Read: Mark 15:33-41
Why have you forsaken me? (v. 34)
The prophet Isaiah’s characterization of Jesus as “a man of sorrows . . . acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3) is undeniable as the events of Jesus’ betrayal and crucifixion unfolded after the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus experienced betrayal by his closest friends as he cried out to God in the garden, and again as Judas turned him over to Roman authorities. Then, as Jesus hung on the wooden cross in undeniable agony, he experienced something many of us feel in our grief: Jesus felt alone.
“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice . . . ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (v. 34). When my miscarriage began, I asked God the same question. In the months after my baby died, I continued to feel alone and abandoned by God. Where was God in the midst of this muddled grief, shock, confusion, and hurt? You may be able to recall a handful of trying times in your life when you have asked God, “Why have you forsaken me?” Jesus’ life shows us that despite the circumstances we face, God truly never leaves or forsakes us.
In times of suffering, it may certainly feel as though God has turned his back. But the truth of the Scriptures points to a clear reality: God loves you and sees you, God has a plan for you, and God is in the business of bringing beauty out of the ashes in your life. A love like this never truly leaves you or forsakes you. —Rachel Lohman
As you pray, be honest with God about the times you have felt alone and forsaken.
About the Author
Rachel Lohman is the mom of two toddlers and founder of Hope Again Collective. She lives outside of Los Angeles where she helps lead a bilingual church, The Bridge Chino, alongside her husband, Mark.
