A Teaching of the Cross

By -

During his crucifixion, Jesus hung on the cross in darkness for three hours. On the closing verge of the darkness, Jesus echoed the great question of David, recorded in Psalms (22) (Mark 15:33-34, Mtt 27:45-46, Lk 23:44): “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psa 22:1). In order to understand why Jesus repeated David’s question, his crucifixion must be understood in light of Psalm 22.

By quoting the Psalm, Jesus made an intentional appeal to the Psalm’s content and a personal connection to it’s spirit of agony. The circumstances in which David penned the Psalm are unknown; however, the message of the poetic prayer clearly portrayed suffering. Much of the suffering language David used can be applied directly to Jesus’ death and was regarded as a direct fulfillment by the authors of the Gospels. Verses 6-8 of the Psalm (Ps 22:6-8) seem to describe the exact situation Jesus was in. As he hung on the wood, the spectators jeered Jesus. Matthew and Mark both describe the spectators shaking their heads (Ps 22:7) and shouting “God will save this man”(Ps 22:8; Mtt 27:38-43, Mrk 15:27-32). After Jesus had been put to the cross, the Roman soldiers divided his himatia (outer garments) and divided them among themselves. His chiton (undershirt) was one piece, so they had to cast lots to see who would keep it. John notes this as a realization of David’s Psalm (Mrk 15:24, Mtt 27:35, Jhn 19:23-24).

There is much more in Psalm 22 that the Gospel writers do not connect to Jesus’ crucifixion. Without the insights of the Gospels, it is difficult to apply all of the Psalm directly to Jesus; yet, David’s word clearly are applicable in spirit (and even the physical descriptions). Whether or not he recited the entire Psalm, Jesus came to the same conclusion David did: “It is finished”(Ps 22:31, Jhn 19:30). Then he dedicated his spirit to God and he died (Lk 23:46, Mrk 15:37, Mtt 27:50). Even while on the cross, Jesus taught something: rest in God! He used David’s deep question and made it his own while he suffered excruciating physical pain, ultimate humiliation and an intense spiritual battle (which brought about Salvation). When feeling abandoned by God, rest in him. Study Psalm 22 and discover David’s amazing insights into life.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Soul-Searching: Psalm 139

By -
Image
What does it mean to search for something? A search is not a low-energy effort to find something. A search is a deep, intense probing that will not stop until something is found.  How do we search? We pour through our environment intently looking to find that which we are seeking. That is what we must ask God to do in our own hearts, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”- Psa 139:23-24 In Psalm 139, David is both asking God to and recognizes that he searches the heart. This idea of God searching our heart sandwiches (inclusio) the body of the Psalm, which describes God’s intimate knowledge of us in great detail, “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down… and are acquainted with all my ways.”-  Psa 139:2 “Where shall I go from your spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heav
Read more

The Twelve Curses: Deuteronomy 27:15-26

By -
Image
 Everyone has heard of the Ten Commandments but have you ever heard of the “Twelve Curses?” Throughout the Bible, we see lists of the good we ought to do (like the fruit of the spirit, the beatitudes, various blessings, etc.) and sins that God abhors (woes against the Pharisees, seven abominations, etc). In the closing portions of Deuteronomy, we find a list of twelve curses that have many similarities to the Ten Commandments. These specific curses were given to the Israelites alongside a lengthy description of punishments for breaking God’s law. While they function similarly to the Ten Commandments, they serve as an indictment against sinful behavior; warning what will happen if wrong is committed.  This curse tablet was discovered on Mount Ebal, the same mountain where the Israelites pronounced curses. Its discovery was announced in 2023, with research findings published in May of 2023. The Curses Idolatry “Cursed is the man who makes a carved idol or molten image—an abomination to Y
Read more

12 Stones at the Jordan River – A Miracle to Remember (Joshua 3-4)

By -
Image
 This is the first post in a multi-post series on the 7 Memorials found in the Book of Joshua. See part 2 . The two spies had just returned from scouting out the city of Jericho with promising news–according to Rahab, who secretly professed faith in Yahweh, the people of Jericho were deeply afraid (their “hearts melted”) because of Israel (Joshua 2:9-11). With confidence from this report and at God’s direction, it was now time for Israel to move into their promised land.  But to do this, they would have to cross the Jordan River. In a miracle reminiscent of the parting of the Red Sea, the Lord stops the flow of the Jordan River and allows the Israelites to cross it on dry ground. When the team of priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant stepped into the river’s overflowing waters, the river dried and the Israelites crossed the river about a half-mile away (2,000 cubits) from the Ark. The power of this narrative is not simply the miracle of stopping water demonstrating God’s power. The
Read more