Easter in Psalm 22

The things I trust because those I trust trust:

Alice Chalmers Orange

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Chevy’s

Sermon Title: The Forsaken Servant and the Risen King

Text: Psalm 22

Theme: Jesus was forsaken so we never would be, and He rose to reign forever.

Big Idea: Psalm 22 moves from abandonment to exaltation, from death to life — a resurrection prophecy of the Messiah.

I. The Lonely Forsaken Servant (Psalm 22:1–21)

A. The Cry of Abandonment (v.1)

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

These are not just David’s words — they are Christ’s words on the cross (Matt. 27:46). Jesus did not just suffer physically; He was spiritually forsaken. The Psalm opens with the pain of divine silence.

B. Why the Psalmist Feels Forsaken

1. He Didn’t Get the Same Treatment as Others (vv.4–5)

“Our fathers trusted in thee… they cried unto thee, and were delivered.”

He looks at past saints and sees God’s faithfulness — and wonders, “Why not me?”

2. He Feels Less Than Human (v.6)

“But I am a worm, and no man…”

Despised, rejected, scorned — just like Jesus. This is spiritual poverty to its fullest — the “poor in spirit” (Matt. 5:3). The crowd didn’t just hate Him — they mocked Him.

3. He Points to God as His Only Hope

Despite the darkness, he keeps calling to God. He’s not giving up — he’s reaching up.

II. The Crushing Circumstances (Psalm 22:9–18)

A. He Recalls God’s Presence at Birth (v.9)

“Thou art he that took me out of the womb…”

Even from the beginning, God was near. But now, where is He?

B. He Highlights His Childlike Dependence (v.10)

“I was cast upon thee from the womb…”

Jesus entered the world with total dependence — in Bethlehem, in a manger — and lived with that trust every step of the way.

C. The Agony of the Cross (vv.12–18)

The crucifixion is unmistakably foretold here:

• Strong bulls (v.12): the spiritual, political, and religious forces that opposed Him

• Roaring lion (v.13): Satan, seeking to devour

• Poured out like water (v.14): blood and water flowed from His side (John 19:34)

• Pierced hands and feet (v.16): the nails

• Divided garments (v.18): fulfilled at the foot of the cross (Matt. 27:35)

This isn’t just poetry — it’s prophecy, written 1,000 years before Jesus came.

III. The Turning Point (Psalm 22:19–21)

Suddenly, there is a cry for deliverance — not from death, but through it.

“Be not thou far from me, O Lord… Deliver my soul… Save me from the lion’s mouth…”

God didn’t save Jesus from the cross — He saved Him through the cross, by raising Him from the dead!

• The lion’s mouth (v.21) – Satan could not devour Him (1 Pet. 5:8)

• The unicorn (v.21) – Possibly symbolic of wild strength, danger, kingdoms — but no force could keep Him in the grave

IV. The Resurrected Declaration (Psalm 22:22–26) “I will declare thy name unto my brethren…” (v.22)

This verse is quoted in Hebrews 2:12, applied to Christ’s resurrection! Jesus rises and calls us His brothers. The lonely sufferer now becomes the risen proclaimer.

A. From Despair to Praise

The tone has completely shifted. He went down into death — and now He’s standing up in the assembly, proclaiming God’s name.

B. The Meek Shall Eat and Be Satisfied (v.26)

Resurrection feeds the soul. What looked like defeat was actually victory for the meek and lowly.

V. The Global Resurrection Hope (Psalm 22:27–31)

“All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord…” (v.27)

This is the resurrection’s result:

• Every nation will hear.

• Every knee will bow (Phil. 2:10).

• Jesus will reign forever as Governor of the nations (v.28).

A. The Kingdom Is the Lord’s (v.28)

The stone the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.

B. The Dead Shall Live (v.29–31)

“A seed shall serve him… They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born…”

That’s us — the resurrection message continues through generations. It is not the end of the story — it is the beginning of life.

VI. Conclusion: Can You Trust God? Yes — because the Messiah did.

• He trusted God through abandonment.

• He trusted God into the grave.

• He trusted God — and was raised in power.

He was forsaken so that you never have to be.

Psalm 22 begins with a cry and ends with a victory. The cross is not the end — resurrection is.

Let me know if you’d like a sermon slide outline, a one-page handout version, or notes for each section!

I trust him for my walk of holiness

I trust him for my Christlikeness in the work place

I trust him in the face of temptation, and compulsion