Psalm 22
In the Old Testament there are many prophesies of Christ. Some of His exaltation, some of His humiliation.
In the very first prophesy concerning Christ’s coming to save mankind from sin, death and the devil’s influence of evil….Christ is seen as the Victor.
Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed (the devil’s) and her seed (Christ): It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.”
The seed of the woman: Christ would bruise Satan’s head…destroying the power of sin.
Satan would bruise His heel, in the crucifixion.
No one could have imagined the way Christ was going to come and destroy sin, and save His people. It is an amazing and costly plan.
But the Lord knew what would have to be done; and yielded Himself up to do it, that we might be saved from sin and it’s curse. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
Some of what would happen to Christ, was foretold….so the people would know when it did happen.
This is an amazing prophesy concerning Christ, when He was on the cross.
Psalm 22:1 “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? Why art Thou so far from helping Me, and from the words of My raging (crying out in pain)?”
When Christ shouted this from the cross (Matthew 27:45-46), darkness had come in the day time because God would not look upon sin….the mass of sin (mine and yours) which was laid upon Christ, to save His people.
Psalm 22:6 “But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.”
The Son of God became the Son of man, and as our substitute became less than man…a worm, unnoticed and unheeded, even as He was crushed beneath the foot of our sins… and the mockery of the people.
Psalm 22:7-8 “All they that see Me laugh Me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
He trusted on the Lord that He would deliver Him: let Him deliver Him, seeing He delighted in Him.”
As He suffered on the cross, some walked by shaking their heads in disbelief, but many scorned Him, even in His death misery’s.
Matthew 27:39,41-43 …”He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him…
Psalm 22:10 “I was cast upon Thee from the womb: Thou art My God from My mother’s belly.”
Jesus was God’s Son, and from the first to the last, He was hunted and rejected….King Herod when He was born a king…the chief priests and scribes…and finally the crowd crying “Crucify Him.”
Psalm 22:11, 19 “Be not far from Me, for trouble is near, for there is none to help.”
But be not far from Me , O Lord: O My Strength, haste Thee to help Me.”
Twice here, the cry is, “But be not Thou far from Me,”. This was Jesus’ greatest anxiety and pain….His Father’s removal from Him….being separated from Him by the sin He carried on Himself for us.
Psalm 22:14 “I am poured out like water, all My bones are out of joint: My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of My bowels.”
He was not only nailed to the cross after the beatings He took; but then they jolted the cross down into the hole they had made; tearing and jerking His muscles and ligaments with the weight of His body.
“I am poured out like water….my bones are out of joint…my heart is like wax…melted.”
Yet He took every pain, every bit of anguish…lest He come short of His goal of salvation for us.
Psalm 22:15 “My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and My tongue cleaveth to My jaws; and Thou hast brought Me into the dust of death.
His mouth became dry after being filled with blood with the beatings. And hanging on the cross He thirsted: at first He would not drink of the stupefying gall (Matthew 27:34), but at the end when they gave Him just vinegar to drink, He drank from a sponge (John 19:29-30).
Psalm 22:16-17 “For dogs have compassed Me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed Me: they pierce My hands and My feet.
I may tell all My bones: they look and stare upon Me.”
They waited like a pack of hungry wolves, for Him to die. When will He be gone, and out of our hair?
The other’s crucified, had their legs broken, but not He. (John 20:32-33)
Psalm 22:18 “They part My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture.”
While He suffered, the soldiers gambled for His garments. (Mark 15:24)
But this Psalm goes beyond the cross to the resurrection, and the forty days of instruction before the Lord’s ascension back to heaven.
Psalm 22:22 “I will declare Thy name unto My brethren: In the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee.”
After His resurrection, He was seen by His disciples (both men and women): He appeared to Mary Magdalene and told her, “My Father and your Father” (John 20:16-18),
He appeared on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32),
and He appeared in the midst of His disciples several times (Luke 24:36-40),
He told Thomas to put his fingers into His hands, and side (John 20:24-29).
Psalm 22:27-28, 31 “All of the ends of the world shall remember and trust unto the Lord: all the kindreds of the nations shall worship Thee.
For the Kingdom is the Lord’s: and He is the governor among the nations.
They shall come, and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born (born again), that He hath done this.”
Jesus told of His authority, and gave last instructions to His disciples.
(Matthew 28:18-20 “All power is given unto Me in heaven and earth. Go ye,…and teach all nations…”)
And sent His disciples out to spread the good news of His Salvation to all.
(Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”)
This Psalm begins in horrible sorrow, and ends in triumph, and power; and it is all through the Will of the Father, the Sacrifice of the Son, and the giving of the Holy Spirit……to us, and for us.
Hallelujah, What a God we have!
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 