Well, good evening, if I haven't already said it to you.
Very glad that you are here with us this evening.
This is extra in the week,
and I am greatly encouraged by how many people have joined us this evening.
As we gather to consider the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
on the cross of Golgotha,
I would like for us to consider some of Jesus' final words
as he suffered on our behalf
and reflect upon what may have been
some of his final thoughts as he gave his life for the sake of ours.
So, to do so, please join me in Psalm 22.
This psalm serves as a divine commentary
on much of what Jesus uttered on the cross,
as we will see that three of his statements come from this psalm.
Because Jesus cites this psalm so prevalently,
I believe that it is safe to assume
that he was pondering this psalm as he suffered.
It may not have been the only text of Scripture that he meditated upon,
but it was surely one of them,
and it may well have been the dominant one,
and therefore can grant us some insight into his thoughts.
The author of this psalm is King David,
and no events of his life match the description found here.
So it is widely agreed that this psalm is also prophetic,
that David was speaking specifically of the suffering of Jesus Christ.
We will see that it alludes to five incidences
that occur in the process of Jesus being tried and crucified.
Further, the apostle Peter, in reference to another of David's psalms,
calls him a prophet in Acts chapter 2 and verse 30.
So as we take some time this evening to consider some of Jesus' final words,
and most likely some of his final thoughts,
I want to invite you to have your heart warmed
by the loving kindness of God to us in the death of Jesus Christ.
I'll read the entirety of the psalm.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.
Yet, you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our fathers trusted, they trusted, and you delivered them.
To you they cried and were rescued.
In you they trusted and were not put to shame.
But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
All who seek me mock me.
They make mouths at me.
They wag their heads.
He trusts in the Lord.
Let him deliver him.
Let him rescue him, for he delights in him.
Yet, you are he who took me from the womb.
You made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
On you was I cast from birth,
and from my mother's womb you have been my God.
Be not far from me, for trouble is near,
and there is none to help.
Many bulls encompass me.
Strong bulls of bashing surround me.
They open wide their mouths at me like a ravening and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax.
It is melted within my breast.
My strength is dried up like a pot shirt,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws.
You lay me in the dust of death.
For dogs encompass me.
A company of evildoers encircles me.
They have pierced my hands and feet.
I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me.
They divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing that casts lots.
But you, O Lord, do not be far off.
O you, my help, come quickly to my aid.
Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dog.
Save me from the mouth of the lion.
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen.
I will tell of your name to my brothers.
In the midst of the congregation, I will praise you.
You who fear the Lord, praise him.
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel.
For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
but has heard when he cried to him.
From you comes my praise in the great congregation.
My vows I will perform before those who fear him.
The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied.
Those who seek him shall praise the Lord.
May your hearts live forever.
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nation shall worship before you.
For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.
All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship.
Before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
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.
So, first,
let's look at the five incidences that occurred
in the process of Jesus being tried and crucified
that this psalm alludes to.
And remember, I'm making the case to you
that this is at least prominently what's on his mind
as he suffers and dies on our behalf.
So, first,
the dividing of Jesus' garments
and the casting of lots.
We see this recorded in John 19,
verse 23 and 24,
where it says,
when the soldiers had crucified Jesus,
they took his garments
and divided them into four parts,
one part for each soldier,
also his tunic.
But the tunic was seamless,
woven in one piece from top to bottom.
That is, it was expensive.
So they said to one another,
let us not tear it,
but cast lots for it
to see whose it shall be.
This was,
John says,
to fulfill the scripture
which says,
and he cites Psalm 22 and verse 18.
They divided my garments among them
and for my clothing,
they cast lots.
Secondly,
we read about the piercing
of Jesus' hands and feet
and his severe beating.
We only find out about the piercing
of Jesus' hands and feet
because of doubting Thomas.
In John chapter 20,
beginning in verse 24,
John records,
Now Thomas,
one of the twelve,
called the twin,
was not with them
when Jesus came.
So the other disciples told him,
We have seen the Lord.
This is the risen Lord.
