Suffering has a way of making us feel isolated. My friend has struggled with clinical depression since she was ten years old. She once described her suffering as being alone on an island. She said she felt like no one was near her, no one could see her, no one could hear her cries, and no one would be there for her. She felt abandoned.

Suffering often causes this kind of isolation. Perhaps you have felt alone as you experienced some kind of suffering. Maybe you have struggled with mental health—like my friend—or maybe you have recently lost a loved one or are dealing with sickness or physical pain. When these feelings come over us and cause us to feel alone and abandoned, we can find comfort in the person of Jesus. He, too, was acquainted with the feeling of abandonment, as we see from His words on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).

Was Jesus Abandoned by God on the Cross?

These were some of the last words that Jesus spoke before He breathed His last and died, and they are clearly words of anguish. But this is not the first time these words have been spoken. Many years before Jesus was born, David wrote these words in a Psalm when he was experiencing suffering and oppression from his enemies (Psalm 22:1). This has led some scholars to speculate the significance of Jesus quoting these words on the cross.

Some scholars argue that through quoting this first part of the psalm, Jesus was alluding also to its end, when David praises God for the victory He brought him. In Psalm 22:24, David writes,

“For he has not despised or abhorred

the affliction of the afflicted,

and he has not hidden his face from him,

but has heard, when he cried to him” (ESV).

So some argue that Jesus is not implying God’s absence on the cross but rather the victory that is soon to come through His resurrection.

Others argue that Jesus is indeed experiencing God’s absence. They will say that God turns His face away from Jesus and leaves Him isolated on the cross in order for Jesus to truly experience the weight and consequences of the sin and brokenness of our world.

The truth is that the Gospel writers do not tell us exactly what is happening theologically here when Jesus cries out these words. It is possible that Jesus had His coming victory in mind, and it is possible that He was truly separated from God in this moment, but we do not know for sure.

What we do know is that He is experiencing excruciating physical suffering at this moment. More than that, He is also bearing the weight of all our sin. This pain, suffering, grief, and isolation are greater than anything we will ever know no matter what the precise details are. We can presume then that He felt suffering and abandonment unlike anything we have felt.

But how He responds to this suffering, pain, and abandonment is significant. He cries out to the Lord. Even as He questions and begs for God’s presence, He still turns to Him. He still recognizes Him as “ My God.” And He turns to Scripture. When His suffering is great, and His agony is overwhelming, He turns to what He knows—God’s Word.

What Jesus’s Words on the Cross Mean for Us

Jesus only went through this experience because of us. He only felt this anguish and abandonment so that we could be saved (Romans 5:8, 2 Corinthians 5:21). And the result of His suffering changes everything about ours. Scripture tells us that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38–39), that He will be with us always (Matthew 28:20), and that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Because of Christ’s death, we are guaranteed God’s constant presence with us.

When her depression reached a breaking point, my friend had a traumatic and life-threatening experience. But through it, God brought her friendships, support, community, and ultimately transformation that was only possible through Christ’s work in her. She later told me she realized that this whole time she believed she was on an island alone. But through this experience, she realized she had been facing the wrong direction—she had been facing the sea. All she needed was to turn around to see that God—and His church—were right there behind her. She was not abandoned.

When our suffering causes us to feel abandoned, we too can turn around and see the face of God, who never leaves us. Like Jesus, we can call to mind the words of Scripture and draw comfort from these promises and know that we are never truly alone.

Author Bio:

Beth White is a Staff Writer for The Daily Grace Co. She is passionate about studying and teaching God’s Word. When she is not writing about the Bible, you can find her reading classics, drinking coffee with friends, or spending time with her family.

Additional Resources:

Jesus Is Better | Hebrews Bible Study		The Prayer Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to the Practice of Prayer		Daily Grace | How Jesus Answers Our Heartache with Himself		Never Alone Bible Study		Gospel Hope for Sadness
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