Many today believe that these words of Jesus clearly demonstrate that God actually turned His back on Jesus whilst He was on the cross, that God somehow, couldn’t bring Himself to look at Jesus and so abandoned Him because of the sin He was carrying. Although this idea seems plausible to some, to understand what Jesus meant we have to look to other Scriptures to see if this claim could actually be plausible.
To claim that God can’t look at sin is foreign to the Scriptures, God has been looking at the sin of mankind since the fall of mankind in the garden and has been ever since. Even in the days of Noah, the Bible tells us that God SAW their sin which implies He was looking at mankind’s sin, Genesis 6:5-7 / Hebrews 4:13.
If God can’t look at sin, then surely that would imply that He can’t bring Himself to look at mankind today, because we’re all sinners, Romans 3:23.
There’s a huge difference between God hating sin and not being able to look at it, in order to deal with it.
We also need to ask the question; whose sin was Jesus carrying? He was carrying OUR sin because He Himself was sinless. Jesus wasn’t a sinner and there’s a huge difference between being a sinner and bearing the consequences of someone else’s sin, 1 Peter 2:22 / Hebrew 4:15.
Jesus became sin for us, but He was still the perfect Son of God. ‘Truly, this was a righteous man’ Matthew 23:47. Ask yourself this question, if you were a judge, and your own innocent son heroically stepped forward at a trial to take a criminal’s punishment upon himself, would you be angry with him and reject him? Of course not.
Why would the Father turn His back on His Son, if the Son pleased the Father in every way? When we think about the cross, it was God’s plan to deal with sin once and for all, it was Jesus’ ultimate act of obedience to the Father, Philippians 2:8 / Hebrews 5:7.
And surely if there was ever a time in the life of Christ when the Father would have said, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I’m well pleased’, it would have been at the cross. We know that the Old Testament sacrifices to God were ‘a sweet-smelling aroma’, how much more would God be pleased with Christ’s selfless sacrifice? Ephesians 5:1-2.
We have to remember that everything Jesus did was in accordance with the will of the Father, this included Jesus’ death on the cross, Luke 22:42 / Isaiah 53:9 / Acts 2:23.
The whole point of God coming in the flesh was to deal with our sin problem and fulfil Scripture, the whole point of Jesus having a body was for the purpose of the cross, Hebrews 10:5-10.
Notice that phrase, ‘a body you prepared for me’, the cross was God’s plan, even before Christ came into the world. And so, when we look at the cross and Jesus’ submission to the Father’s will, we clearly see that Jesus was doing everything which pleased the Father with the body He provided for Jesus. So, why on earth would God turn His back on His Son, if His Son was pleasing the Father and doing the Father’s will with the body He provided for Him?
Now we know that Jesus was God in the flesh as Philippians clearly tells us, Philippians 2:5-8.
Some people though suggest that Jesus stopped being God when He was on the cross, just for that one moment. And so, they ask, when Jesus was on the cross suffering for our sins, did Jesus stop being God? The answer is No. Was God the Father unable to look upon the judgment that fell upon God the Son? Of course not.
Clearly, Jesus never stopped being God, even when He died for the sins of mankind. Jesus didn’t in any sense, to any degree, at any time, or for any reason surrender any bit of His deity, Colossians 2:9.
Likewise, Jesus can’t be separated from God the Father because He said, ‘I and the Father are One.’ John 10:30
The biggest reason for this misunderstanding of Jesus’ words on the cross is because people don’t understand Psalm 22. When Jesus said, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’
He was quoting from Psalm 22 and therefore fulfilling Scripture prophecies concerning Himself. The idea of God turning His back on Jesus on the cross would never have been on the mind of anyone who was present on that day. The problem today is that many people just take one verse and make it mean something which it was never meant to mean.
Now remember the Jews knew these Scriptures really well, and when anyone read out the first line of any Psalm, the Jews would recognise it and be able to recite the whole Psalm in their minds. This was the Jewish practice at the time of Jesus and this is exactly what Jesus did here on the cross.
