Psalm of the Cross Part 1

Setting/Context

Written 1,000 years before the first coming Jesus, reading as if the person writing it were standing at the foot of the cross. There is never a more graphic portrayal of the cross hundreds of years before crucifixion was actually a form of capital punishment. Psalm 22 is called, “the fifth gospel,” or “the gospel according to David.” It is a prophetic picture of the coming Messiah’s suffering a gruesome execution, who would be forsaken of God in order to save sinners.

Study Objective

To expose the heart of the cross; God in Christ Jesus substituting Himself to save sinners.

To emphasize the hope found in the empty tomb; display of God’s glory, and the ultimate defeat of evil.

I. The Crucifixion of Jesus Psalm 22:1-21.

The heart of the cross; God in Christ Jesus substituting Himself to save sinners.

God simultaneously expressing his holiness, Psalm 22:3, in judgment, and His love in saving sinners, Psalm 22:1, 26.

How? God provided a divine substitute. The substitute would receive the punishment, the sinner is pardoned, 1 Peter 3:18 “18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;” Sinners still suffering personal consequences, psychological, and social consequences. But not suffering the penal consequence, what every sinner deserves, which was borne by another,

Romans 3:25; Romans 8:3; Galatians 1:4; Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 9:14.

Romans 3:25 ESV

25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Romans 8:3 ESV

3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,

Galatians 1:4 ESV

4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

Ephesians 5:2 ESV

2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Hebrews 9:14 ESV

14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Self-Substitution of God, Psalm 22:1-5.

The PRINCIPLE of substitution is one person taking the place of another, in order to bear and save them from pain, cf. Genesis 22:8 “8 Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.”

The PRIMARY PRACTICE of substitution was the shedding of blood of the substitute, Leviticus 17:11 “11 ‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’”

Three affirmatives about the blood.

Blood is the symbol of life, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood…” the emphasis is not on blood or fluid flowing through veins, but blood shed, life ended, and usually by violent means; death!

Blood makes atonement. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood…makes atonement for life.” One life forfeited, the other sacrificed. Makes atonement on the altar, the substitutes blood. Life is given for life, the life of the innocent victim for the life of the sinful offerer.

The blood was given by God. “I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls…” God makes a way for atonement; God initiates, God enacts, God moves, God places Himself in the position!

1 Peter 1:19 “19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

Psalm 22:6 “6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.”

“Worm” crimson crocus from which scarlet was extracted and obtained to dye the robes of kings. To get the die, the worm must be crushed.

The only means of sinners becoming Kings is by the crushing of Christ, Revelation 5:10 “10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.””

Two PARTICULAR examples given in scripture which presents the very essence of substitution, namely Passover and “Sin-Bearing.”

Passover was the commemoration of God’s redemption of Israel from Egyptian slavery by the death of the Lamb, Exodus 12. The Passover is the self-discloser of God. (THE CROSS WAS A SELF-DISCLOSER OF GOD!)

God reveals himself as judge. The message of Moses to Pharaoh, judgment was imminent. Every first born male will die, Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God would redeem. A lamb was to be chosen and then killed on the 14th day, Exodus 12:1-6, The blood of the lamb was to be placed on the house. People were sheltered under the blood, Exodus 12:13 “13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.”

God would make a covenant. God redeemed a people for Himself. Saving them from His own judgment.

Passover’s fulfillment is found in Jesus Christ, the ultimate substitute, John 1:29 “29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:36 “36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!””

Christ dying concurrent to the Passover lamb being killed in the temple.

1 Corinthians 5:7 “7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”

Judge and Savior are one and the same person. The God who passed through in judgment, is the God who passes over in mercy, Exodus 12:12-13 “12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.”

Salvation is by substitution. Those spared from judgment were those sheltered under the blood of the lamb. The first born lamb saved the fist born males.

The blood must be applied. Personal appropriation. God had the see the blood before he would save the family. The blood signified faith, acknowledgment of sin, Sovereignty of God to save!

Those saved by God, becomes God’s people!

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

“Sin-bearing” 1 Peter 2:24 “24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” Hebrews 9:28 “28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”

To “bear sin” is to bear the penal consequence, to undergo the penalty. It is the innocent suffering the consequence for the guilt of another.

Penal substitution, “penal” means, “related to offenses and punishment. The act of a person taking the place of another.” cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Imputation is not the transferring of moral corruption. The moral wickedness of man was not transferred to Christ.

