David: A Man of Thanksgiving

In the last days, people will be marked by a profound sense of ungratefulness. Listen to a prophetic warning from the Apostle Paul in the first century AD.

2 Timothy 3:1–5 (ESV)

1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.

2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,

4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Or listen to what else Paul writes in Romans 1:21, speaking of how humanity knows of God’s existence and His power, but refuse to submit to Him: Romans 1:21

Romans 1:21 (ESV)

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

According to the Apostle Paul — there is an organic link between the natural, fallen condition of humanity and a spirit of ungratefulness. That’s because in our natural condition, we only think about ourselves. Or, if we think about others, its with selfish motivations. And when I only think about me, it becomes much easier to think that God needs to only think about me, too. And so soon, we forget the Giver, and demand the gifts.

We have an gratitude problem. And its too big for us to fix on our own.

Background:

Last week, in 1 Samuel 21, we saw David flee to Ahimelech at Nob, eat some of the holy bread, pick up Goliath’s sword, and then continue running away from Saul and into the heart of Philistine territory, to Gath, one of their capital cities. And even though the text doesn’t explicitly say so here, it’s clear that the Philistines recognize David—who has just picked up the sword of Goliath, the famous champion from Gath, the very city that David is now in — and they take him as a prisoner.

Now in 1 Samuel, the narrative immediately resolves this point by jumping to the end of the story, telling us how David escapes.

But before we look at that escape, and David’s response to that escape, I want to read David’s prayer in Psalm 56.

Chronologically, this fits between 1 Samuel 21 and Psalm 34, our main text today. Instead of preaching Psalm 56, I want to just read it and let it set the stage for David’s rescue. Listen to David’s prayer when he is taken prisoner by the Philistines:

Psalm 56 (ESV)

To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me;

2 my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly.

3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

5 All day long they injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They stir up strife, they lurk; they watch my steps, as they have waited for my life.

7 For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

8 You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?

9 Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me.

10 In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise,

11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

12 I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you.

13 For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

In the middle of David’s imprisonment, He cries out to God and asks for grace. Look at verse 1 again:

Psalm 56:1 (ESV)

1 Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me;

When he is faced with difficulty and suffering, he asks God for divine favor — grace — asking God to meet him and rescue him.

Application - This morning, we are going to be looking at David’s response when God answered his prayer and rescued him. But the reality is that often times in our lives, we find ourselves waiting for God to act. And in those seasons, we have a choice to make: will we rely on our own understanding, or will we rely on God? Will we look to our circumstances or will we look to God?

Psalm 56:3 (ESV)

3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

So, that’s the background of our text today. David is imprisoned by the Philistines, and they know that He is the great warrior of Israel, the very one responsible for the death of their champion, Goliath. So what does David do? Listen to 1 Sam 21:13-15

1 Samuel 21:13–15 (ESV)

13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard.

14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me?

15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

1 Samuel 22:1 (ESV)

1 David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam.

David escapes by pretending to be insane. And in the end, the King of Gath lets him go, and David escapes to the cave of Adullam.

If we didn’t have Psalm 56, we might think that David’s escape is just a clever plan that He came up with all by himself. But in fact, even though David did come up with a plan, it was ultimately God who graciously rescued David. David didn’t rescue Himself - God was gracious toward Him and showed Him favor, allowing his plan to succeed.

In our main text today, Psalm 34, David shows us what Getting Grace should lead to for believers:

Big Idea: Getting Grace should lead to Giving Thanks

Psalm 34 (ESV)

Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.

3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!

10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

12 What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?

13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.

14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.

16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

21 Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Literary Context

Psalm 34 is a very polished piece of Hebrew poetry. Like a handful of other Psalms and other Old Testament writings, this Psalm is an acrostic poem. Each line begins with one of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. It might have been written this way as a way of helping the community remember it - sort of a mnemonic device. Or, probably more likely, this was just a literary convention that poets used for aesthetic value, to make the poem more beautiful and pleasing. Whatever the case, it is clear that this song was a technically well-written one, which inclines me to think that it was probably not written hastily or quickly or while David was on the run. It seems more likely to me that David sat down and really spent a lot of time and effort writing a song in highly polished poetry that would convey everything that He wanted to convey. And clearly, David has a lot that he wants to pass on to a new generation of believers.

