Cheryl Warren 1

Special Topic: Why Did Jesus say “My God, My God Why hast thou forsaken me?”

Matthew 27 verse 46, reads, “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud
voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me?” Why did Jesus say, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” I
will answer this by first looking at who the scriptures say Jesus is, what was the purpose
of his life on earth and crucifixion and finally why he said that God has forsaken him.

The following are a few verses from John and Matthew that tell us that Jesus was
with God from the beginning, he is the son of God, the Lamb of God and Christ, our
Savior.
 John 1:1, 2 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning
 Matthew 16:13-16 says, Jesus asks his disciples “who do people say the Son of
Man is? Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah and still others Jeremiah or one
of the prophets Jesus then asked, “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
 In John 1:36 John the Baptist proclaims, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
 In John 1:41, Andrew told his brother Simon “We have found the Messiah.”

Why would Jesus come to earth, experience birth, life through manhood, pain,
suffering and a cruel death on the cross? Sin separates man from God; man falls short
and cannot attain God’s glory by himself. Although, Jesus was with God from the
beginning and because of the great love, God has for man, God made a sacrifice by
providing the perfect lamb, his Son Jesus to shed his blood and die for the forgiveness of
our sins. Man can only be reconciled through the blood of Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23
says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God: being justified freely by
his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a
propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of
sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” When Jesus said, “My God, My God,
why hast thou forsaken me,” he also fulfilled the scripture in Psalms 22:1, which reads,
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me,
and from the words of my roaring?”

Jesus was without sin before he took on our sin; he was one with his Father God,
1 John 3:5 says, “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him
is no sin.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our
behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 1 Peter 2:24 says,
“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live
to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” Jesus experienced physical pain,
rejection and ridicule, but the greatness pain was the spiritual pain he felt at that moment
that he bore our sins and was separated from God, his father. Matthew 37:51 says that at
the same time Jesus died the veil in the temple which symbolized separation from God,
tore in two from top to bottom, signifying that the way to heaven was how open to all.
(bible.cc//matthew 27-51)
 Cheryl Warren 2

God loved man so much that he sent his son, who was with him from the
beginning, to earth to be the perfect Lamb of God and our Savior. Man has an
opportunity to have pass sin forgiven finding favor with God and have everlasting life,
because of the precious blood that Jesus shed. Jesus suffered pain, rejection and ridicule
from man but he experienced the greatest pain when he took on our sins and felt the
spiritual separation from God his Father so that the way to heaven can be open to all.
This is important to us as a Christian, because it shows that there is no other person or to
salvation – It is only through Jesus Christ that man can be reconciled to God.

Sources:
bible.cc//matthew 27-51
Bible King James Version
http://carm.org/questions/about-jesus/why-did-jesus-cry-out-my-god-my-god-why-have-
you-forsaken-me