Psalms 22 has many references or circumstances about the atoning death of Jesus Christ. To us today, the prophecies are profound and obvious. Likewise, those Jews watching Jesus on the cross being crucified saw the many parallels between the crucifixion and the fulfilment of prophecy. As Jesus was suffering, He was quoting the Jewish Scriptures from the cross.
Can you imagine the expression on the Jews’ faces as they remembered the whole of the messianic prophecy as we find in Psalm 22 being fulfilled in front of their eyes? And the climax would be Jesus’ final words, ‘It is finished.’ John 19:30.
Look at the last line of Psalms 22.
Jesus isn’t saying that His father ‘has forsaken Him’ or His Father has ‘turned away from Him’, He’s saying that He is the Messiah.
Read Psalm 22:1 again, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?’ This doesn’t say the Father rejected the Son. First of all, look at the context, look at the parallel verse, ‘Why are you so far from saving me?’
This is the issue, ‘no help’, the sufferer is asking why God doesn’t save Him from His oppressors. In other words, ‘Why do you let my oppressors torment me?’ The Father gives the Son over to suffering.
Psalm 22:1 is the equivalent of Isaiah’s statement, ‘It pleased the Lord to bruise Him’, Isaiah 53:10. In fact, the Psalm later says, ‘you lay me in the dust of death’ Psalm 22:15.
Secondly, it’s a rhetorical question, the sufferer knows full well why God does this.
He’s simply expressing His distress because this is real suffering, He really doesn’t want to go through it, He would rather God saved Him instantly out of it, Matthew 26:39.
Maybe the idea is that ‘it feels like you have abandoned me’ or ‘it’s really hard in my present circumstances to feel your closeness,’ which is a very real human reaction, isn’t it? And again, if God turned His back on His Son, why does the Psalm say otherwise?
Does ‘the Father turn His face away’ according to this verse? Not at all.
Now I don’t know about you but a lot of people I know, can recite the whole of Psalm 23, but they couldn’t tell you one verse from Psalm 68, Psalm 52 or Psalm 117.
Well simply because we don’t know our Scriptures as the Jews did, we know Psalm 23, very well because we’ve heard it over and over again, but we don’t hear the other Psalms as often.
The Jews would have known all of the Psalms and memorised them because they had been taught them over and over again from a very young age. The more you hear them, the more you’ll remember
them.
Old Testament prophecy often had both a current and future application, and here we’re concerned with the future application of what is written in Psalm 22. As we read it, we will see why Jesus said, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’
Later, in John 19:30, why He said, ‘It is finished.’ What we see is that Jesus quoted the very first verse in Psalm 22 and the very last verse, which, properly translated, should read, ‘it is finished.’
Jesus quoting the beginning and the ending of one of the most famous, most well-known, and most memorised sections of all of the Old Testament, one that vividly set forth what was taking place right in front of their eyes. No doubt for many of them who had ears to hear, the verses we are about to read flashed through their minds.
Psalms 22-24, are Messianic Psalms. Psalm 22 focuses on the coming Saviour. Psalm 23, pictures the Saviour as a shepherd of the people. Psalm 24, proclaims the sovereignty of the Saviour. The Psalm can be divided into two sections, the first dealing with trials, Psalm 22:1-21, and the second with triumph over trials Psalm 22:22-31.
As we read on, we’ll see that these are basically rhetorical questions, Psalm 22:1 / Matthew 27:46 / Mark 15:34, because after verse eighteen, the theme of the Psalm changes radically from death to life.
But to many standing around at the scene, especially those who weren’t familiar with this Psalm, and their attention captivated by the horror of it all, it would certainly ‘appear’ as if God had forsaken this man who had claimed to be His Son.
Notice how David had cried out to God all day and night but had no answer and as a result they couldn’t rest, Psalm 22:2. Jesus prayed often and He cried out to God in the garden the night before the cross, Matthew 26:36-46.
