This Sunday, Lord willing, we will consider the crucifixion of Christ as recounted in Mark 15:21-47. The evangelist only records one sentence from Jesus, a question taken from Psalm 22:1, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
Psalm 22 and other so-called “Messianic Psalms” were not written as direct predictive prophecies, but rather detail the personal experiences of their respective psalmists, experiences that providentially correspond to and foreshadow aspects of the life of Christ. (This is a phenomenon known as typology, which I may write about more in the future). In this way, we could say these Messianic psalms are indirectly predictive.
Therefore, in Psalm 22 David speaks of his own feelings and anguish, and yet in the mysterious providence of God, David’s experiences “pre-echo” the details of the sufferings of the Son of David in such a way that they are considered predictive by the New Testament authors. We could even borrow from Paul and say that David’s sufferings were a shadow of the substance which belongs to Christ (Col 2:17).
I bring all this up simply to put the entirety of Psalm 22 in front of you in anticipation of our time in the Word this Sunday. There are multiple correspondences between David’s psalm and the experience of Christ. I highly encourage you to take a few minutes to read the psalm, which I’ve included below. Look for those points of contact not already mentioned here. How is Psalm 22 reflected in the life, suffering, and death of Christ? Is it reflected at all in the resurrection and ascension of Christ? To what activity does the last half of the psalm direct us? You might then take the time to read Mark 15:21-47 in light of Psalm 22.
I look forward opening the Word with you and considering that darkest and best of days.
Psalm 22
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried and were rescued;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
8 “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.
10 On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near,
and there is none to help.
12 Many bulls encompass me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13 they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;
15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
17 I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
19 But you, O LORD, do not be far off!
O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dog!
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
but has heard, when he cried to him.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the LORD!
May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.
28 For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
30 Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.
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