Echoes of the Cross: The Suffering Savior in Psalm 22

Sermon Title: Echoes of the Cross: The Suffering Savior in Psalm 22

Scripture: Psalm 22 & Matthew 27

Occasion: Good Friday

Date: March 29, 2023

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Scripture Transitions Sermon Title|Quotes |Emphasis

PRAY

Gracious and Almighty God, as we gather on this solemn Good Friday, we turn our hearts to the profound words of Psalm 22, reminded of the deep suffering and unwavering faithfulness of our Lord, Jesus Christ. In the shadow of the cross, where our Savior cried out, feeling forsaken yet fulfilling Your divine will, we find the depth of Your love and the cost of our redemption.

May this sacred text lead us into a deeper understanding of Your grace, guiding us to live lives marked by sacrifice, commitment, and a relentless pursuit of Your truth.

Unite us, O Lord, in reverence and awe, as we reflect on the ultimate sacrifice made for our sake, that we might be brought into Your eternal family.

In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

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?”

A cry of anguish, resonating through time from the Messiah himself, emerges from the deepest throes of suffering.

In the quiet of this Good Friday evening, as we gather to reflect, to mourn, and to cherish the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, we find ourselves at the foot of a cross.

A cross that stands tall not just as a symbol of torture and execution, but as the monumental display of divine love, of ultimate sacrifice, and of the unfathomable mystery of God's redemptive work.

Destined to ascend this cursed cross, he navigated a life intertwined with enmity. From his infancy, he was hunted by murderers (Matthew 2:16).

He encountered the ultimate adversary in the desert, confronting the embodiment of evil itself (Matthew 4:1). As he brought healing and liberation, he faced slander from the religious authorities, who labeled him a collaborator with the devil (Matthew 10:25).

The Word made flesh, he lived among those he came to save, enduring their relentless hostility—schemes, assaults, and scorn—until his body could withstand no more.

Silent upon the cross, his restraint spoke volumes of the deep-seated animosity against him.

Yet, he chose to end his silence with the words of Psalm 22:1:

Matthew 27:45–46 “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?””

Holding fast to the words of Psalm 22, Jesus endured his suffering with hands nailed and breath waning. These ancient verses echoed the plight of an unjustly targeted man, now embodied by the sinless Son of God, surrounded on all sides.

Psalm 22:12–13 “Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.”

As fierce as bulls on the attack, the religious leaders thirsted for his demise.

This generation of vipers pursued him relentlessly, levying false charges and plotting his downfall (Matthew 12:14).

As he was unjustly crucified, their taunts rang out, mirroring the prophetic

Psalm 22:8

““He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!””

Matthew 27:42–43

““He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him.

Psalm 22:16

“For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—”

The mob, frenzied as dogs with bared fangs (Psalm 22:16), demanded his execution.

Matthew 27:22 “Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!””

Ignoring Pilate's inquiry into Jesus’ guilt. Their cries only intensified,

Matthew 27:23 “And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!””

Embodying the very essence of wrathful vengeance against their sole beacon of hope.

Psalm 22:21 “Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!”

Soldiers, akin to lions stalking their prey or oxen in a deadly charge (Psalm 22:21), prepared for their grim task.

They stripped Jesus, crowned him with thorns (Matthew 27:29), mocked and spat upon him (Matthew 27:30), and nailed him to the cross.

As he hung dying, they cast lots for his clothing (Matthew 27:35), fulfilling Psalm 22:18.

Psalm 22:18 “they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”

Delighting in his anguish and mocking Jesus face that is destined to outshine the sun.

Even a fellow condemned man, hanging beside Jesus and facing his own fate, scorned him in his last moments, challenging,

Luke 23:39 “One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!””

Beyond the scribes, crowds, soldiers, and thieves, even his closest allies deserted him.

Peter outright denied him (Matthew 26:70), and the others scattered in terror (Mark 14:50).

