I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: writing is hard. Inevitably, just after I push the “Send” button in Substack, I read through something I’ve written for the fifth time and I find typos or a botched sentence. Sometimes, something smacks me in the face that I’ve completely forgotten. I pray a lot while I’m writing and before I press “Send” for the Lord to help me avoid any substantive or doctrinal errors, and thus far He’s kept me on the right path. But I had one of those, “Argh! I can’t believe I forgot to mention that!!” moments the other day. So, here’s another post to follow on about complaining.
When Jesus was hanging on the cross, he came to God with a complaint. Yep, it’s true.
Let’s look at Matthew 27, which records the death of Jesus on the cross. There’s a similar account in Mark 15.
The Death of Jesus
45 Now from the sixth hour[a] there was darkness over all the land[b] until the ninth hour.[c] 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
Notice in verse 46 that he says “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” That’s Aramaic and Matthew provides a helpful translation into Greek (which is then translated into English): “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Here, Jesus is quoting from Psalm 22, verse 1. If you look back at our previous discussion about Psalms of Complaint, you’ll find Psalm 22 listed.
So, Jesus is complaining to God. Importantly, he’s not grumbling, a distinction we made in the previous article. He’s deep into obedience at this point, the deepest obedience possible, in fact. Even though he was praying just hours earlier for God to take this cup from him, he has been obedient, and now God’s eternal plan is about to come to fruition.
But in the middle of that suffering, God turns away from Jesus and severs the spiritual connection with him. God pours out the full measure of his punishment and wrath at Jesus for the sin that he’s bearing — our sin, yours and mine.
During that time, Jesus is alone like he’s never been alone before. Nobody is with him. The humans can’t comfort him. Satan is laughing at him. The Father has turned his back on him.
He’s utterly alone — forsaken.
And in that pain and agony, he cries out with the words from a Psalm of Complaint. “Why have you forsaken me?”
Of course, Jesus knows the answer. It’s a rhetorical question. This is part of the punishment.
Living humans have never experienced this. Yes, sometimes God feels like he’s far away, but the reality is that we can call on him at any time. God is close to even the most sinful people, trying to get their attention.
What Jesus experienced was hell, God’s complete turning away and his wrath. Humans will experience this in the lake of fire.
What are our take aways from this passage?
Even Jesus complained, but he didn’t grumble. He didn’t second guess God’s plan. He was obedient. He accepted the Father’s will and conformed his own will to the Father’s. But he cried out to God when he felt alone. You can do that, too.
Jesus experienced compete and utter solitude He was forsaken and abandoned to his task. That is the definition of hell, and while living humans have not experienced this, ever, those who reject Jesus’s free offer of salvation will be forced to experience it after judgement.
Today’s Prayer
Holy Father, creator of all things, the Ancient of Days, we love you. May your will be done and your Kingdom flourish. Thank you for showing us that coming to you with valid complaints is not only okay, but that it’s even right and proper. As Jesus cried out to you in his aloneness, help us to realize that we can always cry out to you in our aloneness as well. Help us to lay our cares and worries before you. We know that Jesus is the only one capable of bearing all these things for us. Amen.
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I don't think it was a complaint - more of a rhetorical question. The separation from his Father was the worst part of the sin He took on. So much love for us. No way to comprehend it...
Jesus was quoting Psalm 22 with HIS last breath.
1My God, my God,
why have You forsaken me?
HE was pointing out that Psalm and when HE said “It is finished”, HE meant that HE had fulfilled prophesy.
HE did NOT complain in HIS last breath.