But he said to them,
Unless I see his hand,
the marks of the nails,
and place my finger
into the marks of the nails,
and place my hand into his side,
I will never believe.
Eight days later,
his disciples were inside again
and Thomas was with them.
Although the doors were locked,
Jesus came and stood among them
and said,
Peace be with you.
Then he said to Thomas,
Such kindness here,
such tenderness.
Put your finger here
and see my hands.
And put out your hand
and place it in my side.
Do not disbelieve,
but believe.
Thomas answered him,
My Lord and my God.
We know that Jesus
was severely beaten
from texts like Matthew 27.
And the prophet Isaiah wrote
in Isaiah 52 and verse 14,
As many were astonished at you,
his appearance was so marred
beyond human semblance
and his form beyond that
of the children of mankind.
We see in Psalm 22,
verse 16 and 17,
For dogs encompass me,
a company of evildoers
encircles me,
they have pierced
my hands and feet,
I can count all my bones,
they stare
and gloat
over me.
Thirdly,
we can see
the mocking
of the soldiers.
We can read of this
in Mark chapter 15,
verse 16
and following.
There Mark says,
And the soldiers
led him away
inside the palace,
that is,
the governor's headquarters.
And they called together
the whole battalion,
and they clothed him
in a purple cloak,
and twisting together
a crown of thorns,
they put it on him.
And they began
to salute him,
Hail,
King of the Jews!
And they were striking
his head with a reed,
and spitting on him,
and kneeling down
in homage to him.
And when they had mocked him,
they stripped him
of the purple cloak,
and put his own clothes
on him,
and they led him out
to crucify him.
Luke adds in Luke 22,
verse 63 through 65,
Now the men
who were holding Jesus
in custody
were mocking him
as they beat him.
They also blindfolded him
and kept asking him,
Prophesy,
who is it that struck you?
And they said,
many other things
against him,
blaspheming him.
Jesus became
a mockery,
an object of derision
and sport
for the Roman battalion.
The creator
of all the universe
became a laughingstock
to those
whom he created.
Psalm 22,
verse 6 and 7,
there says,
But I am a worm
and not a man,
scorned by mankind
and despised
by the people.
All who seek me
mock me.
They make mouths at me.
They wag their heads.
Fourthly,
we can see
the mocking
of the bystanders
and the religious leaders.
Matthew 27,
verse 39,
says,
All those
who passed by
derided him,
wagging their heads.
Again,
Psalm 22,
verse 7,
and then into verse 8,
All who seek me
mock me.
They make mouths at me.
They wag their heads.
He trusts in the Lord.
Let him deliver him.
Let him rescue him.
For he
delights
in him.
He mocked
who he said
that he was.
In Luke 23,
verse 35 and following,
we read,
And the people
stood by watching,
but the ruler
scoffed at him,
saying,
He saved others.
Let him save himself.
If he is the Christ of God,
his chosen one.
The soldiers
also mocked him,
coming up
and offering him
sour wine
and saying,
If you are the king
of the Jews,
save yourself.
There was also
an inscription over him,
this is the king
of the Jews.
And John adds
in John 19
that even that
was controversial.
They wanted it
to be worse,
the sign that hung
above him.
There he says,
Pilate also wrote
an inscription
and put it on the cross.
It read,
Jesus of Nazareth,
the king
of the Jews.
Many of the Jews
read this inscription
for the place
where Jesus was crucified
was near the city
and it was written
in Aramaic,
in Latin,
and in Greek.
That is to say,
everybody could read it.
So the chief priest
of the Jews
said to Pilate,
Do not write
the king of the Jews,
but rather,
this man said,
I am the king
of the Jews.
And Pilate answered,
What I have written,
I have written.
So there's a mocking
of the bystanders
and the religious leaders.
Fifthly,
we see the mocking
of the criminals.
Matthew 27
and verse 44
records,
and the robbers
who were crucified
with him
also reviled him
in the same way.
And in Luke 23,
39,
we get a little more detail.
One of the criminals
who were hanged
railed at him saying,
Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself
and us.
And Luke goes on
to tell us
that the other criminal
rebuked him
and placed his face
in Christ.
