“About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?‘ (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’).” Matthew 27:46
While Luke and John tell us about other things that Jesus said while on the cross, Matthew and Mark include only this one statement.
Luke records Jesus praying, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (23:34) Later he tells the trusting thief next to him, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” (23:43) Finally, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (23:46).
John includes Jesus directing the care of his mother (19:27) and the memorable declaration: “It is finished.” (19:30)
These statements in Luke and John seem to carry a sense of strength even in suffering. Yet Jesus’ statement in Matthew and Mark feels heavy, doesn’t it?
“My God, my God, Why have you forsaken me?”
We have a sense of the agony of suffering that Jesus anticipated and wrestled with in prayer in Gethsemane. “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” (Matthew 26:39)
Now, experiencing the agony of crucifixion in all its Roman intended horror, Jesus cries out – not only in physical pain, but in experiential loneliness.
Why do these statements of Jesus in Matthew and Mark seems so different from those in Luke and John? Let’s take a closer look.
What may not be obvious to us at first is that the this statement – ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ – is the first line of Psalm 22.
While I’m going to reference a few verses from it here, it would be valuable for you to pause and read Psalm 22 in its entirety.
In fact, there are several allusions from Psalm 22 picked up in the Gospels.
“All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads.” (Psalm 22:7)
“My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth” (Psalm 22:15)
“They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.” (Psalm 22:18)
Since Jesus’ words are the first line of this Psalm, and several other statements from the Psalm are connected to Jesus, we should see where the Psalm goes…
“But you, Lord, do not be far from me.
You are my strength; come quickly to help me.” (Psalm 22:19)
“I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you.
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.” (Psalm 22:22-24)
Here we begin to see the connections, not only between the various statements of Jesus from the cross, but also the connection between Friday and Sunday – Between the anguish of the cross and the victory of the resurrection.
Psalm 22 is the testimony of the righteous sufferer. As Jesus cries out in his moment of greatest agony, the words he chooses are not random. They are the words of Psalm 22. They are the words that express the deep pain of the cross, yet in faith of his Father’s vindication.
Psalm 22 ends in victory. In it we big a bit of the picture of the huge scope of redemption that God is bringing about in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
“All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the Lord
and he rules over the nations.
All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!” (Psalm 22:27-31)
He has done it!
Praise the Lord!
Going Deeper 
Amen!