Day 41

Psalm 22: read here – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2022&version=NASB

—The Psalm of the Cross.

Many believe ‘the chief musician’ to be God himself. David sings as more than an artist, but as one of the greatest prophets ever to speak, pointing more to his Greater Son, Jesus the Messiah, than even to himself.

Luther said of this psalm,” This is a kind of gem among the Psalms, and is peculiarly excellent and remarkable. It contains those deep, sublime, and heavy sufferings of Christ when agonizing in the midst of the terrors and pangs of divine wrath and death which surpass all human thought and comprehension.” I personally love this psalm so much that it is my prayer that I can bless you over the next few days with the gems I have mined over the decades. Three of the statements in Jesus’ 7 sentence sermon from the cross come from the psalms. Jesus uses the opening words of Ps 22 and it seems apparent that amidst the midday midnight of Golgotha he recited this Psalm to himself, saying the first and last words audibly. His final statement comes from Psalm 31:5. There are 5 other psalms associated with the crucifixion, beginning with the Passover feast the night before. Powerful stuff!

As the Jews mocked, the angels must have adored when Jesus cried this exceedingly bitter cry, “My God My God why have you forsaken me?” This is the biggest question ever. This is a psalm of sobs. As you read it notice the short cut off phrases. It is not a free-flowing poem like other psalms. Notice also this sequence: v1 the cry, v2 the complaint, v3 the acknowledgment, v4 & 5 the contrast, v6the reproach, v7 the mockery, v8 the taunt, v9 the appeal, v10&11 the supplication, v12-13 the assault, v14 the faintness, v15 the exhaustion, v16 the piercing, v17&18 the unrestraint & insulting gaze, v19 the persistence, v20&21 The deliverance. Notice how the tone changes to victory after v21. V22 the gratitude, v23 the invitation, v24 the testimony, v23 the vow, v26 the satisfaction of the meek, v27 the conversion of the world, v28 the enthronement, v29&30 the author of faith. V31the finishing of faith.