"Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani?"

"My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?" Jesus cried out on the cross (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34).

To unbelievers, this lament proves that Jesus is therefore not the Messiah. For how can God Almighty forsake His only Son? 

In my research before the Holy Week, I was moved, more than ever, over the fact that He who created me suffered and died upon the cross for my sake. There is no doubt in my mind that He is my Savior and Messiah.

Psalm 22, which was written 300 years before Jesus was born, begins with “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”

On the cross, Jesus drew attention to it so that we may know that the prophesy has been fulfilled. In verses 11 to 18 of the same Psalm, we read exactly what happens during the crucifixion, “They look, they stare at me. They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”

“My God, My God” showed that He was totally powerless. Like me, the whole of mankind, when we are in the throes of great pain or problem, we feel that God has forsaken us. This showed His humanity. When He came to earth, He was 100% man who was 100% dependent on God.

“My God, My God” demonstrated an-all powerful God, creator of the universe, who had chosen the way of weakness, so totally opposite of the powers-that-be who live and exercise their dominion over others. Jesus gave up power and defined for me what kind of a God He is.

To many Bible scholars, "My God, My God" illustrated that Jesus was not an innocent victim. He was guilty—He was totally evil at that point because He absorbed all the evils of the world. And in Habakuk 1:13, we read that God is too pure to look upon evil.

When Jesus took on the evils and sins of the world, when Jesus became sin on our behalf, it is possible that at some moment on the cross, God the Father spiritually turned His back upon the Son.

How could the Author of Life, who lived in a perfect place before coming to this insignificant planet, be subjected to the most cruel indignity by the very people whom He created? Unthinkable? He could have unleashed His power and punished all sinners to oblivion.

But He didn’t. He cried, “Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani?"—endured it all, and died, so I may be clean and free from the slavery of sin. Unthinkable indeed.

Oh, what grace.