Why Have You Forsaken Me?

Psalm 22

Most all of the Psalms of David are written about something he was going through in his life. He’s on the run from Saul or Absalom. He’s pondering God’s deliverance of him after a difficult situation. Psalm 22 seems to be one of the only Psalms of David that don’t have a connection to some situation in his life.

Not only that but even the descriptions within Psalm 22 don’t match details that would have even taken place in that part of the world during that time period. There’s no dispute that it’s written by King David. There’s no denying that he’s describing crucifixion wasn’t even practiced until many centuries later.

Peter says that David was a prophet and wrote prophetically. There are many things he wrote prophetically, but perhaps nothing more clear, more graphic in detail that Psalm 22.

Psalm 22, although you may not know it at first glance should sound very familiar to you. Jesus speaks the first and last words of this Psalm as he hangs on the cross.

Do you ever wonder what Jesus was thinking while the events of the crucifixion were taking place? We have plenty of clues. He was thinking about others. “Weep for yourselves” “ Father, forgive them” “Dear Woman, here is your son, and here is your mother.”

At noon darkness came over the land for three hours. What took place at this time? We can’t know exactly, but we do know this is when Jesus became sin for us, bore the weight of death and hell. What was Jesus thinking during these hours? He quotes Psalm 22:1

1-21 deal with the cross, the rest of the chapter the resurrection. We won’t look much past 21 for our purposes tonight. But it is important to see Jesus quote the last verse. We’ll get there.

We have really three sections in Psalm 22 followed by a biblical response. When Jesus was in anguish what did he think of, how did he counsel himself? I don’t know where you are emotionally or spiritually tonight, but there is much comfort in these words.

FIRST SECTION

What it means for Jesus to be forsaken I don’t know. But this was the price Jesus was willing to pay for your sin, believer. God bearing our hell, our separation from God. Jesus bore that. What did he look to in this time? God’s past deliverance. God has always shown himself faithful to those who trust him. Sometimes perhaps you feel forsaken, while it might not be true it might feel that way. Jesus looked to the past faithfulness of God to those who trust him.

SECOND SECTION

Hear the mockery of the crowds. Do you know how much the Pharisee’s hated hearing the voice of God say that he was pleased in Jesus at his baptism? The mock him on the cross for those words. They knew who he was and they hated him.

While in the first section the singer of the Psalm reminds himself of God’s past faithfulness to others, here he’s moving forward reminding himself of God’s past faithfulness to him. My God has always been faithful. Won’t he continue to be now?

THIRD SECTION

Here we see the graphic details of the cross. This all deals with the physical torment of the cross. In many ways the emotional and spiritual torment are the most difficult and painful issues of like. But the singer of this Psalm has already dealt with those and overcome them. His God has not forsaken him. His God has always been faithful to him.

The response to this physical torment is the turning point of the psalm in 19-21. The ESV says you have rescued me, I think better translated you have heard me. Either way, the singer of Psalm knows the Lord hears and his hearing is rescuing. Jesus will die, and yet he is rescued. What faithfulness our Lord has, that even in certain death he calls it rescue.

The Psalm began in despair and has turned here to triumph.

The rest of the Psalm celebrates the victory of the cross and speaks about resurrection. Jesus accomplished all his work he accomplished your salvation. But Jesus on the cross speaks the last words of the psalm before the resurrection.

It is finished was his cry and he gave up his spirit and breathed his last. verse 31 says “he has done it” which can also be translated he finished it, or it is finished.

Jesus cries out in victory assuring us that the Resurrection is coming and his people have been rescued