Did God Turn His Back On Jesus On The Cross?

The Bible teaches that there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10,44:6-8,45:6; James 2:19). Yet, God is three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who are one in a divine and mysterious unity.

One might question: How could God, in His unified Trinity, turn His back and abandon Himself? In the context of the Trinity, the phrase 'turned His back' in reference to God can only be metaphorical. After all, God is omnipresent and spiritual. The only person of the Trinity with a literal 'back' is Jesus. This understanding reaffirms the unity and constancy of the Trinity, providing a sense of comfort and security in our faith.

The primary proof text used for this theory is;

"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?" (Matthew 27:46; see Psalm 22:1)

The word "forsaken" (Gk: 'egkataleipódoes') does not mean to abandon in a context where God removes His presence (see Psalm 9:9-10,37:28-29,71:10-11). The words used relate to the writer's feeling that God seems to be letting one of His people fall into the hands of His enemies for His purposes until He deems it time to rescue them.

The fact is that this theory is not supported in the Bible. It's quite the opposite. God did not turn His back on Jesus, nor will He turn His back on us. Jesus could not have been separated from the divine Godhead because only God could pay the perfect price. If that were possible, it would have negated the divinity of Jesus. As Scripture says, "Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!" (Psalm 139:7-8 ESV)

On the Cross, Jesus quoted the first verse of the Messianic Psalm 22. In doing so, He not only became the once and for all sin-bearer and final sacrifice but also fulfilled a prophecy that had been foretold by King David. This emphasis on the prophetic nature of Jesus' words can inspire a sense of enlightenment and inspiration in the audience, strengthening their faith in the divine plan.

The misconception that God abandoned Jesus on the Cross is based on a Western cultural understanding and not on what the people of Jesus' day would have understood in the context of what He said within their culture.

When Jesus quoted Psalm 22, He used a common teaching method known as 'Remez,' that every Jew and Rabbi would understand. The word 'Remez' comes from a family of Semitic languages that includes Hebrew, Arabic, Aramaic, and other ancient languages such as Phoenician and Akkadian and means 'hint' or a recalling to the mind something that everyone would know and understand without needing further explanation. It is a kind of mental shorthand used to memorize Scripture.

The Gospels use 'Remez' words and phrases over 300 times. For example, the words "daily bread" in the Lord's Prayer are a 'Remez' back to the daily Manna in the wilderness (Matthew 6:11).

When a Rabbi would say the first line of a well-known Scripture verse, every Jew would immediately understand the context to declare God Almighty's perfect power, love, and total control, over what was happening. The Jews understood that Jesus was saying His crucifixion fulfilled that Messianic Prophecy. When Jesus spoke His last words on the Cross, "It is Finished," He also quoted the last words of Psalm 22, "He has done it!" (John 19:30; Psalm 22:31 ESV). Jesus used two 'Remez' references to the first and last phrases of Psalm 22, which suggests He intended a 'Remez' understanding of His last words by referencing the Psalm twice.

The simple truth is that God has NEVER "hidden his face from him…" turned His back on Jesus, nor was He ever forsaken (Psalm 22:24). Jesus made it clear that the Father and the Holy Spirit were in perfect and total control and right there with Him, never forsaking Him, or turning their back on Him, loving and nurturing Him till His last human breath.

First Century Jews understood that Psalms 22, 23, and 24 were "the shepherd Psalms" of David and were viewed as a united whole. In His last words, Jesus invoked the totality of those Psalms as His final prayer statement and identified Himself as the Messiah in how He would die (Psalm 22), stated His hope and trust in the ever-present Father (Psalm 23), and envisioned His triumphant return to Heaven (Psalm 24) in this progression of the Good Shepherd (Psalm 22), the Great Shepherd (Psalm 23) and the Chief Shepherd (Psalm 24).

The proof that the Father did not turn his back on Jesus is contained in Psalm 22:24, which says, "Neither has He turned His face from Him." Jesus affirmed His confidence that "…nor has He hidden His face from him; But when he cried to Him for help, He heard." Jesus reassured the disciples, "an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me" (John 19:13 ESV). The Psalm does not end death but the resurrection of Jesus, who would rise from the dead and declare to them what the Lord has done in the great congregation.