Events of Christ's Crucifixion and Suffering

Christ’s suffering is part of God’s prophesied plan to heal the world.

Intro: Today we look at the prophetic parallel between David the king in his prayer in Psalm 22 and the coming King of Kings, the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

A prayer that carries us from great suffering to great joy. Despite apparent rejection by his friends and God, David believed that God would lead him out of despair. He looked forward to that future when God would rule over the entire earth.

David gave an amazing accurate description of the suffering the Messiah would endure hundreds of years later. David through his suffering he, like the Messiah to come gained victory.

Jesus, the Messiah, quoted Psalms 1 while hanging on the cross carrying our burden of sin. It was not a cry of doubt, but an urgent appeal to God.

FEELING FORSAKEN BY THE FATHER

Cry of Lament

Psalm 22:1–3 (NKJV)

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent. But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.

Psalm 22 is a song of lament, you can sense Davids fears, tears, concerns, and sorrows.

Although verse 1 expresses great distress, it also expresses hope. He cry’s out “My God”, an expression of relationship. We see in the psalm David, felt

the pain of abandonment

loneliness

But he still reached back to his relationship with God the Father. David knew help was/is and always available from his God.

That is why his question, “Why hast thou forsaken me”? “Why are You so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”

David’s anguish was that he repeatedly appealed to God, but there seemed to be no answer.

In the silence, David remembered God’s holiness. He did not:

blaspheme

curse

But proclaimed His greatness.

David’s pain did not cause him to forget that God is holy and remained worthy of his adoration and acclamation.

Psalm 22:3 (NKJV)

But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.

David may not have understood why he was suffering, but he knew his circumstances did not diminish God.

Cry of Loneliness

Matthew 27:45–47 (NKJV)

Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!”

Understand the trial of Jesus was a mockery of justice. Jesus was arrested, first taken to the high priest Caiaphas, there the decision was made to kill him.

Then taken to Pilate, then to Herod, then back to Pilate, who sentenced him to death.

Hanging on the cross starting at noon for three hours, suffering pain, and abuse.

Part of the agony of Christ suffering was the feeling of abandonment by His heavenly Father.

Jesus had been betrayed by:

Judas

forsaken by followers

cursed by Jewish leaders

roman officials

Left to bear it alone on the cross. Because Jesus identified himself with sinners, this caused him to experience God’s wrath against sin, but also God’s distance from sinners.

So, Matthews records Jesus words, “Eli, Eli, lama, sabachthani Aramaic, meaning

“My God. my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

We see here how Jesus the earthly descendant of David echoing the same distress and loneliness experienced by David in Psalm 22.

Though criminals were hanging on both sides of Jesus, the Son of Man felt and was alone.

“Sometimes, we may not”feel” His presence, but by faith, we know He is an ever-present help.”

JESUS MOCKED AND HIS GARMENTS DIVIDED

Hope Seemingly Lost

Psalm 22:6–8 (NKJV)

But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

When others despise you and heap scorn upon you, they treat you less than human. After much degradation, we, like David, may begin to feel like worms. When we feel the sting of rejection, we must keep in mind the hope and victory that God promises us.

Psalm 22:17–18 (NKJV)

I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.

Here David is addressing how he felt as so many people derided him. mocking his trust in God.

David’s opponents thought he must have sinned against God

David’s suffering was psychological, spiritual and physical

David’s opponents looked at his broken condition and gloated

Considered him as good as dead

It is a great insult to human dignity to rob a person of everything, even their clothing leaving them naked and destitute. Jesus our Messiah would suffer this very thing.

Most of us will never know the shame and suffering of being penniless and virtually naked in a public place, as many of the Jews experienced during the Nazi holocaust or even the homeless on the streets of our cities today.

On the other hand, most of us would feel equally exposed and naked when some sin, secret or not so secret would be uncovered. At that time we too would cry out like David:

Psalm 22:19 (NKJV)

But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me!

Hope Restored

Matthew 27 and Psalms 22 gives us the details of how Jesus suffered and was mistreated, like David, but much worse. David closed Psalm 22 on a hopeful note:

Our children and their children will get in on this As the word is passed along from parent to child. Babies not yet conceived will hear the good news that God does what he says. MSG

In like manner, Jesus was confident that the Father would vindicate His obedience, His sacrifice.

Matthew 20:18–19 (NKJV)

“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”

HANDS AND FEET PIERCED

In the Presence of Enemies

Psalm 22:11–16 (NKJV)

Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help. Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;

David’s strength was gone, and if not for his hope in God, his resolve would have also dissolved.

In Jesus Presence

John 20:24–29 (NKJV)

Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them.

Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side.

Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

PEACE BE WITH YOU.... Speaking to Thomas, Jesus said,

put your finger here

see my hands

put your hand in my side

Scripture does not state that Thomas touched Jesus, it was enough to be in His presence and to obey Jesus command, “Don’t be unbelieving. Believe.”

Thomas believed because he saw Jesus. However, greater faith is exercised by those of us who have not seen Jesus in the flesh and “yet have believed.”

Conclusion:

David struggled to believe God could or would help him against his enemies.

Thomas struggled to believe the incredible story the disciples told him about seeing Jesus.

All of us struggle with doubt at times

Problems come and distract our focus from the Lord, so we focus on the situation at hand. As the father of the boy possessed with an unclean spirit said, it is acceptable for us to tell the Lord,

“Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” MK 9:24

The response that needs to come from our hearts is, Jesus You are my Lord and my God!