Question: Relating to the Trinity, explain why Jesus said in Matthew 27:46, my God my God why have you forsaken me?

Dean and Celia

Answer: Dear Dean and Celia,

Matthew 27:46 is a quotation of Psalms 22:1 – and is not a statement that Jesus was not God in the flesh as some, particularly those who have been influenced by Jehovah’s Witness interpretations, think. Jesus, as the second person of the triune Godhead, was expressing, in some way that none of us will completely understand on this side of eternity, the enormous weight of sin, the solitude, and the fact that in accepting that sin he was humanly (remember Jesus was 100% human and 100% divine) outside of the holiness of God. He could never be outside of God’s holiness as God, for he was God and remains God.

This question often arises out of Matthew 22:44 – where Jesus quotes David, "The Lord said to my Lord…" and John 10:34 – "…you are gods" as some attempt to see that as two Gods, not one God who is triune.

In John 10, verse 30, Jesus had just said that "I and my Father are one" – and Jesus quoted Psalms 82:6 in response, where the Psalm addressed judges who are not ruling justly. The title of "gods" is used here for judges who have "God-like" powers in decisions and rulings, and Jesus was showing that if the Old Testament gives divine "status" (as Romans 13 notes – the powers that be are ordained of God) to judges, then why is it incredible that he would be the Eternal Son of God?

Hope this helps!

Greg Albrecht