Rev. James D. Conley, D.D., S.T.L. | Diocese of Lincoln website

The theological query regarding Jesus’ cry of forsakenness on the cross prompts significant discourse about the nature of the relationship between God the Father and Jesus Christ. The core of the question deals with the apparent contradiction presented in the Bible when Jesus, on the cross, asks, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" This question arises in context with the consubstantial nature of the Father and the Son as stated in the Creed.

The Reformed view, emerging in the 16th century, interprets Christ’s Passion and death as him bearing the sins and the resultant wrath of God on behalf of the elect. This understanding predicates that God transferred all the sins of the elect onto Jesus, resulting in God’s wrath being directed at his Son. Martin Luther’s influential 1519 homily characterized this perspective, stating, “gaze at the heavenly picture of Christ... when he spoke the words on the cross... ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’” Thabiti Anyábwile further elaborated, “At 3 o’clock that dark Friday afternoon,... something was torn in the very fabric of the relationship between Father and Son.”

However, this Reformed view presents challenges when viewed through a Catholic lens. Critics argue that it suggests an unjust act by God, as Jesus was innocent, and it undermines the nature of Christ’s sacrifice if he were seen as blemished by sin. Contrary to this, the Catholic understanding emphasizes Christ’s obedience and love in his self-offering, rather than a punitive transaction of wrath.

In the Catholic view, the Father did not abandon the Son but rather withheld certain aspects of divine protection and consolation for the Son to fully experience human suffering. This was necessary for Jesus to make a perfect sacrifice. The Father and Son remained united, even in this moment, as the Son’s self-offering on the cross was seen as an act of unparalleled beauty and commitment, securing the Father's favor and addressing the problem of sin.

This theological explanation was provided by Chad Steiner from the Emmaus Institute for Biblical Studies in Lincoln.