And so we see this mocking,
Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself
and us.
Psalm 22, 8.
He trusts in the Lord.
Let him deliver him.
Jesus was even mocked
by those found guilty
and experiencing
the very same death.
In Luke 23,
we find him so willing
to forgive the transgressions
at whose hands he suffered.
In verse 34,
he utters the words,
Father, forgive them,
for they know not
what they do.
He pitied the ignorance
that would murder the one
who came
to save their souls.
And so we see
all of these
connection points
back to
Psalm 22.
So,
we ask,
I think it's right
for us to muse,
what must have been
going through
the mind of our Savior
as he experienced
the most cruel
of deaths
ever to be employed
by a nation state.
This is not argued.
This was the worst.
This form of death
was not only
extremely painful,
it was meant
to be a spectacle.
The condemned
replace on display
in a place
of prominence
for all to see
and to consider
the cost
of law-breaking.
The Romans
wanted to make
it very clear
what would happen
to those
who went
against Rome.
So not only
is he dying
a painful
physical death,
he is being
rejected
at every turn
by those
that he loves.
Psalm 22
verse 12
and 13,
many bulls
encompass me,
strong bulls
of Bashan,
which is modern
day Syria,
surround me.
They open wide
their mouths at me
like a ravening
and roaring lion.
In the midst
of all David's
prophecy
of the suffering
of the coming Christ,
he writes
these reprieves.
When I read
the total psalm
to you,
I tried to give
some pauses
to highlight that.
These moments
of rest
and reflection
from all
of the suffering.
And here I think
we get the most
wonderful glimpse
of the mind
of Jesus.
I'm making the case
to you.
I think this is
what he's thinking.
As I'm going to
show you in a moment,
he's citing this psalm.
I think this is
what's going
through his mind.
And I think David
prophetically has told us
what he would suffer
and is giving us
some hints
at what he must
have been thinking.
So just before
the text I read,
the bulls
encompassing,
the strong bulls
opening wide
their mouths
like a ravening
roaring lion,
just before that
we get this reprieve.
Verse 9-11,
Yet you are he
who took me
from the womb.
You made me trust you
at my mother's breast.
On you was I cast
from my birth
and from my mother's womb
you have been my God.
Be not far from me
for trouble is near
and there is none
to help.
The psalmist,
as I've argued,
shows us
that Jesus
suffered greatly
but that he looks
to God the Father
who was with him
from the very beginning
and is therefore
to be trusted
for help,
comfort,
peace,
and finally
deliverance.
Now let's take a look
at three statements
that Jesus uttered
on the cross
that are found
in this psalm.
First,
we can read
in Matthew 27
and verse 46,
also in Mark 15, 34.
And about the ninth hour
Jesus cried out
with a loud voice
saying,
Eli,
lama sabachthani.
That is,
I'm thankful
for the translation,
my God,
why have you
forsaken me?
Eli,
lama sabachthani.
my God,
why have you
forsaken me?
At about 3 p.m.,
the sky went dark
and Jesus
laid his life
down.
The sinless
for the sinful,
the worthy
for the unworthy,
the blessed
for the destitute.
John Stott
once said,
our sins
blotted out
the sunshine
of his
father's
face.
2 Corinthians
chapter 5,
verse 21,
Paul says,
for our sake,
he,
God,
made him
Christ
to be sin
who knew no sin
so that in him
we might become
the righteousness
of God.
In the garden
of Gethsemane,
the night before
Jesus' crucifixion,
he prayed as recorded
in Matthew 26,
verse 39,
my father,
if it be possible,
let this cup
pass from me.
Nevertheless,
not as I will,
but as you will.
Jesus'
great concern
was not the
physical
torment that he
was going to go
through.
It was drinking
the cup
of God's
wrath
against sin,
your sin
and mine.
Jesus'
anguish
over his
coming crucifixion
was because
of that reality
that he knew
was coming.
He knew he was
going to bear
God's wrath.
He knew that
God would turn
his face
away from him.
Jesus would
have had in mind
patches like
Jeremiah 25,
verse 15 and 16
and verse 27.
