The explanation, “forsaken.” The word forsaken is the clue to the meaning of the cross. It expresses in the most direct and forthright manner the separation of God from Jesus of Nazareth. That separation is spiritual death, and it represents the penalty for sin that Jesus paid for men. That this separation must have been substitutionary, that is, for others, is indicated by the following questions: 1. Would a loving God forsake the only good man who ever lived (cf. Matt. 3:17; Ps. 37:25)? The answer