8. Jesus__Forsaken_Cry_and_Divine_Abandonment.m4a
This theological study focuses on the profound significance of Jesus' cry of desolation from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" within the Gospel of Mark. The author argues that both theologians and exegetes have often failed to fully grasp the climactic significance of this moment, which is intricately connected to a "web of allusions" to the Psalms of lament, especially Psalm 22. By examining Jesus' use of these ancient words, the text reveals that the dying Messiah was not merely quoting scripture but was personally appropriating the real experience of being abandoned by God; this act is the ultimate revelation of Jesus' divine identity, demonstrating God's self-identification with the godforsaken at the deepest level of human suffering. Ultimately, this moment of extreme forsakenness serves as the narrative climax of Mark's Gospel, where the presence of God is transferred from the Temple to the crucified Jesus.
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
These are among the most famous and haunting words ever spoken. Uttered by Jesus from the cross, they are a raw cry of anguish that has echoed through two millennia, resisting easy explanation. For many, these words signify a moment of ultimate doubt, a crisis of faith at the bitter end. For others, they are a literary signpost—the opening line of Psalm 22, intended to point beyond the present suffering to the psalm’s triumphant conclusion of deliverance.
But what if both interpretations, in their own way, fail to grasp the radical depth of this moment? A closer look at the account in Mark’s Gospel reveals a far more profound meaning. Far from being a sign of wavering faith or a simple coded reference, this cry is the theological climax of the entire story. Let us explore four surprising truths that reframe this pivotal moment, challenging us to discover God in the most unexpected of places.
The argument that Jesus was merely quoting Psalm 22 to allude to its hopeful ending is a comforting thought, but it overlooks a crucial detail in the text. Mark’s Gospel goes out of its way to tell us that Jesus spoke these words in Aramaic, his native tongue, not in the psalm’s original Hebrew.
This linguistic detail is key. If the goal were simply to point his followers to a text, the original Hebrew would have sufficed. By crying out in his own language, Mark shows us that Jesus was not merely reciting scripture; he was “personally appropriating, these specific words of the psalm” for his own lived experience. This was not a detached quotation but an organic cry erupting from the depths of his being.
Furthermore, Mark places this cry within a dense web of allusions to the psalms of lament woven throughout his entire Passion Narrative. The mocking of the onlookers, the dividing of his garments, the offer of sour wine—all echo the language of Psalm 22 and other psalms of complaint. This intentional framing reveals that Jesus’s death is the culmination of Israel’s long history of crying out to God in suffering. He is personally stepping into this river of lament, making the psalmist’s ancient cry entirely his own. This forces us to take the content of the cry itself—the raw anguish of being forsaken—with radical seriousness. It is a protest made within faith, as the desperate address "My God, my God" signifies a relationship being tested to its absolute limit, not one that has been severed.