Why?
Scripture Reading: Exodus 6-8; Matthew 17; Psalm 22
Psalm 22 is one of the most remarkable prophetic passages in all Scripture. Written by David nearly a thousand years before Christ, it paints a vivid picture of the suffering Messiah. It is as if David himself stood at the foot of the Cross, recording the agonies of Jesus.
In the hours of darkness, as the weight of sin and God-forsakenness crushed Him, Jesus cried out the most haunting words of this psalm:
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Each word of that cry holds unfathomable depth. How can the eternal Son of God be forsaken by His Father? How can God experience separation from God? These are mysteries that transcend human comprehension.
Throughout history, theologians have sought to explain this. Some answers are helpful, yet none can fully unveil the mystery. And that’s okay. Moses reminds us, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God” (Deuteronomy 29:29). Faith is not about dissecting every mystery but standing in awe before the One who reveals Himself through them. Not fully understanding does not mean we shrug our shoulders and walk away from this text as if not knowing meant we can’t find great value in it.
What we can know is this:
Jesus was forsaken so that we would never have to be. Athanasius wrote, “The Lord suffered these things not for Himself, but for us.”
The cry of dereliction shows a God who enters our suffering. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer reflected, “It speaks of a God who does not remain distant from human agony but takes it upon Himself in the person of Christ.”
Today, as you read Psalm 22, let its words move you to worship. Stand in awe of the God who became man, bore our sins, and cried out in agony so that we might cry out to Him in hope.