”My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” If our reading ventures no further than Matthew 27:46, we may begin to see Christ as totally alone and rejected as he bore the penalty of sin. However, this understanding is more difficult as we venture further into Scripture. 

Jesus’ Cry and Psalm 22

While on the cross, Jesus’ cry was a citation of Psalm 22:1. This beautiful Psalm does indeed begin with the excruciating pain experienced by sufferers. Even God’s people often feel forsaken. Psalm 22, like the rest of the Psalter, poignantly expresses the reality of human pain. But we must zoom out from Ps 22:1 and Matt 27:46 to better see God’s portrait for us. We should see both the pain (the theology of the cross) and the praise (the theology of glory) in Psalm 22 and at Calvary. 

Pain runs rampant in Psalm 22. The Psalmist, the reader, and Christ can readily be seen to cry out without answer or rest (Ps 22:2). To feel like “a worm and not a man” is more common than many would like (Ps 22:6). Sooner or later the “dust of death” becomes our resting place (Ps 22:14-15). 

The psalm’s pain is coupled with praise. The cross is followed by glory. Those who read Psalm 22 identify with the Psalmist and feel the pain of the cross, but we should also be captivated by the psalm’s assurance and praise. Despite feeling forsaken, we say “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted, and you delivered them. Toy you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame” (Ps 22:3–5). Excruciating pain cannot quench determined praise: “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the LORD, praise him!” (Ps 22:22–23). 

Did the Cross Separate the Father and Son? What Jesus Rejected?

The Spirit is honest with the immense suffering common to the human condition. The doubts, fears, and emotions that accompany suffering are as present in Scripture as they ar in life. It seems, however, that the Spirit would also have us know we are not forsaken. We are held. We can still praise our God. The theology of the cross leads us to a theology of greater glory. The theology of glory overcomes the cross. “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom 8:18). 

The opening cry of “Why have you forsaken me?” in Ps 22:1 must be read in connection with the response in Ps 22:24: “For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him but has heard when he cried to him.” Did the Father turn his face away? Ps 22:24 says no. See this helpful article by Fred Sanders: https://scriptoriumdaily.com/godforsaken-for-us/. The Son was not forsaken in his suffering and neither are we. God is still with us. His glory shines through the darkness. His hand wipes our tears. 

Conclusion

Psalm 22 portrays the depths of human pain and the feeling of abandonment that even God’s people experience. However, it also transitions from lament to praise, illustrating that excruciating pain is intertwined with unwavering trust and praise for God’s deliverance. Psalm 22 and the cross together depict both the theology of suffering and the theology of glory. Despite the immense suffering, the Spirit reassures us that, like Christ, we are not forsaken; God’s presence and glory shine through our darkest moments. The cross does not signify separation from the Father but the pathway to greater glory, affirming that God’s hand remains with us, even in our deepest afflictions.