Here in Psalm 34, David wants to convey to other believers that Getting Grace should lead to Giving Thanks. And he wants to teach them how they too can Give Thanks to God for His grace in their lives. And he isn’t just teaching his own generation of believers. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we can take the words that David is singing and learn from them in our own day and in our own lives.

I think we can see at least FIVE WAYS that David is teaching believers HOW we can Give Thanks to God for what He has done in our lives.

Getting Grace should lead to Giving Thanks

FIRST, 1. By SINGING God’s Praises (vv. 1-3)

Psalm 34:1–3 (ESV)

1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.

3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!

Explanation (1A & 1B)

Right at the beginning of the Psalm, David starts by singing about singing! He says that He will bless the Lord and will sing His praises constantly and at all times. But that’s not all. David isn’t interested in singing God’s praises by Himself. No, He wants everyone else to do the same! He wants all of God’s people to join in song with him.

Psalm 34:3 (ESV)

3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!

So there are two aspects of Singing God’s Praises:

(A) Singing INDIVIDUALLY (vv. 1-2)

(B) Singing CORPORATELY (v. 3)

For all of us who are God’s people, it is fitting and appropriate and right for us to Give Thanks to God by singing God’s praises (A) Individually and (B) Corporately - or together with God’s people.

Illustration (1A & 1B)

When your heart is full of Christ, you want to sing.

Charles Spurgeon

Application (1A & 1B)

Christian, we are going to look at what some of the things we can sing about are in a moment, but think about your singing life. When you come to church, do you sing? I didn’t say, do you listen to others sing. But do you sing? If you have experienced God’s Grace in your life, your life should be characterized by singing! And not just singing by yourself on your way to work. But singing with God’s people, on the Lord’s Day.

And please, don’t use the excuse that you’re just not musical. We are commanded to pray, even when we aren’t great with words. We are commanded to give time and attention to God’s Word, even when reading isn’t our thing. We are commanded to give sacrificially, even when its hard. And here, like many other places in Scripture, we are commanded to SING. So your excuse that you’re not musical isn’t going to fly. Every human being is musical because music flows from the heart of God, and we all bear the image of God.

If you have truly experienced God’s Grace in your life, you will want to sing. And here, David is teaching us that Getting Grace should lead to Giving Thanks (1) By SINGING God’s Praises, both (1A) Individually and (1B) Corporately.

Getting Grace should lead to Giving Thanks

FIRST, 1. By SINGING God’s Praises (vv. 1-3)

SECOND, 2. By RECOUNTING God’s Protection (vv. 4-6)

Psalm 34:4–6 (ESV)

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

Explanation (2)

This is the occasion for this Psalm; this was why the song was written. David was trapped. He cried out to the Lord for grace. And then, God showed up, showed David grace, and caused him to be released. God protected David from his enemies and saved him from captivity.

So here in this song — this song sung with God’s people — David RECOUNTS God’s Protection.

Illustration (2)

There was a long tradition in Israel’s History of setting God’s deeds to music so that God’s people would sing about and remember what He had done. In Exodus 15, God’s people sang a song about God rescuing them from slavery in Egypt. In Deuteronomy 32, God’s people sang a song of God’s faithfulness and Israel’s faithlessness. In Judges 5, God’s people sang of God’s deliverance of His people from their enemies at the hands of Deborah and Barak.

Here in Psalm 34, David is teaching us that one way of Giving Thanks to God is by RECOUNTING God’s Protection in our lives.

Application (2)

David is able to point back to something in His life where God intervened and redirected the way it looked things were going to go. And looking back, He can clearly see God’s hand of Protection in it.

What about you?

(1) Example 1: Has God protected you from physical or bodily harm?

(2) Example 2: Has God protected you from a relationship?

Getting Grace should lead to Giving Thanks

FIRST, 1. By SINGING God’s Praises (vv. 1-3)

SECOND, 2. By RECOUNTING God’s Protection (vv. 4-6)

THIRD, 3. By EXPERIENCING God’s Person (vv. 7-10)

Psalm 34:7–10 (ESV)

7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!

10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Explanation (3)

David speaks about EXPERIENCING God not as an impersonal Force, but as a real person. This is David speaking about actually having a living, breathing relationship with the God of the Universe. And notice the three ways he talks about Experiencing God:

(A) FEARING God (vv. 7, 9)

(B) ENJOYING God (v. 8a)

First,

(A) FEARING God (vv. 7, 9)

Psalm 34:7 (ESV)

7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Psalm 34:9 (ESV)

9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!

