What does Jesus' cry in Mark 15:34 reveal about His human experience? Setting the Scene Mark 15:34: “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’” - The ninth hour is roughly 3 p.m., after three hours of supernatural darkness (Mark 15:33). - Jesus has endured betrayal, mockery, scourging, and crucifixion—fully conscious, fully aware. Word-by-Word Look at the Cry - “My God, My God”—personal relationship language; He still addresses the Father. - “Why have You forsaken Me?”—a real sense of abandonment, not imagined or symbolic. - Aramaic phrase “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani”—preserves the rawness of the moment. What the Cry Shows About Jesus’ Humanity - Genuine emotion: He expresses anguish just as any human would in extreme suffering. - Real vulnerability: Jesus doesn’t mask His feelings; He voices the deepest pain. - Identification with us: Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses…” - Physical, emotional, and spiritual pain converge: Isaiah 53:4-5 portrays this suffering Servant bearing our griefs and sorrows. - Dependence on the Father: Even in agony He directs His cry to God, modeling trust amid confusion. Fulfillment of Prophecy and Suffering Servant - Direct echo of Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”—signaling the entire psalm, which moves from anguish to ultimate victory. - Shows He is the prophesied Sufferer who turns lament into praise (Psalm 22:24-31). - Bearing sin’s penalty: 2 Corinthians 5:21—He became sin for us, experiencing the felt separation our sin deserves. Shared Suffering: Why It Matters to Us - Assurance He understands every depth of human pain. - Confidence that no cry of ours is beyond His empathy (Hebrews 2:17-18). - Validation for lament: Scripture invites honest questions and emotions before God. Takeaways for Life and Faith - Bring raw emotions to God; Jesus did. - Suffering is not evidence of lost sonship; the perfect Son felt forsaken yet remained obedient (Philippians 2:8). - God’s silence does not equal God’s absence; resurrection followed the cry. - Because He was forsaken, believers never will be (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). |
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