour, Jesus cried out the words of Psalm 22. This is the only utterance where Jesus did not address the Father with the intimate term "Father." In that moment, He truly felt the pain of separation, taking on the full weight of humanity's sin.

For many of us, Jesus’ cry is profoundly relatable. Surely we have all experienced moments of deep loneliness, of feeling unseen, unheard, or completely abandoned by others, or even by God. Jesus’ words remind us that He understands our deepest isolation. Yet even at this darkest of moments, Jesus still knew where to direct His cry: “My God, My God.”

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth,
he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears
to the one who could save him from death,
and he was heard because of his reverent submission.
Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered
and, once made perfect, he became the source of
eternal salvation for all who obey him…”

Hebrews 5:7-9

Jesus remained in complete obedience to His Father on the cross. As a result, He indeed became the source of eternal salvation for you and for me!

For Reflection:

Like Jesus, we can feel abandoned. We can wonder if God even cares what we’re going through. But just as the Father remained true to the Son, He also remains true to us. Jesus was willing to go through the darkest valley to bring us into the light, so that we would never be separated from the Father again. Jesus’ cry permanently opened our line of communication to God. Our pain is not too much for Him. Our cries are not unheard. If you are facing physical, emotional, or even spiritual pain today, make a point of crying out to our ever-present Father who hears.