Read Psalm 22:
| The Pleas of Turmoil | The Prayers of Trust | The Praise of Thanksgiving |
|---|---|---|
| Abandonment (vv. 1-2) | ||
| God’s past faithfulness (vv. 3-5) | ||
| Abuse (vv. 6-8) | ||
| God’s personal sustenance (vv. 9-11) | ||
| Anguish (vv. 12-18) | ||
| God’s present answers to prayer (vv. 19-21) | ||
| From the psalmist (v. 22) | ||
| From both Jew and Gentile (vv. 23-28) | ||
| From rich and poor (vv. 29) | ||
| From future generations such as today (vv. 30-31) |
- Compare Psalm 22 with the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion. How did David prophesy with such accuracy 1000 years before Jesus?
| The Prophecy of Psalm 22 | Jesus’ Fulfillment at Calvary |
|---|---|
| His cry to the Father (v. 1; see vv. 3-5, 9-11, 19-21) | Matt 27:46; see 26:38-45; Mark 15:33-34 |
| The period of darkness (v. 2) | Matt 27:45 |
| A life-long trust in God (vv. 3-5, 9-10) | 1 Pet 2:21-24 |
| Dehumanization (v. 6) | Isa 53:3 |
| Looks of contempt (v. 7) | Mark 15:27-30 |
| Verbal assault and injury (v. 8) | Matt 27:39-44; Mark 15:31-32; Luke 23:39 |
| Alone and helpless (v. 11) | Matt 26:38-45 |
| The enemies who surrounded and abused him (vv. 12-13, 16a) | Matt 27:11-38; see 26:46-75; Luke 23:33; John 19:1-3 |
| Thirst and intense pain (vv. 14-15) | John 19:28-30 |
| Pierced hands and feet (v. 16b) | Luke 24:39 |
| Nakedness and shame (v. 17) | Matt 27:28, 35; Luke 23:35 |
| His clothes gambled away (v. 18) | Mark 15:24; John 19:23-24 |
| His innocent suffering on our behalf | Luke 23:47; 2 Cor 5:21 |
| His need for outside help (vv. 19-21) | Mark 14:35-36; 15:20-21 |
| His resurrection victory (vv. 22-26) | Heb 2:11-12 |
| His coronation as King (vv. 27-31) | Ps 72:17 |
| His declaration, “It is finished!” (v. 31) | John 19:30 |
2. Now read through Psalm 22 again to discover truths about God’s character and his deeds:
- God is personal (vv. 1-2)
- God is holy and sovereign (v. 3)
- God is trustworthy and dependable (vv. 4-5)
- God is compassionate toward the abused (vv. 6-8)
- God is Creator and Sustainer (vv. 9-10)
- God is near to us (v. 11)
- God is protective of his children (v. 12-13)
- God is empathetic toward our suffering (vv. 14-16a)
- God is willing to sacrifice his beloved Son (vv. 16b-18)
- God is our helper in times of need (vv. 19-21)
- God is worthy of our praise and glory (vv. 22-23b, 25)
- God is awesome to behold (v. 23c)
- God is present to answer prayer (v. 24)
- God is eternally satisfying (vv. 26, 29)
- God is zealous for our worship (vv. 27-29)
- God is missionary-minded (vv. 30-31)
Understand Psalm 22
I. Pray to the Lord Despite His Palpable Silence (vv. 1-11)
In his suffering, David felt like God had abandoned him (vv. 1-2), yet he clung to God’s past faithfulness to Israel (vv. 3-5). God’s silence seemed even more harsh to David when he faced the abuse of others (vv. 6-8), yet he remembered how God had fashioned him in the womb and sustained him through his life (vv. 9-11). Jesus then quoted Psalm 22:1 as he hung upon the cross to declare how he fulfilled the sufferings of David (Matt 27:46).[1] Like David and his Greater Son, we too must cry out to our Father when we feel forsaken.