Explanation (3A)

Experiencing God as He is means that we actually get to know Him. Not for who we want Him to be, but for who He really is. And that means Fearing him.

When this concept appears in the Bible, it usually has two overlapping connotations, and the context needs to inform which of the connotations is primary. First, it can mean something like profound reverence and awe, usually expressed in religious faithfulness. Second, it can mean dread of divine punishment.

Here, the word means reverence and awe expressed in religious devotion to God. You could paraphrase that idea as “Remain loyal” like the NET Bible does.

The reference to the angel of the LORD reminds us that God is a strong and mighty Warrior who has chosen to protect those who acknowledge Him as God and who refuse to turn away from Him and do their own thing.

Experiencing God:

(A) FEARING God (vv. 7, 9)

(B) ENJOYING God (v. 8a)

Psalm 34:8 (ESV)

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Explanation (3B)

The next way we can experience God is by ENJOYING God.

Notice that whatever else Fearing the Lord means in this Psalm, it can’t mean just living in constant dread of God’s wrath and power and judgement. Because here, we are commanded to enjoy God’s goodness! Look at the use of the senses here. Taste. See.

It’s possible that David composed this song to be sung in conjunction with one of the many worshipful feasts and festivals of the worship practices of Ancient Israel. That as God’s people gathered to remember all that God had done, David wanted to teach them how to Give Thanks to Him. So that as they tasted the food at their table and as they savored the wine in their cups, they would receive a tangible and practical token of God’s goodness.

Illustration (3B)

Thanksgiving Feast - What foods did you enjoy this past week? We had turkey, stuffing, Green beans, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, mac and cheese, and fresh bread. And then we had some pumpkin pie, apple pie, and chocolate chess pie. Maybe you have special traditions for your Thanksgiving meal.

What is the point of enjoying such a massive spread?

The point — at the core — is to celebrate the goodness of the God who produced such a rich harvest. The enjoyment of the gift honors the Giver *if* we remember the Giver.

God is not only to be followed and obeyed; He is to be enjoyed! He is the giver of good gifts, who provides everything His children need. And as we enjoy His good gifts, we should remember the greater Goodness of the Giver.

“God is the highest good of the reasonable creature. The enjoyment of him is our proper; and is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Better than fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of any, or all earthly friends. These are but shadows; but the enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams; but God is the sun. These are but streams; but God is the fountain. These are but drops, but God is the ocean.”

Jonathan Edwards

Experiencing God:

(A) FEARING God (vv. 7, 9)

(B) ENJOYING God (v. 8a)

Psalm 34:8 (ESV)

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Psalm 34:10 (ESV)

10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Explanation (3C)

What does it mean to “take refuge” and “seek” the LORD in this passage?

It means TRUSTING God.

The example David uses is the example of the young lions. On the surface, it seems like a random zoo illustration. But in the context of ancient Near Eastern poetry, it was a standard example. The young lions were a symbol for those who did not trust in God or the gods, and who were instead arrogant and disrespectful. Ultimately, David says that those who are like the young lions — those who think they can do things on their own and live apart from God — will face disappointment and hunger as God opposes them.

On the other hand, those who seek the LORD — those who trust in Him rather than themselves — will find all of their needs provided for.

Getting Grace should lead to Giving Thanks By (3) EXPERIENCING God’s Person

(A) FEARING God (vv. 7, 9)

(B) ENJOYING God (v. 8a)

Application (3)

Have you EXPERIENCED God’s Person? Do you think of God as just a religious entity, or a cosmic, impersonal force? Or maybe you think of Him as a Creator, but someone that you don’t have personal access to. But have you EXPERIENCED Him? The way we experience Him has to be different than the way we experience other humans, because He is God and not a human. But have you EXPERIENCED a relationship with God?

Example 1: Are you FEARING Him, reverencing Him and devoting personal loyalty to Him? Or do you reverence your own agenda and devote personal loyalty to your personal achievements, regardless of what it costs you?

Example 2: Are you ENJOYING God, tasting and seeing His goodness in your life and in the blessings He provides? Or are you taking the gifts He gives and ignoring the Giver?

Example 3: Are you TRUSTING God, and relying on Him? Or are you trying to live life independent of Him?