We have done nothing to have anything imputed to us, and Christ has done nothing to have anything imputed to Himself.

Our personal sinfulness is not transferred to Christ, neither is Christ righteousness in order to make us right and deserving.

Not moral qualities, but penal and legal consequences.

Penal Substitution

God’s justice demands atonement for sin; reparation for wrong committed. Humanity is dead in sin to such an extent, it is impossible for humanity to atone for sin, Ephesians 2:1 “1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins” (We are so dead we can make anything right with God!)

Penal substitution means Jesus propitiates; Propitiation, to avert the wrath of God by satisfying it by a gift, for the sinner; satisfies God’s justice which demands atonement for sin, 1 John 2:2 “2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

God’s mercy permits Jesus to take the punishment which we deserve.

Jesus’ death is the substitute for those who accept it by faith , Jesus is exchanged for us as sins penal consequence.

In penal substitution, the penalty that is due to us for our transgression is paid by a substitute, namely, Jesus Christ.

He Died for Us!

Romans 5:8 “8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

“For,” translated “hyper” meaning “on behalf of,”

2 Corinthians 5:14 “14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;”

2 Corinthians 5:21 “21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Galatians 3:13 “13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—”

An exchange occurs, Christ takes our curse that we might receive His blessings, Ephesians 1:3 “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,”

Jesus becomes sin with our sin, that we might become righteous with His righteousness.

Jesus made it possible for God to be approachable, Psalm 22:4-5, cf. Ephesians 2:12-16

Ephesians 2:12–16 ESV

12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

What happen to Christ on the Cross?

“He was made sin,” 2 Corinthians 5:21. “He became a curse,” Galatians 3:13, “For us…” on our behalf or for our benefit. Christ bore the penalty for sin instead of us, Christ redeemed us from the law’s curse by, “becoming that curse.” The curse of the law lying upon us for disobedience, transferred to Christ instead of me.

2 Corinthians 5:19 “19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” God declined to impute our sin to us or “count our sin against us.” In mercy, God has imputed Christ righteousness to us.

The legal consequence was transferred on Christ, Jesus voluntarily accepts liability for our sin, Isaiah 53. Christ endured the penal consequence, He alone under goes the penalty.

The POSSIBILITY of substitution rest upon the identity of the substitute. Who is the substitute? Psalm 22:3 “3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.”

Christ was not the object of God’s punishment, nor God the object of Christ’s persuasion.

God and Christ as subjects of the cross, the “God-Forsakenness” which took place on the cross was voluntary in order to atone for sin. “God in our nature forsaken by God.”

The Father gave the Son, the Son gives Himself.

The cup of God’s wrath, John 18:11 “11 So Jesus said to Peter...shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”” was voluntarily taken by the Son.

The Father sent the Son, the Son came Himself, Hebrews 10:7 “7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ””

God alone takes our place.

God must satisfy His holy love. He refuses to act in love at the expense of His holiness, Psalm 22:3. Nor will God act in holiness without His love.

God satisfies His holy love by dying and bearing the judgment for sinners; God satisfies Himself!

Holiness is meaningless without judgment, God could not do nothing. God must inflict punishment or assume it.

The substitute was neither God alone, nor Christ alone, but God in Christ; both fully God and fully man.

Matthew 1:21 “21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.””

Matthew 1:23 “23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).”

Colossians 2:9 “9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,”

Colossians 1:19-20 “19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

God must satisfy Himself, responding to the reality of human rebellion, in a manner consistent with His nature.

God’s holy love is only satisfied by being directed in judgment towards the appointed substitute.

Who then is the substitute?

God, not as He is in Himself, but God, God - made - man - in - Christ, cf. John 1:1, 14.

The Judge in holy love assumes the role of the innocent victim, Jesus bears the penalty of sin.

The Substitute for law - breakers, is non - other than the Lawmaker.

2 Corinthians 5:19 ESV

19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

The concept of substitution lies at the heart of both sin and salvation.

Sin is man substituting himself for God. Salvation is God substituting Himself for the sinner.

Man asserts himself against God and places himself where God rightly deserves to be. God sacrifices Himself for man, and places Himself where man deserves to be.

Man claims prerogatives that belong to God. God accept penalties that belong to man.

Neither God alone as the Father, nor Christ alone as man can save, but only God in Christ becoming man can take our place and save us from sin.