Mark 15:29-34: a reflection

29Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads and saying, “Ha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31Likewise, also the chief priests mocking among themselves with the scribes said, “He saved others. He can’t save himself. 32Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe him.” Those who were crucified with him also insulted him. 33When the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

As Jesus hangs on the cross, he is mocked by those passing by, by the chief priests, even by those crucified beside him: He saved others; he cannot save himself. Come down from the cross, and we will believe. Then, from noon until three, darkness covers the land; and at the ninth hour, Jesus cries out with a loud voice: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? In the darkness, bearing the weight of our sin, Jesus experienced the anguish of forsakenness.

Notice the depth of that cry: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? This was no mere physical suffering; it was the anguish of forsakenness, of abandonment, as Jesus bore in our place the judgment our sin deserved. He who had never known separation from the Father entered into the God-forsakenness that was ours, taking upon himself the abandonment we had earned by our sin. In the darkness, he bore what we could not bear.

That cry, terrible as it is, holds our deepest comfort. Jesus was forsaken so that we need never be. He endured the abandonment our sin deserved, taking it upon himself in our place, so that those who are his would never be forsaken by God. Because Jesus cried out, my God, why have you forsaken me?, we can be assured that God will never forsake us; the forsakenness we deserved was borne by Christ. When you feel abandoned by God, look to the cross, where Jesus was truly forsaken in your place. He was forsaken so that you would not be; his cry of dereliction secures your never being forsaken. Rest in the Christ who bore forsakenness for you, so that you, who are his, will never be forsaken.

Lord Jesus, on the cross, in the darkness, mocked by those around you, you cried out with a loud voice, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?; bearing the weight of our sin, you experienced the anguish of forsakenness. This was no mere physical suffering; it was the abandonment our sin deserved, which you took upon yourself in our place. You who had never known separation from the Father entered into the God-forsakenness that was ours. Thank you that this terrible cry holds my deepest comfort: you were forsaken so that I need never be. You endured the abandonment my sin deserved, so that those who are yours would never be forsaken by God. Because you cried out, my God, why have you forsaken me?, I can be assured that you will never forsake me. When I feel abandoned by you, help me look to the cross, where you were truly forsaken in my place. You were forsaken so that I would not be; help me rest in you, who bore forsakenness for me, so that I, who am yours, will never be forsaken. Thank you, Lord, for so great a love.