My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?
The sermon explores Christ's cry of despair, 'My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?', and reminds us that even in darkness, God has not really forsaken us.
C.H. Spurgeon reflects on the profound sorrow of Christ at Calvary, particularly during His anguished cry, 'My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?' He emphasizes that while believers may feel a temporary absence of God's presence, Christ experienced a true forsaking, which brought Him unparalleled spiritual agony. Spurgeon encourages those in distress to remember that God's seeming absence does not equate to actual forsaking, as God remains sovereign and present even in darkness. The sermon highlights the depth of Christ's suffering and the significance of His sacrifice for humanity's redemption.
Text
We here behold the Saviour in the depth of His sorrows. No other place so well shows the griefs of Christ as Calvary, and no other moment at Calvary is so full of agony as that in which His cry rends the air--"My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" At this moment physical weakness was united with acute mental torture from the shame and ignominy through which He had to pass; and to make His grief culminate with emphasis, He suffered spiritual agony surpassing all expression, resulting from the departure of His Father's presence. This was the black midnight of His horror; then it was that He descended the abyss of suffering. No man can enter into the full meaning of these words.
Some of us think at times that we could cry, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" There are seasons when the brightness of our Father's smile is eclipsed by clouds and darkness; but let us remember that God never does really forsake us. It is only a seeming forsaking with us, but in Christ's case it was a real forsaking. We grieve at a little withdrawal of our Father's love; but the real turning away of God's face from His Son, who shall calculate how deep the agony which it caused Him?
In our case, our cry is often dictated by unbelief: in His case, it was the utterance of a dreadful fact, for God had really turned away from Him for a season.
O thou poor, distressed soul, who once lived in the sunshine of God's face, but art now in darkness, remember that He has not really forsaken thee. God in the clouds is as much our God as when He shines forth in all the lustre of His grace; but since even the thought that He has forsaken us gives us agony, what must the woe of the Saviour have been when He exclaimed, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"
Sermon Outline
- The Saviour's Agony
- The depth of His sorrows at Calvary
- The physical and mental torture He endured
- The spiritual agony of being forsaken by God
Key Quotes
“No man can enter into the full meaning of these words.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“It is only a seeming forsaking with us, but in Christ's case it was a real forsaking.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“God in the clouds is as much our God as when He shines forth in all the lustre of His grace;” — C.H. Spurgeon
Application Points
- Even in darkness, God has not really forsaken us.
- We should remember that God is still with us, even in the clouds.
- Our cry of 'My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?' can be a sign of unbelief, but in Christ's case it was a real forsaking.