Talk: Psalm 22, HTF 12/9/3
David Heath-Whyte
NB: This is what I intended to say...
Intro
Rollercoasters
Listen to this description:
"Takes riders to a height of 54 metres and tilts them forward at an agonising 20 degree angle as they are hoisted skyward on a half ton launch shuttle. Then they drop at the mercy of gravity at over 4Gs . There is also a Fifth Dimension to the ride, with no footrest at all – so real thrill-seekers can hang from 54 metres with nothing to hold them but their shoulder restraints!"
How does that sound? Do you fancy a go? It's the Apocalypse ride at Drayton Manor Park.
Maybe it sounds like absolute terror to you - if it does, would you go on the Apocalypse ride?
You'd avoid it like the plague, would't you?
once...
Once there was a man, who had a description in his hands: not of a roller-coaster ride, but of how he would die - a premature and terrible death - APOCALYPSE wouldn't be a bad name for it.
And as he read the description of the terrible suffering his death would involve, he knew all the time that there was a choice: he could avoid it - and live on, peacefully to old age maybe.
But this description didn't just tell of his death, it spoke, in an amazing and wonderful way, of what his death would achieve.
So what would he do?
As Jesus hung on the cross, experiencing the terrible suffering of crucifixion, he cried out the first line of that description - "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"
It's psalm 22 in our bibles - on page 554
Jesus probably didn't have a written copy, but I'm sure he knew it off by heart.
That question is very important: it helps us understand the meaning and the reason for the cross
And then we go back to the psalm that it comes from, and our eyes are opened even more: we find out what Jesus knew in advance about his death, and what he would achieve - and it takes us to our knees in utter amazement at his love, that he should do that, knowing that, for me - for you.
So let's look at psalm 22 together, let's consider the cross, and meditate on what it meant for Jesus, and what it means for us.
understand his desolation (1-11)
First of all, vv1-11 (let's try to) "understand his desolation"
Psalm 22:1-2 [For the director of music. To [the tune of] "The Doe of the Morning". A psalm of David.] My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.
context: psalms & prophecy
A psalm is a song, in the Hebrew hymn book. It would have been used in their worship at the tabernacle with King David, and then the temple under King Solomon and onwards.
This one is by King David - about some dreadful suffering in his life.
But David was more than a songwriter - he was a prophet, declaring God's Word: and God took David's suffering and inspired him to speak, about the future suffering that the true King of Israel, Jesus, would face.
desolation
Maybe David wondered what terrible events it would come to describe - but we know: Jesus tells us: it describes perfectly the complete loneliness, isolation and sadness of Jesus on the cross - his desolation:
v.6 "I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: 8 "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." (NIV)
Matthew tells us in his Gospel: that's exactly what the people said, looking at Jesus on the cross. (Matthew 27:41-43)
why?
But what is the answer to the dreadful question of v.1:
why had God the Father forsaken Jesus the Son?
Why was he so completely alone?In the American presidential election campaign this week, George W Bush's military flying career has been closely examined. Apparently near the end of his flying career with US National Guard, having done some 200 hours solo in a jet fighter, suddenly and for no apparent reason he's back in a training aircraft as the 2nd pilot - it's very strange: he's always flown solo before, why is suddenly 2nd pilot and under instruction again?
With Jesus, it's the other way round - he's never been solo, and he shouldn't have been(v.9-11). He's always been in relationship, in direct contact with God the Father, and that's how it should be. That's how we should all be - we should always be the 2nd pilot, with God the Father as the number 1.
But now, suddenly, Jesus is flying solo - the Father is nowhere for him, out of touch - the link has been broken, Jesus has been forsaken. What's going on, what's gone wrong?
We need the rest of the Bible to help.
Here's a description God gives us through the NT apostle Paul: 2 Corinthians 5:19-21 '19 God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. ... 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us - that's why Jesus was alone.
sin
Sin - S, I, N - I in the middle - and it's when I am in the middle of things, rather than God, that I sin - I don't do what God wants, I do what God doesn't want.
We all do it - selfishness dominates us - what we think, say, and do.
punishment
And the Bible tells us that God hates sin, and won't have people who are guilty of sin in his presence, instead he will justly punish us for this selfish rebellion.
But look: here is the same God, providing us with the only way for our guilt to be removed, our sin to be forgiven, his wrath to be taken away: by someone else. By another person - Jesus. By God himself - Jesus.
On the cross, Jesus takes our place, and becomes sin, a sin offering - so he becomes disgusting to the Father (and to himself even); and he dies, because death is God's punishment for sin - our sin, our death.
A presidential bodyguard is there to "take the bullet" when an assasin fires - well, sin is our assassin, and Jesus takes the bullet for us.
He's forsaken - deserted, and dying - because of sin - mine, and yours.
faith
And so, v.4 & 5 tell us what we can do, because Jesus has experienced this desolation: we can trust him, and he delivers us - from sin; we can cry to him, and we'll be saved - from the punishment of eternal death; we can put our trust in Jesus, and never be disappointed.
There's a poignant irony in the mockers' words, v.7-8 "He trusts in the LORD, let the LORD rescue him"
The LORD has forsaken Jesus precisely so that they can trust in the Lord, and the Lord can rescue them. - so that we can trust in the Lord, and the Lord can rescue us.
think...
So when we think about Jesus on the cross, this psalm, the prophetic song of David, helps us to understand his desolation.
So it's a worth spending a moment sometime just thinking about that - terrible aloneness, cut off from the Father - for me, because of me.
There are people all around the world feeling desolation this morning - in Barbados, Beslan, memories in New York. When we look at Jesus on the cross through this psalm, we realise that he can identify with them more than we ever will, he knows desolation. And his desolation means that no-one in our world, wherever they are has to be completely alone - they never have to be cut of from God, because Jesus' desolation brings reconciliation.