In his final hours, Jesus found himself not just encircled by foes but abandoned amid the figurative bulls, dogs, and lions, utterly alone.

Yet, amidst all earthly dangers, the divine judgment he bore far outweighed any human threat.

Isaiah prophesied,

“Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief” (Isaiah 53:10) — a sorrow profound enough to eclipse all others.

This divine displeasure, accumulated over millennia of rebellion against God, was laid upon him on our behalf.

The disciples would later acknowledge in prayer,

Acts 4:27–28 “for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.”

These words signify the culmination of divine preordination. Everything is moving according to God definite plan.

The tragic spectacle had been foreseen before time began, leading to the moment the blameless Lamb was sacrificed.

Revelation 13:8 “and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.”

Jesus was aware of the suffering he was to undergo,

Matthew 20:17–19 “And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.””

Yet the full extent of his pain is beyond our comprehension.

If not for his sacrifice, we might have tasted a fraction of his anguish.

Reflection

Psalm 22 is remembered for its lament of abandonment, yet Jesus, invoking its opening line, was fully aware of its triumphant conclusion.

Despite David's feelings of desertion, he affirmed,

[The Lord] has not despised or abhorred

the affliction of the afflicted,

nor has he hidden his face from him,

but has listened to his cry for help. (Psalm 22:24)

Following with, “The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord” (Psalm 22:26).

Jesus bore the initial despair, yet he was confident of not being forsaken forever.

He anticipated reuniting with the Father, ascending to reign at His right side, the savior who was crucified would ascend as the eternal Son.

The Triumph

Reflecting on the blood-stained cross leading to the immortal crown Jesus would claim, the author of Hebrews recites Psalm 22:

It was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should perfect the pioneer of their salvation through sufferings. . . . He is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praises.” (Hebrews 2:10–12)

(Psalm 22:22 “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:”)

With Jesus' last breath, as he cried out Psalm 22:1, he anticipated completing this psalm.

His declaration, “It is finished” (John 19:30), marked not an end but the dawn of a victory that had been brewing since creation's outset, heralding the advent of his everlasting reign.

Psalm 22:30–31 “Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.”

Christ’s righteousness will forever be proclaimed, testifying to his finished work.

Preparer for the Lord’s table

As we prepare to partake of the Lord's Supper, let us remember that in this meal, we proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. It is a proclamation not of despair, but of hope; not of defeat, but of victory.

For on the cross, Jesus uttered, "It is finished" (John 19:30), marking the completion of His redemptive work.

Yet, this "It is finished" is not the end but the beginning of a new creation, of a people called out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Tonight, as we break the bread and drink the cup, let us do so in remembrance of Him who was forsaken, that we might never be.

Let us rejoice in the knowledge that though we may feel abandoned, we have a High Priest who is acquainted with our griefs, who has borne our sorrows, and who intercedes for us before the throne of grace.

May this Good Friday be a time of deep reflection, sincere repentance, and joyful anticipation of the resurrection morning. For in Christ, our forsakenness is turned into fellowship, our sorrow into joy, and our death into life. He has done it. Amen.

Prayer

Written prayer:

Heavenly Father,

On this day, as we have gathered to contemplate the profound mystery and the boundless depth of Your love demonstrated through the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ, we are reminded of His anguished cry on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

This cry, Lord, resonates within each of us, reminding us of the moments of despair and abandonment we too experience. Yet, in the shadow of the cross, we find the light of Your unfailing love.

As we partake of the bread and the cup tonight, let each bite and each sip be a testament to the truth that in His suffering and death, Jesus bore our sins, our sorrows, and our separation, so that we might be reconciled to God forever.

This is not just a memorial of His death, but a celebration of the life we are granted through His sacrifice.

Here, at the Lord's table, we are invited to partake in the mystery of faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again.

Let this communion be a profound act of worship and remembrance, as we acknowledge our part in the body of Christ, united by His spirit, until the day we feast with Him in glory.

In the precious and holy name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, we pray. Amen.