‘In the night’, Psalm 22:2, in Hebrew means a twist away of the light and Jesus cried out to God during these hours of darkness, Matthew 27:45. Despite no response from God, he knew where God was, He was enthroned as the Holy One, you are the one Israel praises, Psalm 22:3.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The phrase ‘inhabiting the praises of Israel,’ KJV, recalls the more usual ‘thou that dwellest between the cherubim’, 1 Samuel 4:4 / 2 Samuel 6:2 / Psalms 80:1 / Psalms 99:1. But the idea here is more spiritual. The ever-ascending praises of His people become a throne for the Divine King, and take the place of the outstretched wings of the cherubim. Perhaps there is a reminiscence of Exodus 15:11-12.’
To whom did Jesus come? Israel. To whom was this Psalm written? Israel. Look how he’s reminding them of their spiritual heritage, Psalm 22:4, which included the Messiah. David says their ancestors cried out to God and were saved. They were saved because they trusted Him and weren’t put to shame, Psalm 22:5.
The word ‘worm’ Psalm 22:6, here is very interesting. It is the Hebrew word ‘tola’, which isn’t the ordinary word for worm. Rather, this was a worm from which crimson or scarlet dye was obtained. Why is this word used? Because Jesus was covered with blood, Revelation 19:13, and was the colour of scarlet dye, Isaiah 1:18.
All who saw Jesus mocked Him, hurled insults at Him and shook their heads at Him, Psalm 22:7 / Luke 23:35. These verses should sound familiar to anyone who knows their Bible as they were literally fulfilled in Jesus, Psalm 22:7-8. This very prophecy was unfolding right in front of their eyes, and Jesus was trying to call their attention to it, Matthew 27:39 / Matthew 27:41-43.
David says despite the insults of the previous verses, God brought him out of the womb and made him trust in Him, even at my mother’s breast, Psalm 22:9. In other words, God has guided and defended him from his earliest infancy.
In a sense, Psalm 22:10, is true of everyone, but of the child Jesus, this was especially true, Luke 1:31-33 / Luke 2:40 / Luke 2:49 / Luke 2:52, especially since He was the ‘seed’ of woman in fulfilment of the prophecies, Genesis 3:15 / Galatians 3:16 / Galatians 4:4.
We know that Jesus calls the Father God and He can do this because He is a man and the Father became His God at his conception, Psalms 22:10 / Matthew 27:46 / Luke 22:42 / Mark 14:36 / John 5:18 / John 20:17 / Revelation 3:2 / Revelation 3:12.
Remember Jesus became human, John 1:1 / John 1:14, and despite being God Himself, Philippians 2:8-11, He took on flesh and then the Father became His God because He is the Father of all flesh, Jeremiah 32:27.
The agony of death itself was approaching, the disciples ‘deserted him and fled’, Mark 14:10, with the exception of John, and in the excruciating agony of that situation, Jesus again cried out for help but there was no one to help Him, Psalm 22:11. We always need help from God, especially when troubles and trials are at hand.
The torture described here is clearly that of a crucifixion, a form of execution, which, as far as we can determine, had never at that time been used by any government. Although it resembles the impaling of enemies upon stakes, as practised by the Assyrians, the practise of crucifixion was never developed until a later time by the Romans.
Who was Bashan? Psalm 22:12 / Numbers 21:33 / Deuteronomy 32:14 / Amos 4:1. And what does that mean? The bull is the emblem of brutal strength that gores and tramples down all before it. Bashan was the chief cattle-raising area of Israel where the biggest, best, and strongest bulls came from.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Bulls of Bashan were remarkable for their size, strength, and fierceness; and are introduced here to represent men who were fierce, savage and violent.’
Figuratively, this is referring to the religious ‘top notches’ of Israel. It was the Pharisees who had inspired, persuaded, and manipulated the Romans to pound the nails. As such, they were the ones responsible for Jesus’ death, John 19:12-16.