Understand his desolation.
feel his agony (12-21)
Then, vv.12-21, feel his agony.
Have you seen Mel Gibson's film "The Passion"? A very brutal, and probably accurate, portrayal of Jesus' crucifixion.
One of the criticisms of the film is that we shouldn't want to see such terrible violence - and we don't get to see that level of violence in the Gospels.
But here, God does give us the violence - he does it poetically, calling on us to use our imagination - maybe that makes it more powerful than the film.
When we talk to people about becoming a Christian, one of things they may want to ask is: what will it cost me? And we need to be honest about that: your street cred will plummit. You will be able to halt conversations just-like-that. Your family might hate you.
But the question here isn't "what will it cost me?" - rather, we need to ask: "what did it cost Jesus?"
He paid for my sin - what did it cost him?
Perhaps you know you've got an issue with a particular sin.
Maybe there's something you do that you know God doesn't want, but you keep doing it.
Mercifully, you know he forgives you when you turn back to him.
But here's something to encourage that repentance, to make us fight the temptation, to make us stop and wonder: how could I ever do that?
As we read these words, let's "feel his agony."
First, v.12, a poetic description of danger from powerful wild animals: Remember Jesus was scourged terribly before he was nailed to the cross.
12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me.
Then the exhausting, draining, life-sapping nature of hanging there:
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.
On the cross, apparently death is usually by suffocation, because the victim lacks the strength to push himself up so that he can breathe
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
Jesus cried out, didn't he, moments before death: "I am thirsty" - here's John's eyewitness account: John 19:28-30 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
So - back to the psalm:
(v.15) you lay me in the dust of death.
Crucifixion was also a very public spectacle of shame - the victim was naked in his agony:
16 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. (which is exactly what the Roman soldiers did, John 19:23)
When we read this psalm, we can feel something of his agony.
And it makes me wonder - how can I sin, when he has done this, for me?
As a well-known evangelist puts it: "we're more sinful than we ever realised, but more loved than we ever dreamed."
And in these verses, we can feel his agony.
enjoy his victory (22-31)
Understand his Desolation.
Feel his Agony.
But how could Jesus go to the cross even, having read this psalm, and knowing the desolation & agony that faced him?
Hebrews 12:2 "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Jesus knew the outcome - the joy set before him - he knew from before the creation of the world, that the cross would be the means that would bring about the new creation - the Kingdom of God, where every person lives for God in God's ways, without sickness, suffering or sin.
And here it is, in vv.22-31
Understand his Desolation. Feel his Agony. And here, v.22-31, Enjoy his Victory.
There's an abrupt change at the end of v.21: King David got an answer from God - one way of translating the original text reads: "Save me from the mouth of the lion, from the horns of the wild oxen, You have answered me!"
And so vv.22 to the end give us the rejoicing of the one who is saved from death - or for Jesus: the rejoicing of the one who saves through his death and his resurrection.
And there's so much to praise God about - vv.22-24
The cross achieves so much - there is satisfaction for both the poor (v.26) and the rich (v.29)
v.27-28, There's repentance before the Sovereign God, submission to him as King - across the whole world
v.29-30, there's life after death, eternal life, and the proclamation of Jesus to generations to come.
Why this praise? why this great revival of faith the one true God?
Look at the very last line of the psalm: "for he has done it"
I wonder if this line is behind Jesus' last words as he died: "It is finished"
I wonder if this psalm, going round in Jesus' mind, helped to give him the strength to give up his spirit and die?
Who knows what was in his mind - but this psalm does speak of the joy that was set before Jesus - the joy of what he would achieve through that desolation and agony - the victory of defeating sin and death, and the amazing glory for Jesus of taking so many people, men and women, girls and boys - to the place of his glory, through what he has done.
"for he has done it"
He's done it for you, so that you can enjoy this victory spoken of here.
So that you and I can eat and be satisfied, feast and worship, kneeling before him.
Enjoy his victory.
"For Me"
This psalm is a description of something far worse any APOCALYPSE ride - and yet Jesus heard it, read it, learnt it probably - and still he went to the cross.
As he hung on the cross, experiencing the terrible suffering of crucifixion, he cried out the first line- "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" - the question that takes us to the heart of the meaning of the cross, the reason for the cross.
And we've looked at what Jesus knew in advance about his death - amazed at his love, that he should do that, knowing that, for me
"For me" - every part of this is something that you can say to yourself: it's for me
Understand his desolation - (1) "My God, My God - why have you forsaken me" - it was for me! because of his Father's wrath at my sin - and he's taken that away!
Feel his agony - (14) "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint" - it was for me! my sin cost that much!
Enjoy his victory - (26) "The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him" - that includes me! I can be in Jesus' kingdom because of this!
I wonder what that prompts you to do?
Perhaps it makes you want to put your trust in Jesus? Ask me after the service how you can do that - I'd love to tell you.
Perhaps it challenges you to fight that sin that dogs you so much.
Maybe it makes you want to tell everyone you meet that Jesus has done this, he's broken down every barrier - and made it possible for us to get back to God!
Maybe it makes you want to throw away your rights, your privileges, your possessions, your comfort, your ambitions, your street cred, your trendiness, your safety, and say: Jesus, I will serve you - take me, all of me, use me - help me live for you and you alone.
Pray...
Upon that cross of Jesus
mine eye at times can see
the very dying form of One
who suffered there for me;
and from my stricken heart, with tears,
two wonders I confess -
the wonders of redeeming love
and my unworthiness.we're more sinful than we could ever imagine, and more loved than we could ever dream of.