Finding Hope in Jesus’ Cry of Anguish
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” These agonised words of Jesus from the cross resonate across time, connecting with our struggles today.
As we continue to grieve losses from the pandemic, face economic anxiety, witness violence in the Middle East and suffer from political and social divisions, many relate to Christ’s feeling of abandonment. Christians today encounter persecution in many countries, and even face ridicule in our increasingly secular culture that rejects moral absolutes. At times, standing for truth seems lonely.
We are called to be a community of unity this year – yet polarisation surrounds us. Bitter conflicts over race, sexuality, abuse scandals, politics and more have caused painful rifts. When those closest to us wound us most deeply, God may feel far away.
Jesus knew this feeling in incomprehensible depths. Bearing the crushing weight of humanity’s evil, He experienced the ultimate separation from God. Though perfect unity had defined their relationship for eternity, at that agonising point, He could not feel the Father’s presence and comfort.
Still, Jesus clung to faith, quoting Psalm 22 – “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” – the psalmist cried out to God for deliverance. He trusted God was still present, still good, still faithful, though he could not feel it. Though neither the psalmist nor Jesus were delivered from their immediate anguish, they trusted God was still working in the darkness. No division was too vast for God’s reconciling love to bridge.
When we feel abandoned by friends or family, we can pour out our hurt to the one person who fully understands – Jesus. He knows the pain of rejection, betrayal. And He has conquered the darkness forever, so we can trust Him to carry us through to joy. His Spirit sustains the Church across all divides and distances.
We, the Church, are called to reflect Christ’s love in the imperfect world. Jesus feeling forsaken makes our connection possible. We must cling to the hope that though weeping may come in the night, joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). Jesus’ words and work on the cross make that joy possible, defeating despair and death forever. In Him, we are never forsaken.