How can we reconcile the love of God (the father) with the fact that he forsook his Son (Jesus Christ) on the cross of Calvary?
Matthew 3:17 tells us that when he was baptised by John the Baptist, Jesus of Nazareth came out of the water “and a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased.”
Yet, in the same gospel according to Matthew 27:46 we read, “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama Sabachtani?” -which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Please note that it is the same person, Jesus, who was baptised and now crucified. At his baptism God refers to him as “my beloved son, with him I am well pleased. However, on the cross the beloved son asks God, “why have you forsaken me?” Does it mean that God forsook him because he no longer loved him and was no longer pleased with him? Not at all!
Remember John 10:17, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life [crucifixion] -only to take it up again [resurrection]”. It is important that we do not misinterpret the verse. It does not mean that the father’s love for the son had a reason other than the father being love, just like with all of us: God loves us because He is love, not because of who we are or what we do.
John 10:17 refers to the fact that the father loved the sacrificial choice the son made. Nobody forced him to lay down his life. He chose to do it at his own free will because of his love for the world. In doing so he allowed the father to reveal his love for the world through him (John 3:16; Romans 5:8).
Accordingly, the father was pleased with the Son on the Cross of Calvary. He still loved him, but forsook him at the same time. Yes, love can forsake. Here is the reason why some of us teach that no one will end up in hell because God did not love him/her….
I believe that the son (Jesus) on the Cross did not ask the question to God because he did not know the answer. No, the question was meant as a revelation. It was asked for the sake of the world: sin causes God to withdraw his presence…..
The prophet Isaiah had a vision of the Cross 800 years before it happened: Isaiah 53:6, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” In other words, on the cross was Jesus covered all over by the iniquity of us all. Guess what God saw when he looked at the Cross of Calvary: He saw the iniquity of us all. What did he do? His holiness had him turn his back, and the beloved son felt it, unlike many of us who would not even know when we lose the presence of the Lord….
The cross of Calvary demonstrates that it is in the nature of sin to break relationship with God -the relationship is broken without diminishing God’s love. Some of us who do not believe it would do better to hear the word from God that Isaiah delivered to Israel: Isaiah 59:1-2, “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”
The people went around complaining “God has forsaken us, he is ignoring our cries to him and our prayers….” Does it sound familiar? Isaiah said to them not true people of God: you feel forsaken by God because you forsook him (each one of us has turned to his own way). He loved you even whilst you chose to walk away from him and suffered to see you leave. Yes, love can let go….
I once heard a young Christian say “God will never forsake me!” That is true, but that is never the issue with God. The real question is: will you remain faithful to God, never forsake him?
Let me conclude this message by telling you that feeling forsaken by God does not mean he does not love you. God cannot deny himself. He is love. He will welcome you back anytime you repent (choose to go back to him).
Remember, the Cross of Calvary demonstrates that it is in the nature of sin to break relationship with God. However, the resurrection of Jesus is the evidence that the Cross of Calvary restores the broken relationship with God (see 1 john: 8, 9).
