My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from my deliverance, and from my words of groaning?
Psalm 22:1
“My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”
Mark 15:34
Psalm 22 is such a parallel to the day of Jesus’ Crucifixion to the extent that, in my view, it appears to be a kind of dress rehearsal. I always felt that over the ages, whenever the Jews sang Psalm 22, Father was reminded of the promise of salvation. The voice of the Cross was echoing for ages before the words became a reality of that day. A few verses from Psalm 22 are worth pondering upon, which will give a deeper insight of what must be happening at the point.
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.
Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have in closed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
Psalm 22
The message is so clear and needs no further elaboration or interpretation. Bible interprets Bible, we have a clear account of what was happening at the Cross. David about 1000 years ahead of time had given the narration of the voice of the Cross. Jews of that time must have read it a few hundreds of times, yet they failed to recognize Jesus the Messiah. We read in the Psalm 22 that the sin of the world was laid up Him and it was sin that separated Jesus from the Father. The most beloved of the Father is now standing apart because of the wide gap that was created by sin. Why have you forsaken me? Because of the sin. “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. Isaiah 54:7
When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” As per the Strong’s concordance Eloi is #G2241 which mean my God, and the usage of this word was common in those days. As per Strong’s concordance, The Hebrew form, Elio, Elio is the Syro-Chaldaic which was the common language in use by the Jews in the time of Christ. Though this was a common word during those days, we see that those standing there heard this and said, “Look, He’s calling for Elijah!” and others ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, fixed it on a reed, offered Him a drink, and said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take Him down!”. Whether they were mocking Jesus and Elijah or they actually wanted to do something for Jesus is for each of us to interpret for themselves. This was the kind of sin that was put upon Him.
Author: Dr. Ajit Onawale