Using metaphorical language, these verses clearly describe a person dying. The religious leaders were like roaring lions, 1 Peter 5:8, fiercely trying to bring about Christ’s destruction, Psalm 22:13, because Jesus didn’t fit their idea of Messiah. Jesus was poured out like water, Psalm 22:14.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The images in this verse are strongly descriptive of a person in the deepest distress; whose strength, courage, hope, and expectation of succour and relief, had entirely failed. Our Lord’s sufferings were extreme; but I cannot think there is any sound theological sense in which these things can be spoken of Christ, either in his agony in the garden, or his death upon the cross.’
Notice David mentions ‘all my bones are out of joint’, Psalm 22:14. We say things like that today, don’t we? ‘Every bone in my body is tired.’ That doesn’t mean all two-hundred and sixteen or however many there are. It’s a figure of speech.
The dropping of the pole of the cross into the hole would cause the arms to slip out of joint into the shoulder. In regard to Jesus, crucifixion dislocated a number of His bones, and no doubt it felt like all of them.
His heart, the most critical organ in his body, ‘turned to wax,’ Psalm 22:14. A ‘potsherd’ Psalm 22:15, was an old piece of pottery dried by the sun, Jesus’ strength had ebbed away.
His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, from the cross he said, ‘I thirst,’ John 19:28. God laid him in the dust of death, Psalm 22:13, means that Christ suffered the original curse and pains of death for every man, Genesis 3:19.
The Hebrew word for ‘dog’, Psalm 22:16, is ‘Kaleb’, and it’s a slang word in Hebrew for a male prostitute. When the Romans crucified someone, they formed a cordon of soldiers around the cross to keep the people away. And the Jews referred to uncircumcised people like the Romans as ‘dogs’, Matthew 15:21-28 / Mark 7:24-30.
‘They pierce my hands and my feet,’ Psalm 22:16, is a clear reference to the crucifixion of Jesus, Isaiah 53:5 / Matthew 8:17 / John 20:24-31 / 1 Peter 2:24. ‘All my bones are on display,’ Psalm 22:17, is another figure of speech meaning that in His many beatings and floggings, Jesus’ skin had been thrashed to the bone. People spat on Him, taunted Him, and gloated over Him, Psalm 22:17 / Matthew 26:67-68.
‘They divide my garments among and cast lots for my clothing,’ Psalm 22:18. This couldn’t more clearly describe what later happened at Golgotha in fulfilment of this prophecy, Matthew 37:35 / John 19:23-24. And it’s at this point that the thrust of Psalm 22, begins to shift from death to life.
Because Jesus was human, John 1:1 / John 1:14, He prayed God to be near Him in His suffering, Psalm 22:19. The Messiah calls upon His God, Yahweh, to save him. Psalm 22:20. The mouth of the lions, Psalm 22:21, is a reference to the Jews and their father the devil, John 8:44.
The horns of the wild oxen, Psalm 22:22, is a reference to the place where wild beasts were bound to the horns of the altar and so, Christ our sacrifice as the Lamb of God was nailed and bound to an altar, Psalm 118:22 / John 1:29.
How did God save Jesus? Not by taking Him off the cross, but by raising Him from the dead in accordance with other Old Testament prophecies, Psalm 16:10.
On the Day of Pentecost, when Peter preached the first Gospel sermon, he boldly asserted that God had raised Jesus from the dead, Acts 2:24. He then explained that God had performed this miraculous deed in fulfilment of David’s prophecy in Psalm 16.
In fact, he quoted the words of David in detail as contained in Psalm 16:8-11. Years later, Paul did the same thing when he spoke to the Jews of Antioch in Pisidia, Acts 13:33-35. Like Peter, he declared that God had raised Jesus from the dead in fulfilment of Psalm 16:10.
Jesus was going to deliver a complete revelation concerning the God’s mercy, love, and justice, to His disciples and He will announce to the Jewish people God’s merciful design in sending Him to be the Saviour of the world, Psalm 22:22.
He will also do this in the assembly, that is, the church, and for ages to come Christ’s words and teaching to the apostles will be proclaimed in praise to God, Psalm 22:22 / Hebrews 2: 11-12.
