Was Jesus an Atheist?

There are good arguments and bad arguments for atheism (just as their are good arguments and bad arguments for religion). But I have to say, one of the worst arguments I have seen to date for atheism is that Jesus was an atheist.

Yes. Some people make that claim.

It seems that some atheists use the season of Lent as an opportunity to renew their atheism, reading books by prominent atheist thinkers and recommitting themselves to their non-belief. It’s called “Atheism for Lent,” or as one blogger put it, “Giving Up God for Lent.”

This is but another example of how there is no creativity to be found in atheist philosophy, only denial. Its only rituals are parodies. It is not enough to simply not believe in God. Atheism co-opts religious practices, like the observance of Lent, to make a mockery of them.

But I digress…

I stumbled upon the aforementioned blog post this morning and was struck by the following comment made by the author.

You could argue that, on the cross, Jesus was an atheist. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” was not spoken from the lips of someone who was firm in their belief of a God. Jesus was viscerally, passionately doubting God in that moment.

Needless to say, this author is gravely in error. You cannot make the argument that Jesus was an atheist at all. To anyone with even passing familiarity of the gospels, the very suggestion is unthinkable.

Yes, while enduring His suffering on the cross, Jesus did cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46). Even if we are to take this anguished cry merely at face value, it would be wrong to call Jesus an atheist, for one simple reason: If Jesus did not believe in God, to whom was He calling out?

One cannot pray to a God that does not exist. One cannot feel abandoned by a God who does not exist. One cannot be angry with a God that does not exist. One cannot call out in anguish to a God one does not believe in. Jesus was no atheist.

But was Jesus actually angry with God? Did He, in fact, feel abandoned by the Father? As ridiculous as this blogger’s suggestion is, many Christians do find themselves troubled by this passage.

The words Jesus cries out before He dies on the cross are the opening line of Psalm 22, and would have been recognized as such by the Jewish people and early Christians. This psalm opens with a prayer expressing anguish. Indeed the psalmist feels abandoned and forsaken by God.

“My God, My God, why have you abandoned me? Why so far from my call for help, from my cries of anguish? My God, I call by day, but you do not answer; by night , but I have no relief” (v. 2-3).

Yet the psalmist at the same time expresses great faith.

“Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the glory of Israel” (v. 4).

This is the pattern of the entire psalm — expressions of great suffering and at the same time great faith in God. Of all the psalms of lamentation, this one especially has been seen as a foreshadowing of the suffering which was to be endured by Christ.

“All who see me mock me; they curl their lips and jeer; they shake their heads at me. ‘You relied on the Lord — let him deliver you; if he loves you, let him rescue you’” (v. 8–9).

Compare this to Matthew 27:40 where Jesus is mocked, “Come down from the cross if you are the Son of God!”

“They stare at me and gloat; they divide my garments among them; for my clothing they cast lots” (v. 18–19).

Compare this to Matthew 27:35, describing how after Jesus was crucified the soldiers divided up His garments by casting lots, so as not to have to tear His seamless garment.

Jesus, by calling out the first line of this psalm, is invoking the whole psalm, and identifying Himself with the one it describes. He proclaims not only the opening line of the psalm, but its entire message. For while it is a psalm of lamentation, it is also a psalm of deliverance and salvation. For as the psalm ends:

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD; All the families of nations will bow low before him. For kingship belongs to the LORD, the ruler over the nations. All who sleep in the earth will bow low before God; All who have gone down into the dust will kneel in homage. And I will live for the LORD; my descendants will serve you. The generation to come will be told of the Lord, that they may proclaim to a people yet unborn the deliverance you have brought (Ps 22:28–32).

By crying out the first line of Psalm 22, Jesus points to Himself and says, Today this has been fulfilled in me. Today I have brought deliverance for you and for your descendants, until the end of the earth.