Mark 15:34

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Mark 15:34 (KJV)

Context

This verse captures a significant moment during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. At the ninth hour, about 3 p.m. by Jewish reckoning, Jesus cried out with a loud voice. Darkness had covered the land from noon until that hour, deepening the somber atmosphere and underscoring the gravity of the event.

The words Jesus spoke, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” are Aramaic, the language He and many in Palestine spoke. Translated, they mean “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” This is a direct quotation of Psalm 22:1. By invoking this psalm, Jesus expressed His anguish and highlighted the prophetic significance of His suffering, fulfilling Scripture in that very moment.

Meaning

Jesus’ cry does not imply permanent separation or literal abandonment by God. Rather, it reveals the weight of sin He bore on the cross. As the sinless Son of God, He willingly took humanity’s sins upon Himself, enduring the separation from the Father that sin necessitates. This separation was central to His redemptive work, as He offered Himself as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.

This cry also shows the depth of Jesus’ identification with human suffering. He was fully conscious and deliberate, crying with a loud voice. His words are not a denial of His divinity but an expression of His experience of abandonment in our place. The immediate context includes mockers who misunderstood His cry as a call to Elijah (Mark 15:35-36), yet the centurion’s confession, “Truly this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39), contrasts with the apparent abandonment, revealing Jesus’ identity even in this cry.

Biblical connections

Psalm 22:1 is the source of Jesus’ words, and the psalm as a whole describes suffering that foreshadows the Messiah’s passion. Matthew 27:46 records a parallel account with the Hebrew form “Eli, Eli,” meaning the same. This is the only saying from the cross recorded by Mark, and it fulfills the psalmist’s lament in the Messiah’s suffering.

Application

This verse reminds believers of Jesus’ profound sacrifice and the love that motivated Him to endure the cross. It encourages us to approach God with our own feelings of abandonment or despair, knowing that Jesus empathizes with our struggles through His own experience. His death and resurrection make salvation and reconciliation with God available to all who place their faith in Him.

Reflection

In times of seeming forsakenness, we can trust that God is present, just as He was in Christ’s darkest hour. The cry of abandonment points to the cost of redemption and invites us to rest in the hope that God never truly leaves His people.