God is
just
and God is
unchanging
and therefore
God must
punish
sin.
He can't
simply
overlook it.
It must
be
punished.
If you and I
were to have
any hope
of the forgiveness
of our sin,
we needed
a substitute.
We needed
someone to die
in our
place.
Jesus came
to die our
death,
so as he hung
on that cursed
tree,
he bore
all of the
wrath for
all of the
sin due
you and
I and
all those
who will
ever or
ever will
be called
by his
name.
Every ounce
of that
eternal wrath
for our
sin.
And it's in
that final
moment that he
cries out,
my God,
why have
you forsaken
me?
God the
Father turned
his face
away from
his Son
and poured
infinite
wrath
on him.
Charles
Spurgeon
once said,
it seemed
as if hell
were put
into his
cup.
He seized
it and at
one tremendous
draught of
love,
he drank
damnation
dry.
I don't
know if
anybody will
have a way
with words
like Spurgeon
ever again.
Psalm 22
verse 1 and
2,
my God,
why have
you forsaken
me?
Why are you
so far
from saving
me from
the words
of my
groaning?
Oh my
God,
I cry
by day
but you
do not
answer
and by
night
but I
find
no
rest.
And then
Psalm 22
gives us
another one
of these
reprieves
that I
mentioned
and I
suggest
the hope
that pulled
Christ the
man through
this immeasurable
suffering.
The writer of
Hebrews tells
us in
Hebrews 12
too that
Jesus endured
the cross
for the joy
set before
him.
So maybe
it's a thought
like this
that's going
through his
mind right
after the text
I just read
verses 3
through 5
yet you
are holy
enthroned
on the
praises
of Israel
in you
our fathers
trusted
they trusted
and you
delivered them
to you
they cried
and were
rescued
in you
they trusted
and were
not
put to
shame.
Second
thing he
says
we find
in John
chapter 19
and verse
28
this
is briefly
but I'm
connecting you
back to
Psalm 22
again
after this
Jesus
knowing
that all
was now
finished
said
and John
puts in
parentheses
to fulfill
the scripture
I
thirst
now
this is
certainly
a direct
reference
to Psalm
69
and verse
21
there that
says
they gave
me poison
for food
and for
my thirst
they gave
me sour
wine
to drink
and this
one is a
bit more
difficult to
find in
Psalm 22
but I
contend
that it
is
there
in verses
14
and 15
where he
says
I'm poured
out like
water
and all
my bones
are out
of joint
my heart
is like
wax
it is
melted
within
my breast
my strength
is dried
up like
a pot
shirt
and my
tongue
sticks
to my
jaws
you lay
me
in the
dust
of
death
thirdly
when Jesus
had received
the sour
wine
he said
it
is
finished
I find
these to be
the three
most precious
words in
the Bible
it
is
finished
and he
bowed his
head
and gave
up his
spirit
Jesus upon
accomplishing
the task
that he
became a
man to
accomplish
uttered
these
simple
but profound
and packed
full
of meaning
words
it
is
finished
that
redemptive
price
has
been
paid
all
that we
need
to have
the salvation
of our
souls
has
been
accomplished
it's
done
it
is
finished
a work
that he
did
on our
behalf
and doesn't
expect
a work
from us
to have
it
an
astounding
thing
the author
of Hebrews
writes
in Hebrews
1
and verse
3
Jesus
Christ
is the
radiance
of the
glory
of God
and the
exact
imprint
of his
nature
and he
upholds
the universe
by the
word
of his
power
after making
purification
for sins
he sat
down at
the right
hand
of the
majesty
on high
and this
language
is striking
to those
who are
familiar
with this
early
Jewish
practice
of temple
worship
the priests
there
who were
making
intercession
sacrificial
intercession
for God's
people
never
got to
sit down
there is
no furniture
in that
temple
no place
for them
to sit
and to
rest
they work
in shifts
around the
clock
to make
purification
for sins
the Levitical
priests who
could never
make atonement
the way we
need
atonement
so Christ
comes
through a
different line
that of
Melchizedek
for another
time
perhaps
and he
makes a
once for
all
sacrifice
of
himself
he
finishes
the work
it's
finished
and he
sits down
at the
right hand
of the
majesty
on high
the work
is
done
psalm 22
verse 29
and following
all the
prosperous of
the earth
eat and
worship
before him
shall bow
all who
go down
to the
dust
even the
one
who
could not
keep
himself
alive
posterity
shall serve
and they
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
is
finished
praise
be
to
God
well
four
brief
points
of
application
and
I'll
be
done
and
we'll
conclude
with
some
closing
songs
some
things
we
want
to
witness
Jesus
doing
as he
hung
on
the
cross
first
the
case
I'm
making
to
you
is
that
he
was
pondering
the
word
of
God
that
he
had
stored
up
texts
!
