Why did the Father turn away from Christ on the Cross?

[tshaw97]

Can you please tell me why God turned His face away from Christ as He hung on the Cross? I don’t understand how this can be, with as much suffering as Christ was experiencing during His Passion. I understand that Christ became our sin, and that God hates all sin, but Christ was still God’s Son, so why did God turn His face away from His Son?. Thanks for your help.

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

The Father didn’t turn away from His Son as He hung on the cross. Jesus didn’t have to die on the cross. He chose to: “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No-one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.”—John 10:17

The expression that Jesus became sin is only figurative in that He paid the price for sin. He did not literally become sin. He couldn’t because He is God and pure good.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P