Getting Grace should lead to Giving Thanks

FIRST, 1. By SINGING God’s Praises (vv. 1-3)

SECOND, 2. By RECOUNTING God’s Protection (vv. 4-6)

THIRD, 3. By EXPERIENCING God’s Person (vv. 7-10)

FOURTH, 4. By PURSUING Godly Purity (vv. 11-14)

Psalm 34:11–14 (ESV)

11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

12 What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?

13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.

14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

David starts off by turning to the believers He is singing this song with and He asks them, “Who wants to live a godly, fruitful, good life?” He says that He can teach them a couple important lessons about what living a godly, thankful life looks like, and He addresses three areas of personal purity:

(A) Purity in SPEECH (v. 13)

(B) Purity in BEHAVIOR (v.14a)

First,

(A) Purity in SPEECH (v. 13)

Psalm 34:13 (ESV)

13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.

Someone that has experienced God’s Grace and who is Giving Thanks to God will pursue (A) Purity in SPEECH.

His words will not speak words of destruction or words of evil or words of deceit. Instead, he will speak words of life, words of truth, words of love.

(A) Purity in SPEECH (v. 13)

(B) Purity in BEHAVIOR (v.14a)

Psalm 34:14 (ESV)

14 Turn away from evil and do good

Someone that has experienced God’s Grace and who is Giving Thanks to God will pursue (B) Purity in BEHAVIOR. This means that their life exhibits regular and ongoing repentance- turning from known sin - and pursuing righteous behaviors.

(A) Purity in SPEECH (v. 13)

(B) Purity in BEHAVIOR (v.14a)

Psalm 34:14 (ESV)

14 . . . seek peace and pursue it.

Someone that has experienced God’s Grace and who is Giving Thanks to God will pursue (C) Purity in RELATIONSHIPS. This means they are a peace-maker, striving to bring God’s healing and reconciling touch into their relationships. As far as it depends on them, they seek peace.

Imagine for a moment the contradiction that the opposite of this purity would mean. Impurity in SPEECH, BEHAVIOR, and RELATIONSHIPS would come from a person who is fundamentally uninterested in God’s intention for godliness and healthy relationships. Instead, such a person would be totally absorbed with themselves, speaking words of death and deceit, living a life of autonomy and destructive behaviors, and creating and actively maintaining strife in their relationships. Such a person would be utterly selfish, totally depraved, and utterly incapable of rightly relating to God and others. In other words, that would be all of us apart from God’s grace.

Application (4)

What does your life look like? Is it marked by Giving Thanks? And with that, is it marked by a Pursuit of Godly Purity?

Example 1: How’s your SPEECH?

Example 2: How’s your BEHAVIOR?

Example 3: How are your RELATIONSHIPS?

Getting Grace should lead to Giving Thanks

FIRST, 1. By SINGING God’s Praises (vv. 1-3)

SECOND, 2. By RECOUNTING God’s Protection (vv. 4-6)

THIRD, 3. By EXPERIENCING God’s Person (vv. 7-10)

FOURTH, 4. By PURSUING Godly Purity (vv. 11-14)

FIFTH, 5. By REMEMBERING God’s Presence (vv. 15-22)

Psalm 34:15–22 (ESV)

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.

16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

21 Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

In the last section of this song, David reminds his fellow believers of the reality of God’s Presence and what it means for those who are walking with Him — the Righteous — and what it means for those who are trying to live apart from Him - the Wicked.

(A) SALVATION for the Righteous (vv. 15, 17-20, 22)

(B) CONDEMNATION for the Wicked (vv. 16, 21)

First,

(A) SALVATION for the Righteous (vv. 15, 17-20, 22)

David says that those who are truly God’s People - those who have been shown Grace and who demonstrate that Grace in their lives — will ultimately be redeemed and saved.

Psalm 34:15 (ESV)

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.

Psalm 34:17–20 (ESV)

17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

Psalm 34:22 (ESV)

22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

God will not condemn His people. Nor will He not allow the evil of the world to have the final say in the lives of His children. Instead, He will step in and intervene and save them. God’s Presence means SALVATION for His people.

But the inverse is also true.

(A) SALVATION for the Righteous (vv. 15, 17-20, 22)

(B) CONDEMNATION for the Wicked (vv. 16, 21)

Psalm 34:16 (ESV)

16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Psalm 34:21 (ESV)

21 Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

Who is the one doing the condemning in verse 21? The context is clear: God is. God is against the wicked. He cuts them off. He brings ultimate affliction and condemnation for all who rebel against Him. God’s Presence means CONDEMNATION for His enemies.

