Did the Father Really Turn Away from Jesus on the Cross?

Many of us have heard it said that, in Jesus’ darkest moment on the cross, God the Father “turned away” from His Son. We picture Jesus, burdened with the world’s sin, abandoned and alone. This interpretation is often based on Jesus’ anguished cry: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). But does this mean that the Father literally turned away or abandoned the Son?

When we examine Scripture and the nature of the Trinity more closely, we find a picture of Jesus’ suffering that honors His full humanity and also maintains the unbreakable unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Here’s a look at what Jesus truly experienced on the cross, why He felt forsaken, and why the Father didn’t actually turn away.

1. The Unbreakable Unity of the Trinity

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one in essence and inseparable in purpose and being. This is a foundational aspect of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. The Father and the Son did not and cannot be divided, even during Jesus’ crucifixion. While Jesus, in His humanity, experienced a sense of abandonment on the cross, this does not mean that the Father literally withdrew from or “looked away” from the Son. Instead, the unity of the Trinity remained intact throughout Jesus’ suffering and death.

Jesus’ cry from the cross was not an indication of a breach in the divine relationship. Rather, it was an expression of the profound anguish He felt in His humanity as He bore the weight of sin. The Father and Spirit remained fully present, even as Jesus bore this unimaginable burden.

2. Forsakenness as an Experience of Sin’s Penalty

On the cross, Jesus was not only physically suffering; He was also taking on the full penalty of humanity’s sin. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” In bearing our sin, Jesus experienced the relational and spiritual alienation that sin brings—separation from God, guilt, and desolation.

In His humanity, Jesus felt the overwhelming weight of this separation, which is why He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This forsakenness was a reality He experienced because of the burden of sin, which disrupts the human experience of God’s presence. Yet, while Jesus felt the isolation and desolation that sin brings, this did not mean the Father literally abandoned or turned away from Him. The Father was fully aware and present, even as Jesus experienced the effects of separation that sin creates in our lives.

3. Jesus’ Cry and Psalm 22

Jesus’ cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” is a direct quotation of Psalm 22:1. This psalm begins with a cry of desolation, but it doesn’t end there. It goes on to express a deep trust in God’s deliverance and ultimately proclaims God’s faithfulness. By quoting this psalm, Jesus not only expressed His agony but also pointed to a fulfillment of Scripture and, ultimately, to hope in God’s victory.

Psalm 22 would have been well-known to those standing at the cross. By referencing it, Jesus was reminding them that His suffering was part of God’s redemptive plan. The psalm moves from despair to confidence, foreshadowing the triumph of the resurrection. Jesus’ use of this psalm shows that, even in His suffering, He was fulfilling God’s promises, and His apparent abandonment would ultimately lead to victory.

4. The Father’s Love and Presence with the Son on the Cross

Some suggest that the Father “turned away” because He could not look upon sin. However, this does not align with the Father’s love for the Son or with the purpose of Jesus’ sacrifice. In John 16:32, before His crucifixion, Jesus assured His disciples: “You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” This statement indicates that Jesus trusted the Father’s continual presence, even as He went to the cross.

It was the Father’s will that Jesus go to the cross, and the Son willingly obeyed this plan of redemption. The unity of purpose within the Trinity—Father, Son, and Spirit—means that while Jesus fully experienced the alienation of sin in His humanity, He was not ultimately abandoned. The Father’s love for the Son and their unified mission to redeem humanity remained steadfast, even as Jesus endured the darkness of the cross.

5. Understanding Forsakenness: Not a Literal Turning Away, but an Experience of Sin’s Effects

In summary, the idea of the Father “turning away” from Jesus is best understood figuratively, not literally. Jesus, in His human nature, felt the full depth of sin’s separation from God as He bore humanity’s guilt and shame. This feeling of abandonment was an experience of the relational separation that sin causes, not an actual division in the Trinity.

While Jesus did experience the desolation and isolation sin brings, the Father did not forsake or withdraw His love. The Father, Son, and Spirit remained united in their divine essence, working together to accomplish the redemption of humanity. Jesus was not alone, even in His darkest hour. His cry from the cross is a reminder of the gravity of sin, the extent of His suffering, and the depths of God’s love to redeem us.

The Cross: Unity, Love, and Sacrifice

When we look at the cross, we see both the horror of sin and the beauty of divine love. Jesus experienced the forsakenness of sin, yet the Father remained with Him in purpose and love. Rather than turning away, the Father allowed Jesus to fully experience the penalty of sin on our behalf—a weight that only He could bear.

The unity of the Trinity was never broken. Jesus’ experience of forsakenness shows us the relational cost of sin and the incredible depths of His love. The cross was not a moment of abandonment but a powerful expression of the Triune God’s commitment to redeem and restore humanity. As we reflect on the cross, we are reminded of a love that is willing to experience the ultimate sacrifice, not to turn away but to embrace us fully.

This perspective on the cross honors both Jesus’ humanity and the unbreakable unity of the Trinity. The Father didn’t “turn away” from the Son; rather, He was present, sustaining the Son as He fulfilled His mission to rescue us. The cross is the ultimate picture of love—a love that remains, even in the darkest hour, to bring us into the light.