Those who fear are told to praise Him, Psalm 22:23. This is an encouragement to the remnant of the Jews particularly, to profit by the preaching of the Gospel. Gentiles will fear, and Jews mentioned by name should ‘fear,’ Psalm 22:23 / Romans 3:1-2
How is the Messiah going to praise God in the future when it’s clear that He was to die? Only if God keeps His Word and raises him from the dead, Romans 8:11-13. And the next verse indicates that God hadn’t forsaken Him and would do just that!
Though the Jews had despised Jesus, God graciously received Jesus in His suffering to die and pay the debt of all sin, Psalm 22:24. By His humiliation and death on the cross, Jesus made atonement for the sins of the world, 1 John 2:2. Again, if God turned His back on His Son, why does the Psalm say otherwise?
Does ‘the Father turn His face away’ according to this verse? Psalm 22:24. Not at all. In this magnificent psalm, we see a vivid portrait of the death and resurrection of the man we now know as Jesus, the Messiah. This Psalm ends in triumph and God will bless the world through Him.
The proclamation of the prayer was to all the people, that is, the Jews and Gentiles in the Lord’s church, Psalm 22:25 / Galatians 3:28-29 / Ephesians 2:19-20. The proclamation was an exhortation to fear, praise and glorify God, Psalm 22:25.
In times of trouble, vows were made to God, Psalm 22:25, and when the day of deliverance came, the one delivered remembered what he had promised the Lord, and so, gave his thank offerings to the Lord.
Notice it is the poor who will eat and be satisfied and those who seek the LORD will praise him, Psalm 22:26 / Matthew 5:3 / Matthew 5:5. The words ‘may your hearts live forever’, Psalm 22:26, are a reference to Jesus’ words in John 11:25-26.
Notice all the ends of the earth will remember and turn to God, Psalm 22:27. The Gospel will be preached everywhere and to everyone, Matthew 28:19-20 / Mark 16:20 / Romans 1:8 / Colossians 1:23. People from all nations will bow down and worship before Jesus, and through Him their praises will be offered to God, Psalm 22:27 / Psalm 19:4.
The dominion belongs to the LORD, Psalm 22:28 / Matthew 28:18-20, means that the kingdom is the rule of Christ in the heart and lives of the saved, Colossians 3:15. After the victory over an enemy, Israel ate of the sacrifices that were made to the Lord, Leviticus 3:17 / Leviticus 7:16 / Numbers 15:3.
Notice the rich of the earth will feast and worship and all who go down to the dust will kneel before him, those who cannot keep themselves alive, Psalm 22:29. This is another clear reference to what will happened when Jesus returns, Romans 14:11 / Philippians 2:9-10.
We are told that posterity will serve him, Psalm 22:20. Please note the KJV uses the word ‘seed’, instead of the word ‘prosperity’. This is another reference to Christ from Genesis 3:15, and Galatians 3:16.
‘The future generations will be told about the Lord,’ Psalm 22:30, and they will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn, Psalm 22:31, which is an obvious reference to the proclamation of the Gospel, Romans 1:16-17 / Romans 3:21-26.
The last word of Psalm 22:31, should be translated a bit differently. In the KJV you can see that the word ‘it’ is in italics, indicating that the translators added it. The pronoun ‘he’ isn’t in the original text, it should be the word ‘it,’ so that the Psalm closes with the words, ‘He has done it’, Psalm 22:31, or ‘for it is finished.’
Jesus Christ knew that, and in the final agonising moments of His life had the presence of mind and the love for all men, including those who were killing Him, to once again hold forth to them the Word of Life. He quoted the very first verse and the very last verse of a section of Scripture that they knew very, very well.
With His dying breath, He affirmed one more time that He was who the Word of God said He was, the Messiah, the Son of the living God, the Redeemer of Israel and hope for all who would believe in Him in the future.
God didn’t forsake His Son, God didn’t turn His back on Him because He was sinless, perfect, He was carrying our sins and God proved how pleased He was with His Son because three days and three nights later, He raised Him from the dead.
Throughout His life, Jesus was fulfilling Scripture, even on the cross to prove who He was, the Messiah.