Application (5)

So why does David bring this up in a psalm instructing God’s people about Giving Thanks for God’s Grace?

I think he does this for a couple reasons.

First, to remind God’s People that God will ultimately triumph over the wicked. This gives them hope in times of difficulty or persecution, hope that God will not let His enemies get away with it.

Second, to remind God’s People that we would all face God’s wrath were it not for God’s grace.

When we REMEMBER God’s Presence, we remember that God is FOR His people and against His enemies, and we become thankful for God’s grace that transformed us from an Enemy of God into a Child of God.

GOSPEL CONNECTION

But that raises an important question that I think this text on its own can’t adequately answer. That is: HOW can God transform His Enemies into His Children? By what mechanism can God forgive the sins of His people and transform their hearts into full recipients of His blessings? Because we have already seen from this passage that all of the things that God requires of us are not our natural inclination. We aren’t inclined to use our words for life and truth. We aren’t inclined to turn away from evil, we are inclined to turn to evil. And we aren’t inclined to view our relationships selflessly and peacefully, but selfishly.

And the rest of Scripture agrees. By our very nature and by our own choices, we have rejected God’s good Law and have embraced a law of our own making — whatever is right in our own eyes. And by this, we have committed cosmic treason against the very God who made us and who owns us and who sustains our very lives. A just God would not allow this treason to go unanswered, and yet this passage speaks of a relationship with God in which God is saving His people instead of condemning them. How can this be?

Fast forward a thousand years and listen to John 19:32-37, in which one of Jesus’ followers, John, recounts the immediate aftermath of Jesus’ death on the cross at the Place of the Skull:

John 19:32–37 (ESV)

32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him.

33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.

35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe.

36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.”

37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”

Listen to verse 36 again:

John 19:36 (ESV)

36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.”

There are three places in the Old Testament that discuss bones not being broken: two of them refer to the Passover Lamb, and one of them—Psalm 34:20-- referred to a righteous sufferer who was trusting that God would eventually save Him. Apparently, John is mixing both concepts together and citing them both, here, with the primary text that He is quoting actually coming from Psalm 34:20, where the text reads

Psalm 34:20 (ESV)

20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

Why am I bringing that up? Because this is massive. This means that as John is reading Psalm 34, He sees the theme of this psalm culminating in one person: Jesus. That in this Psalm, even though David is writing about His own experiences and the experience of all of those who trust in God, John is claiming that that theme finds its ultimate fulfillment and expression in Jesus Himself. That even though Jesus (like David), was allowed to suffer for a time, experiencing profound betrayal, suffering, and grief, Jesus (like David) was rescued by God. That even though Jesus suffered for sins that were not His own, God ultimately vindicated Jesus by raising Him from the dead.

How can a Holy God make unholy people His children? The answer is the suffering and vindication of the Righteous One, the true and greater David: Jesus Christ.

Like David, Jesus would live a life of purity before God. But unlike David, Jesus was not only pure — He was perfect! David sinned, but Jesus never did! He always did what was pleasing to God. He always used his words rightly. He always loved others with His actions. He always related with others rightly. And yet, despite this life of perfect obedience, He died on the cross to pay the penalty for all who would ever turn from their sins and trust in Him.

But God did not abandon Jesus to the grave. On the third day, God raised Jesus from the dead, demonstrated to everyone that He accepted Jesus’ sacrifice for sins, so that now all who trust in Him could experience God’s unending favor along with Jesus.

And if you have heard of what God has done and if you have responded in faith and repentance, you have experienced profound Grace. And now, the only appropriate response is a live of profound Giving Thanks.

GOSPEL CALL: Have you ever turned from your sins and trusted Christ? Have you received God’s grace? Do it today!

Big Idea: Getting Grace should lead to Giving Thanks

HOW should we give thanks for God’s grace in our lives?

FIRST, 1. By SINGING God’s Praises (vv. 1-3)

SECOND, 2. By RECOUNTING God’s Protection (vv. 4-6)

THIRD, 3. By EXPERIENCING God’s Person (vv. 7-10)

FOURTH, 4. By PURSUING Godly Purity (vv. 11-14)

FIFTH, 5. By REMEMBERING God’s Presence (vv. 15-22)

May the Lord help us Give Thanks.

Let’s pray.

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