Holy Week: the most sacred week in Christianity - the week encompassing Jesus' death and glorious resurrection on the third day. With Holy Week having just ended, I've been reflecting upon Jesus' sacrifice, and what it truly meant for all of humanity. Can you believe that Christ took on human form just so He could be close to us and experience everything that we experience? I mean, He chose to die a death He didn't deserve just so we could have abundant life. Can you believe that He loves us so much?
One thing that I love about Jesus is that He is not intimidated by our hardships. He knows exactly what it's like to suffer. In fact, the Bible states that Jesus was a man acquainted with grief, sorrow, and pain (Isaiah 53:3). Jesus was well aware of the human experience, primarily because He experienced it with us. He knew what it felt like to thirst, hunger, cry, laugh, be betrayed, be ridiculed, and experience joy. He, too, was tempted. He, too, was hurt. Jesus, too, was human.
Jesus was a Savior that partook in our sufferings because of His everlasting love for us. When He came to Earth, He embarked on a mission to save the World from the grip of sin -and He did exactly that when He died on the cross (John 3:16).
The heart of the Gospel is that we would experience eternal life in Him. This concept alone deserves reflection, but this week we'll be focusing on one of the Messianic Psalms prophesying of Jesus' death: Psalm 22.
For a brief overview of the book of Psalms, check out this post!
PSALM 22
Messianic psalms are lyrical poems that point to the Messiah, prophesy of His coming, and foretell the things He would experience in life. Ultimately, Psalm 22 (a.k.a. "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?") parallels David's sufferings to that of Christ's in a profound way.
Through the Psalm, we go on a journey from suffering to redemption and our hope for the promise of eternal life granted to us through Jesus Christ.
SUFFERING & ANGUISH
1 "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?"
These are some of the last words Jesus uttered on the cross before breathing His last breath. The phrase, "My God... why have You forsaken Me?" has intense implications. We must know that when Jesus hung on the cross, He "became sin who knew no sin" (2 Cor. 5:21).
God is perfect, holy, just... love. Sin, and all that it breeds, is the ultimate antithesis of who He is. When Jesus spoke these words, He uttered the cry of the afflicted. This phrase is a glance into his humanity (illustrating the intense physical and emotional pain He experienced), and how vividly He felt the wrath of God poured out upon Him. Furthermore, this phrase is a glance into the sheer reality of what happened in theses moments: Christ became a curse on our behalf (Galatians 3:13).
Just like Christ, David was afflicted. Chased, taunted, and tormented by his enemies, David knew what it meant to be troubled; but the ultimate affliction was reflected in Christ's suffering. The fact that David cried out these same words is a testament to Christ's human and Divine nature in one being.
7-8 "All those who see Me ridicule Me; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
'He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!'"
These verses express the blatant humiliation and mockery (Luke 23:27, Matthew 27:42) that Christ endured on the cross. Jesus was ridiculed, spat on, scorned, stared at, cursed out, blasphemed and walked away from. At any moment, He could've saved Himself and had everyone in that crowd judged by the wrath of God...
...but He stayed there. He endured the suffering because He knew the victory that awaited humanity on the precipice of what seemed like a devastating defeat: the hope for eternal life.
16-17 "For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones; They look and stare at Me."
Imagine for a moment the scene of a loved one upon their deathbed. What do you see? Perhaps this person is surrounded by friends and family, enclosed in an atmosphere of love, and prepared for a peaceful send off.
Crucifixion was a Roman torture method reserved specifically for criminals of the state. In His final moments, Jesus was hated. In His final moments, He was surrounded by betrayal. The people who followed Him throughout His ministry and received miracles from the very hands they pierced hated Him. They were happy to see Him die.
REDEMPTION & VICTORY
21-24 "Save Me from the lion's mouth and from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me.
I will declare You name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard."
How comforting is it to know that God not only hears our cries of anguish, but he moves on our behalf, as well?
Many people like to believe that Jesus was separated from the Father when He suffered on the cross, but I don't believe that's Biblically accurate. Countless times throughout Scripture it is stated that God will never leave/abandon/forget/forsake us. Ever. And verse 24 so beautifully reminds us that God isn't intimidated by our affliction.
Like a parent hears his/her baby cry and goes to soothe the child, so God the Father hears our cries to Him and comforts us in times of trouble.
In the phrase, "You have answered Me," notice there's a shift taking place. The speaker, David, goes from a state of despair to recognizing that hope has arrived. I like to view everything that's happened up until this point as a spiritual transaction taking place: death for life, despair for hope, curses for blessings - an eternal exchange, of sorts.
The Lamb of God took on a debt He didn't owe. "You have answered Me" is kind of like the receipt of said exchange. In this moment, the grand exchange is finalized, granting all who believe and receive Him eternal life!
PROMISE & POSTERITY
26-27 "The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let you heart live forever!
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, aand all the families of the nations shall worship before You."
The Bible states that "the promises of God are 'yes and amen'" (2 Cor. 1:20). Here, we see the wonderful promises of God being prophesied, "the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted" (Isaiah 54:10).
30-31 "A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, that He has done this."
By definition, posterity means "all future generations of people." These last two verses encapsulate the heart of Jesus and His reason to endure suffering He didn't deserve. As previously stated, Jesus knew His death meant that generations not yet in existence would come to know the Father because of Him.
The seeds of men that weren't yet born would benefit from His death; you, me, we, dear ones, are the beneficiaries of Christ's sacrifice. The words "It is finished" echoed into eternity, breaking chains of darkness and defeating the power of hell on our behalf! What a wonderful Savior He is.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this analysis of Psalm 22!
Reflect:
What does Christ's sacrifice mean to you, personally?
Because He died for you, what are some ways you can live for Him?
Crystal ❤️
Sources:
GotQuestions.org. “Which Psalms Predict the Coming of Jesus Christ?” GotQuestions.org, 31 Mar. 2015, www.gotquestions.org/Psalms-Jesus-Christ.html.
“Posterity.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/posterity.