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Mark 15:34
ESV And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
NIV And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?' (which means 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?').
NASB At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, 'ELOI, ELOI, LEMA SABAKTANEI?' which is translated, 'MY God, MY God, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?'
CSB And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni? " which is translated, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? "
NLT Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?' which means 'My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?'
KJV And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

What does Mark 15:34 mean?

Many question why Jesus displayed such anguish when anticipating the cross in the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:32–42). He told Peter, James, and John, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death" (Mark 14:34). He submissively pled with God to avoid what was about to happen. "And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:44).

Since that moment, He has been betrayed, arrested, abandoned, tortured, and nailed to a cross. Still, many wonder why He was so seemingly reluctant. He "only" suffered six hours on the cross. From the arrest until His death was less than a full day. And the moment He died, He was back in heaven (Luke 23:43).

Jesus the physical, earth-born man suffers in the courtyards and on the cross, but Jesus, God the Son, suffers far worse. For the first time ever, He feels separated from God the Father. Trying to articulate this in any meaningful way all-but-guarantees falling into accidental heresy. The exact nature of the Trinity, by definition, is beyond human understanding. But Scripture is clear that Jesus' sacrificial execution on the cross involves something far, far greater and more spiritual than merely the death of the body. In some esoteric way, the Trinity, the reality of holy unity and love, is impacted. Jesus is suffering, but even worse, He is suffering alone.

The words Jesus speaks are found at the beginning of Psalm 22, another important prophecy about the Messiah. Rather than this being a shout of confusion, or uncertainty, what Jesus says here is a reminder of what is happening, and why.

Taken out of context, it appears Jesus is asking God for information, but Jesus knows exactly why God is forsaking Him. It is because the weight of the sin of the world has been placed on Jesus' shoulders, and God cannot bear to see it or be in communion with He who bears it. It is still appropriate for Jesus to ask. The cry expresses His emotional turmoil as well as the moral unfairness of His situation. He isn't sinful. But "for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).
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