The definition of “forsake” is to abandon, give up on or renounce something or someone. Why did God forsake Jesus and how do we know that happened?

As Jesus was on the cross dying, He asked God why God had forsaken Him. The book of Matthew chapter 27, verse 45 says, “From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. ⁴⁶ About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).”

1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” Jesus literally took on our sins, yours and mine. He chose to pick them up and place them on Himself. Jesus was without sin, but He chose to carry our sins to the cross. God cannot be in the presence of sin. When Jesus took our sins onto Himself, God the Father had to turn away from Jesus, He had to forsake Him.

Jesus endured the cross because of His love for you and because He knew once He had given His life as a sacrifice, we would be healed from our sins. Because Jesus died for us, God will never leave us or forsake us, (Deuteronomy 31:8). In fact, there is nothing at all that can separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus. Romans chapter 8, verse 38 says. ” . . . neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

That last portion of the promise is because we believe in Jesus. Once we believe in Jesus, there is absolutely nothing and no one that can ever separate us from the love of God. Never.

Let’s pray. Thank You Jesus for taking on the sins of each one of us. All we have to do is believe in you. Help us to keep our eyes on You, Jesus. In Your name we pray, amen.