Why did Jesus say ‘My God, My God why have you forsaken me?

So for those who do not want to read through my entire paper I will summarize it below for a more concise version of my theological position based upon the Unity of the Trinity.

These are just some thoughts to ponder before I post my summary of the OP.

When Jesus said, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me,’
what do you think He meant?”

Before we interpret that verse… what do we know is always true about God?

1-God is Triune
2-God is One in unity
3-God is love
4-God does not contradict Himself

If God is truly one and cannot be divided…
can the Father actually abandon the Son?

The thesis paper is based off of a misunderstanding of Psalm 22:1 So what else is happening in Psalm 22?

Mocking
Piercing
Casting lots

Psalm 22:24 says God has not hidden His face from Him.

Jesus final words were these: Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit. Does that sound like separation—or trust?

Jesus is expressing real suffering on the cross—deep anguish. But that doesn’t mean the Father actually left Him?

The Trinity isn’t broken at the cross—They are working together accomplishing atonement, forgiveness, redemption, salvation etc..... The cross doesn’t show God divided…it shows God united in love to save us.

Have you ever felt like God was distant?
What’s the difference between feeling abandoned and actually being abandoned?
Do you think David is saying God had abandon him in Psalm 22:1 ?
How does this change how you see what Jesus went through?

Even when it feels like God is distant…He is not absent. Just like the Father was with the Son.

Summary to follow.............

hope this helps !!!
 

The Nature of God in the Atonement: Did the Father Forsake the Son?​


One of the most discussed and often misunderstood statements in Scripture is Jesus’ cry from the cross: My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?

Many interpret this to mean that the Father turned away from the Son, poured out His wrath upon Him, and temporarily abandoned Him. It is often said that God is too holy to look upon sin, and therefore He could not look upon Christ at that moment.

But is this understanding consistent with the full testimony of Scripture? And more importantly, does it align with the nature of God as revealed in the Bible?

Scripture reveals that God is Triune—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and that God is in perfect harmony and unity. The persons of the Trinity exist in inseparable communion. God is not divided, does not act against Himself, and does not exist in tension within His own being.

This unity means that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit always act in harmony. There is no conflict, no opposition, and no rupture within God.

Therefore, any understanding of the cross must be consistent with this foundational truth: God is one, and His unity cannot be broken.

Can the Father Be Separated from the Son?​


If God is truly one in essence and being, then the idea that the Father abandoned or turned away from the Son raises a serious question:

Can God be divided against Himself?

The doctrine often referred to as perichoresis teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit mutually indwell one another. The Father is never absent from the Son, nor the Son from the Father.

This means that even at the cross, the unity of the Trinity remains intact.

To suggest that the Father poured out wrath on the Son in a way that implies separation introduces a division within the Godhead that Scripture does not support.

Perichoresis​


1-The Trinity is inseparable- mutual indwelling of Father, Son, Spirit

2-Therefore, the Father was not actually absent from the Son

3-Jesus’s cry reflects real human experience, without causing a rupture in the divine relationship

The doctrine of perichoresis—the mutual indwelling of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—affirms that the persons of the Trinity exist in inseparable communion. The Father is never absent from the Son, nor the Son from the Father. John 14:10; John 17:21; 2 Corinthians 5:19

Therefore, when Jesus cries, ‘My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me,’ this should not be understood as an actual rupture within the Trinity. Rather, in His humanity, Christ is entering into and expressing the depth of human alienation and suffering under sin.

Interpreting Jesus’ Words in Context​


When Jesus cries out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me,” He is quoting the opening line of Psalm 22:1.

This is important. Psalm 22 is not a statement of despair alone—it is a prophetic Psalm that describes suffering in remarkable detail and ultimately moves toward vindication and trust in God.

Within Psalm 22 we find:

  • Mocking and scorn
  • Pierced hands and feet
  • Casting lots for garments

These details closely parallel the crucifixion accounts in the Gospels.

But just as important is what the Psalm says later:

He has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
nor has He hidden His face from Him;
but when He cried to Him, He heard.” (Psalm 22:24)

This verse explicitly states that God did not hide His face from the afflicted one.

Jesus’ Final Words: Trust, Not Separation​


In another Gospel account, Jesus’ final words are: Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

This statement reflects trust, relationship, and confidence—not abandonment.

If the Father had truly turned away from the Son, these words would be difficult to reconcile. Instead, they affirm that even in His suffering, Jesus entrusts Himself fully to the Father.

What Does “Forsaken” Mean?​

If Jesus was not actually abandoned by the Father, then what does His cry mean?

The answer lies in understanding the depth of what Christ was experiencing.

Jesus is expressing real human anguish. He is entering fully into the suffering, pain, and weight of the human condition. His words reflect the experience of deep distress and affliction, as expressed in Psalm 22.

However, this does not indicate a literal separation within the Trinity or a withdrawal of the Father’s presence.

Rather we have the language of “forsaken” expresses the depth of Christ’s suffering and His identification with humanity, not an actual abandonment by the Father.

The Cross Reveals Unity, Not Division​

The New Testament consistently describes the cross as:
  • The Father giving the Son
  • The Son willingly laying down His life
  • A unified work of redemption
At no point does the New Testament explicitly describe the Father as punishing the Son or directing wrath toward Him.