psalm
22
so that
he
could
consider
them
and
all
of
the
promises
of
God
could
pull
him
through
the
great
suffering
that
he
experienced
and
beloved
we
need
to
do
the
same
we
will
suffer
in
this
life
and
we
need
to
have
ready
access
to
God's
word
at
all
times
secondly
we
see him
praying
to
God
for
help
in
times
of
need
psalm
22
verse
19
there's
this
cry
and
following
but
you
oh
lord
be
not
far
off
oh
you
my
help
come
quickly
to
my
aid
and
it
goes
on
our
God
hears
us
and
he's
ready
to
answer
us
and
because
of
the
righteousness
we have
in
Christ
we
can
boldly
approach
him
boldly
lay
our
requests
at
his
feet
and
trust
in
his
loving
responses
third
of
suffering
connecting
us to
psalm
22
verses
2
through
5
I read
this
before
oh my
God
I cry
by day
but you
do not
answer
by night
but I
find
no rest
yet
you
are
holy
enthroned
on the
praises
of
Israel
and you
our
fathers
trusted
they
trusted
and you
delivered
them
to you
they
cried
and were
rescued
and you
they
trusted
and they
were
not
put
to
shame
God
works
in the
suffering
of his
people
to bring
about
faith
in him
right
trusting
his
good
promises
exalting
him
because
we
believe
him
he
is
who
he
is
and he
has
said
things
and we
believe
those
things
to be
true
and that
keeps
the honor
on him
that is
due
him
fourth
proclaiming
God's
goodness
to one
another
and to
the
world
to one
another
we see
this
in
22
and
following
I
will
tell
of
your
name
to
my
brothers
in
the
midst
of
the
congregation
I
will
praise
you
who
fear
the
Lord
praise
him
all
you
offspring
of
Jacob
glorify
him
and
stand
in
awe
of
him
all
you
offspring
of
Israel
for
he
has
not
despised
or
abhorred
the
affliction
of
the
afflicted
and
he
has
not
hidden
his
face
my
vows
I
will
perform
before
those
who
fear
him
the
afflicted
shall
eat
and
be
satisfied
those
who
seek
him
shall
praise
the
Lord
may
your
hearts
live
forever
we are
to proclaim
God's
goodness
to one
another
all the
time
day in
and day
out
hear me
I'm
thankful
for this
evening
and I'm
thankful
for
it seems
in our
culture
that this
is the
black
Friday
for
churches
and I
just
want
to say
we
gather
to
celebrate
the
resurrected
Christ
52
Sundays
out of
the
year
unless
something
catastrophic
happens
that's
what we
gather
to do
we do
it
regularly
why
because
we
need
to
hear
the
good
news
of
Jesus
Christ
regularly
and God
has
ordained
that we
hear it
regularly
so we
should
proclaim
God's
goodness
to one
another
and also
to the
world
verse 27
all the
ends
of the
earth
shall
remember
and turn
to the
Lord
all the
families
of the
nations
shall
worship
before you
for kingship
belongs
to the
Lord
and he
rules
over
the
nations
so I
hope
once again
that your
heart has
been warmed
by the
loving kindness
of God
to us
and the
death
of Jesus
Christ
I hope
that this
time serves
us well
as we
look forward
to
resurrection
Sunday
in a few
short days
please join
me in
prayer
next