Scripture: Mark 15:33-34 “At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)
Devotional: When God feels far off and distant, or when we struggle to feel connected to Jesus, these words can help remind us of just how human Jesus was.
Have we not all felt forsaken at times?
In this, his most human and vulnerable moment, Jesus is both crying out to God in His humanity and also proclaiming His deity as He quotes Psalm 22, which centuries before prophesied the suffering of the Messiah. He speaks of what is, what was, and what is to come.
When we feel abandoned, as Jesus did when he cried out to his Father, we can be reminded that, just as there was purpose and meaning in Jesus’ suffering, so there is in ours as well.
Reflect:
- How might the anguish of Jesus’ cry to God encourage you when you struggle with wondering if He is truly near?