Instead, the emphasis is on:
  • Love
  • Obedience
  • Sacrifice
  • Reconciliation
As Scripture says: “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.” (2 Corinthians 5:19)

This means that at the cross:
  • The Father was not absent
  • The Son was not isolated
  • The Trinity was not divided

Conclusion​

Jesus’ cry from the cross is one of the most profound expressions of suffering in all of Scripture. But it must be understood in light of the full counsel of God’s Word and the nature of God Himself.

When we do that, we see:
  • The Trinity remains united
  • The Father does not abandon the Son
  • Christ truly experiences human suffering
  • The cross reveals God’s love, not division within God
The cross is not a moment where God is turned against Himself. It is the moment where the triune God works in perfect unity to accomplish redemption.

The above is my readers digest version in the hope we may have more discussion about this topic.

hope this helps !!!
 
civic said:

The Nature of God in the Atonement: Did the Father Forsake the Son?​


One of the most discussed and often misunderstood statements in Scripture is Jesus’ cry from the cross: My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?

Many interpret this to mean that the Father turned away from the Son, poured out His wrath upon Him, and temporarily abandoned Him. It is often said that God is too holy to look upon sin, and therefore He could not look upon Christ at that moment.

But is this understanding consistent with the full testimony of Scripture? And more importantly, does it align with the nature of God as revealed in the Bible?

Scripture reveals that God is Triune—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and that God is in perfect harmony and unity. The persons of the Trinity exist in inseparable communion. God is not divided, does not act against Himself, and does not exist in tension within His own being.

This unity means that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit always act in harmony. There is no conflict, no opposition, and no rupture within God.

Therefore, any understanding of the cross must be consistent with this foundational truth: God is one, and His unity cannot be broken.

Can the Father Be Separated from the Son?​


If God is truly one in essence and being, then the idea that the Father abandoned or turned away from the Son raises a serious question:

Can God be divided against Himself?

The doctrine often referred to as perichoresis teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit mutually indwell one another. The Father is never absent from the Son, nor the Son from the Father.

This means that even at the cross, the unity of the Trinity remains intact.

To suggest that the Father poured out wrath on the Son in a way that implies separation introduces a division within the Godhead that Scripture does not support.

Perichoresis​


1-The Trinity is inseparable- mutual indwelling of Father, Son, Spirit

2-Therefore, the Father was not actually absent from the Son

3-Jesus’s cry reflects real human experience, without causing a rupture in the divine relationship

The doctrine of perichoresis—the mutual indwelling of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—affirms that the persons of the Trinity exist in inseparable communion. The Father is never absent from the Son, nor the Son from the Father. John 14:10; John 17:21; 2 Corinthians 5:19

Therefore, when Jesus cries, ‘My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me,’ this should not be understood as an actual rupture within the Trinity. Rather, in His humanity, Christ is entering into and expressing the depth of human alienation and suffering under sin.

Interpreting Jesus’ Words in Context​


When Jesus cries out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me,” He is quoting the opening line of Psalm 22:1.

This is important. Psalm 22 is not a statement of despair alone—it is a prophetic Psalm that describes suffering in remarkable detail and ultimately moves toward vindication and trust in God.

Within Psalm 22 we find:

  • Mocking and scorn
  • Pierced hands and feet
  • Casting lots for garments

These details closely parallel the crucifixion accounts in the Gospels.

But just as important is what the Psalm says later:

He has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
nor has He hidden His face from Him;
but when He cried to Him, He heard.” (Psalm 22:24)

This verse explicitly states that God did not hide His face from the afflicted one.

Jesus’ Final Words: Trust, Not Separation​


In another Gospel account, Jesus’ final words are: Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

This statement reflects trust, relationship, and confidence—not abandonment.

If the Father had truly turned away from the Son, these words would be difficult to reconcile. Instead, they affirm that even in His suffering, Jesus entrusts Himself fully to the Father.

What Does “Forsaken” Mean?​

If Jesus was not actually abandoned by the Father, then what does His cry mean?

The answer lies in understanding the depth of what Christ was experiencing.

Jesus is expressing real human anguish. He is entering fully into the suffering, pain, and weight of the human condition. His words reflect the experience of deep distress and affliction, as expressed in Psalm 22.

However, this does not indicate a literal separation within the Trinity or a withdrawal of the Father’s presence.

Rather we have the language of “forsaken” expresses the depth of Christ’s suffering and His identification with humanity, not an actual abandonment by the Father.

The Cross Reveals Unity, Not Division​

The New Testament consistently describes the cross as:
  • The Father giving the Son
  • The Son willingly laying down His life
  • A unified work of redemption
At no point does the New Testament explicitly describe the Father as punishing the Son or directing wrath toward Him.

Instead, the emphasis is on:
  • Love
  • Obedience
  • Sacrifice
  • Reconciliation
As Scripture says: “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.” (2 Corinthians 5:19)

This means that at the cross:
  • The Father was not absent
  • The Son was not isolated
  • The Trinity was not divided

Conclusion​

Jesus’ cry from the cross is one of the most profound expressions of suffering in all of Scripture. But it must be understood in light of the full counsel of God’s Word and the nature of God Himself.

When we do that, we see:
  • The Trinity remains united
  • The Father does not abandon the Son
  • Christ truly experiences human suffering
  • The cross reveals God’s love, not division within God
The cross is not a moment where God is turned against Himself. It is the moment where the triune God works in perfect unity to accomplish redemption.

The above is my readers digest version in the hope we may have more discussion about this topic.

hope this helps !!!
Click to expand...
Spot on as far as I am concerned. I have no suggestions at this point.

Doug
 

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