A Lot Can Happen in 7 Days - But Today We Reflect on Friday

As I’ve been sitting here this Friday the words found in Mark ring loudly in my mind.
 
“And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" (which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) - Mark 15:34 NIV

Sadness fills my heart. Tears slowly begin to fill my eyes. The agony and pain of my Savior is heavy. I think about the relationship between the Father and His Son —perfect love, perfect unity, perfect fellowship from eternity past. But I can’t help but to ask - why in that moment did Jesus cry out to His God instead of His Father?

While hanging on the cross… something shifts. Not in their love. Not in their unity. But in their roles.

I argue that if Jesus the Son had called on God His Father, the plan of salvation would have collapsed. In that moment, if Jesus - His only begotten son - would have cried out, “Father, Father - why have You forsaken me?”. The Father - His Father - because of His love for His son surely would have sent heaven’s armies rushing to rescue Him. As a parent I can’t stand to see my children cry…and in that moment I’m sure His Father could not bear the cry of His Son.
 
But a sacrifice had to be made. God’s will had to be done.
 
So instead of crying, “Father,” Jesus cried, “My God.” Because in that moment the Father was not acting as Father. He was acting as Judge.

Jesus was not standing as Son. He was standing as Substitute. The Substitute for our transgressions. Substitute for our sins. Substitute for our punishment.
 
He cried out “My God, My God why have You forsaken me?”, because in that moment He wasn’t calling His Father for rescue…He was calling His God for redemption.
 
He was calling on the God that had to remain the righteous Judge because in that moment He was The Christ…the willing sacrifice.
 
“My God, My God why have You forsaken me?”

Not because the relationship was broken, but because the assignment required distance.

“My God, My God why have You forsaken me?”

Not because love had disappeared, but because wrath had to be poured out.

“My God, My God why have You forsaken me?”

Not because the Father abandoned the Son, but because the Son stepped into our abandonment.

Jesus took our place so fully that He prayed our prayer. He felt our distance so deeply that He cried our cry.

And God stayed silent—not out of rejection, but out of commitment to redeem every one of us.

So today, I encourage us all to sit with the weight of that moment. When Jesus stood in our place. When He carried what belonged to us. When He cried the cry that should have come from our own lips.

Do you hear the words of that old familiar hymn? Alas, and did my Savior bleed? And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I? Was it for sins that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! Grace unknown! And love beyond degree.

At the cross, at the cross...

It wasn't an accident. It wasn't a tragedy. It was an exchange. His righteousness for our rebellion. His obedience for our wandering. His life for our salvation.

"My God, My God why have You forsaken me?"

He cried out so we would never have to. He stood alone so we could stand in grace.