Mark 15:34
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus, in His darkest hour, doesn't just quote a psalm; He cries out "My God," claiming God as His own even as He feels abandoned. This intimate address, "My God," underscores His unique relationship with the Father, even when experiencing the profound sorrow of separation.
Jesus is on the cross, enduring the brutal and agonizing process of crucifixion. The sky has become dark, a supernatural gloom covering the land for three hours, signaling the immense gravity of the moment. Amidst this profound darkness and suffering, Jesus cries out these words, which echo the beginning of Psalm 22, a passage that speaks of intense distress and a feeling of abandonment.
Jesus' most famous last words are a cry of abandonment. But why this cry, and what does it reveal about the spiritual battle being waged on the cross?
Jesus' cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" plunges us into the heart of His atoning work. This wasn't just a moment of physical pain; it was a profound spiritual agony.
A Vicarious Experience
The commentators highlight that Jesus is quoting Psalm 22, a psalm filled with suffering but also with ultimate deliverance. However, Jesus' cry is not just a recitation. He is experiencing the full weight of humanity's sin. When God turned His face away, it was because our sin, which Jesus bore, created a gulf between the Father and the Son.
The Price of Our Peace
This feeling of forsakenness, this moment of divine separation, was the necessary price for our peace with God. He experienced the curse of sin so that we could experience the blessing of righteousness. It’s a stark reminder of how terrible our sin is in God’s eyes and how complete Christ's sacrifice was.
Even in His darkest hour, Jesus clung to God. How can we learn to trust when we feel utterly alone?
While Jesus expresses the anguish of abandonment, His cry is not one of despair. It’s a complex cry that reveals a profound, unwavering faith.
Holding Onto Relationship
By calling out "My God, my God," Jesus affirms His relationship with the Father. Even when He feels utterly cut off, His ultimate reality is His identity in God. This is crucial: the feeling of abandonment doesn't negate the truth of their eternal bond.
Trust Beyond Emotion
The commentators suggest that Jesus’ faith remained firm even as His human senses perceived distance. This is faith in its purest form – trusting God not because of comforting feelings or visible presence, but because God is God. He trusted that even in this moment, His Father’s hand was ultimately at work, leading to His ultimate vindication.
Understand the original words
egkataleipō · Aramaic/Greek Verb
A verb meaning to abandon, leave, or desert. Jesus’ cry reflects the profound reality of His experience of separation from the Father while bearing the weight of human sin.
Jesus' cry from the cross, echoing Psalm 22, occurred at a pivotal moment during the Roman occupation of Judea and the Passover festival. This cry, uttered in Aramaic, highlights His deep suffering and the spiritual desolation of the crucifixion.
c. 520 BC
Temple Reconstruction Completed
After the Babylonian exile, the Second Temple was completed in Jerusalem, marking a return to religious life and a focal point for Jewish worship and national identity.
c. 150 BC - 37 BC
Hasmonean Dynasty Rule
Following the Maccabean Revolt against Seleucid rule, a Jewish monarchy, the Hasmonean dynasty, ruled Judea, establishing a period of religious and political independence.
63 BC
Roman Conquest of Judea
The Roman general Pompey conquered Jerusalem, bringing Judea under Roman influence and eventually direct Roman rule, setting the stage for a new era of occupation.
c. 4 BC - AD 30/33
Jesus' Public Ministry
Jesus traveled throughout Galilee and Judea, teaching, healing, and proclaiming the Kingdom of God, gathering disciples and attracting large crowds.
This is the direct Old Testament passage that Jesus is quoting, highlighting the deep suffering and abandonment predicted long before.
Isaiah 53:4-6This prophecy speaks of the Suffering Servant bearing our iniquities and being 'stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted,' which sheds light on the spiritual weight Jesus experienced.
Matthew 27:46Matthew also records this cry, providing a parallel account that emphasizes the shared human experience of this profound moment of anguish.
Hebrews 5:7-8This passage describes Jesus offering prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears, showing that this cry of abandonment was part of his total sacrifice and obedience.
cambridgeMark 15:34: "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
34 . And at the ninth hour ] the hour of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Jesus cried with a loud voice ] He now gives utterance to the words of the first verse of the xxiind Psalm, in which, in the bitterness of his soul, David had complained of the desertion of his God, and said, “Eloï! Eloï! lama sabachthani?” T…
wesleyMark 15:34: "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
15:34 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me - Thereby claiming God as his God; and yet lamenting his Father's withdrawing the tokens of his love, and treating him as an enemy, while he bare our sins.
Jesus, in His darkest hour, doesn't just quote a psalm; He cries out "My God," claiming God as His own even as He feels abandoned. This intimate address, "My God," underscores His unique relationship with the Father, even when experiencing the profound sorrow of separation.
Jesus is on the cross, enduring the brutal and agonizing process of crucifixion. The sky has become dark, a supernatural gloom covering the land for three hours, signaling the immense gravity of the moment. Amidst this profound darkness and suffering, Jesus cries out these words, which echo the beginning of Psalm 22, a passage that speaks of intense distress and a feeling of abandonment.
Jesus is on the cross, enduring the brutal and agonizing process of crucifixion. The sky has become dark, a supernatural gloom covering the land for three hours, signaling the immense gravity of the moment. Amidst this profound darkness and suffering, Jesus cries out these words, which echo the beginning of Psalm 22, a passage that speaks of intense distress and a feeling of abandonment.
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This teaches us that true faith isn't the absence of doubt or pain, but the determined commitment to God, even when His presence feels withdrawn.
c. AD 30/33— this verse
Jesus' Crucifixion
Jesus was arrested, tried, and crucified by the Roman authorities in Jerusalem. This event is the central focus of the verse.
c. AD 70
Destruction of the Second Temple
The Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and the Second Temple during the First Jewish-Roman War, a cataclysmic event that profoundly impacted Jewish life and worship.
"And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”" — Jesus, in His darkest hour, doesn't just quote a psalm; He cries out "My God," claiming God as His own even as He feels abandoned. This intimate address, "My God," underscores His unique relationship…
