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“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.”
—John 12:27
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Every time I take inventory of Jesus’ final days, I can’t help but notice his desperate prayers. There’s even that moment when Jesus questions why God has left him: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
We struggle with the idea that Jesus could let out such a prayer, so we develop different theories to cleanse the messiness of that moment. But at some point, these efforts are a mistake. Maybe we should sit with the tension and see what Scripture and Spirit can offer us.
The author of Hebrews claims that it was through pain, suffering, and ultimately death that Jesus fully entered the human experience, and for that reason he can sympathize with us when we are tempted (Hebrews 2:17–18; 5:15). Even Jesus, God’s perfect son, had to live through the greatest temptation, which is to believe God has abandoned us.
The One who lived in perfect union with the Father, the One who only did what he saw the Father doing, joined his voice to the universally human cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
When our Savior prayed these words, he was quoting Psalm 22, a Messianic psalm found in all four Gospels. But there’s more to this psalm’s narrative than the theme of abandonment—rather, it weaves a complex story of reconciliation and restoration, of intimacy and promise. While Psalm 22 may start with despair, it ends with delight. God’s promises are fulfilled, and Life is renewed.
Response
As we move into Holy Week, I want to challenge you to read Psalm 22. If you want to peek into the majesty and mystery of the Cross, it’s a great place to start.
Let’s not just skip ahead to what happens next Sunday. If you feel abandoned by God, pray into Psalm 22 and how it frames Jesus’s journey to the Cross. Of course, be humble before your God but for heaven’s sake be honest. He already knows your thoughts and can handle your words. Never forget that Jesus’s holiness creates space for your humanity.
Closing Thoughts
When we lay aside our pretenses and religious inhibitions, and lots of us like to play “religious” on Easter, we find the One who meets us in the messiness of our sin, pain, and desperation.
I can promise you, God does not despise you, He has not turned his back on you. The darkness is part of this week, but it has no place in Easter’s finale. Your moment of disorientation will become a monument to God’s grace and faithfulness. But you must first offer your cry to Him.
Praying with you,
Addison
P.S. I want to welcome those of you who’ve recently joined us on this journey of rediscovering prayer as a way of life. And if you don’t have Words with God: Trading Boring, Empty Prayer for Real Connection yet, you can get it on Amazon or through the Messenger store.
P.P.S. A big thank you to everyone who participated in last week’s survey on how I can better serve you with these prayer guides. If you missed the email and would like to share your thoughts with me, I’d love to hear from you. Here’s the link.