II. Persevere in the Lord by His Powerful Strength (vv. 12-21)
David continued to persevere in prayer even as he experienced intense anguish (vv. 12-18). His words prophetically described our Lord’s crucifixion 1,000 years before Jesus was born and centuries before the cross was a means of execution. He then concluded that God’s answer to his prayer was as good as done.[2] So also, Jesus affirmed that his Father would rescue him not from the cross, but from the grave. Easter would succeed Good Friday. God’s answer in the death and resurrection of his Son was guaranteed.
So when you are suffering, look to Jesus who suffered in your place. He is not far off though your troubles may be near. He will hurry to your aid and save your precious life. In fact, he has already answered you from the cross. For in dying on the cross, he saved you from your sin and all its consequences. His death declared your sins forgiven and your guilt removed. His death was a promise that you would one day live in a world without sickness, sorrow, or death. And by rising from the dead, Jesus sealed the deal in victory. The suffering that you face today is certainly difficult, yet Christ has redeemed it at the cross.
III. Praise the Lord for His Promised Salvation (vv. 22-31)
David declared his determination to praise the Lord (v. 22). Yet he could not keep it to himself, so he exhorted his people to worship as well (vv. 23-24). God’s plan was then for Israel to reach the Gentile nations, so that they too would join in worship (vv. 25-28). This praise for God’s salvation would reach all peoples around the world, rich and poor alike (v. 29). It would even extend to generations yet unborn (vv. 30-31). Thus, at the cross, Jesus was thinking of you and me and all those in future days who would believe on him. How can we do anything but praise?
Apply Psalm 22:
- How do you respond when you feel God has abandoned you? Do you move toward God or away from him? Describe the way you pray during hardships, then learn to lament from Psalm 22.[3]
- List the many ways Jesus was abused. Why do the abused often feel despised by God? Reflect on God’s unchanging character?
- Consider how the death and resurrection of Christ proves that God will never forsake you (Rom 8:32; Heb 2:11-18). Remember God’s faithfulness to David, Christ, and you when you face suffering.
- Reflect on the wondrous truth that Jesus was thinking about you and me as he died upon the cross.
- How have you experienced the presence of God through the people of God? Determine one way you can exhort others to praise the Lord.
- When I Survey the Wondrous Cross and Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed?
Pray Psalm 22:
- O God, you are my God and my help (vv. 1, 10, 19).
- You are holy and the one in whom I trust (vv. 3-4).
- You are my merciful Savior (v. 6).
- You are near to me in times of trouble (v. 11).
- Answer me when I pray (v. 21).
- Teach me to proclaim your righteousness to others (vv. 22, 31).
- May my children and my children’s children serve you (vv. 30-31).
Counsel Psalm 22:
Psalm 22 reveals the sufferings of Christ through the prophecy of David. It directs hurting people to meditate on the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection on our behalf. Help counselees interpret their suffering through the sufferings of Christ, seek God in prayer, persevere by his strength, then respond to his promises with praise. Learn further how to care for the abused with examples from Paul Tautges and John Henderson.
[1] Many dispute whether Christ was literally forsaken on the cross. The Hebrew verb ʿazab implies a complete rejection, but not always a permanent one (see Isa 54:7)—an emotional separation, but not necessarily a physical one. According to biblical doctrine, we cannot say that the Father removed his presence, his love, or his unity from the Son. Yet Scripture clearly states that the Son was in some way “forsaken” when “he became sin for us” (2 Cor 5:21). It might be better to say that God turned away his favor, but not his face (see Hab 1:13). As Martin Luther marveled, “God forsaken by God, who can understand it?” See Donald Macleod and Thabiti Anywabile for further discussion.
[2] In the Hebrew, verse 21 ends emphatically with a single word: “You have rescued me”—or better translated, “You have answered me.”
[3] For an example, see Mark Vroegop, Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019), 57-60.
