864. The Psalm of the Cross

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina today speaker is Dr. Steve Pettit, who served as an evangelist for over 29 years before becoming president of Bob Jones University like to ask you take your Bibles today in turn with me to Psalm 22 as our theme is show us Christ. I pray that this morning that that will be the fruit of your prayer.

As we look at Psalm 22 like us to look at the whole of Psalm 22 this morning as we have time and so because the nature of the Psalm. I'd actually like to read it.

I think for our attention and I want us to give the full attention. I'd like to ask actually ask you to stand as we read it this morning. Psalm 22, a Psalm of David. My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring oh my God I cry in the daytime but down here is not in the night season and am not silent but thou art holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel, our fathers trusted in the they trusted thou does deliver them. They cried and that the and were delivered and they trusted in the and were not confounded, but I am a worm and no man reproach of men and despised of the people, all they that see me laugh me to scorn, they shoot out the lip. They shake the head saying he trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him, let him deliver him saying he delighted in him, thou art he that took me out of the womb. That is, make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. I was cast upon the from the womb, thou art my God for my mother's belly be not far from me, for trouble is near for there is none to help many bulls have compassed me strong goals of Bush on have beset me around, they gaped upon me with their mouths as a ravening and a roaring lion, I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a pot charred in my tongue cleave to my jaws and that has brought me into the dust of death for dogs of compassed me the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones.

They look alike and stare upon me, the part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture but be not thou far from me oh Lord oh my strength hastily to help me deliver my soul from the sword, my darling from the power of the dog, save me from the lion's mouth. For thou has heard me from the horn that has heard of me from the horns of the unicorns I will declare thy name up unto my brethren in the midst of the congregation will appraise the even fear the Lord. Praise him, all you the seed of Jacob glorify him and fear him, and all the seed of Israel, for he is not despise nor report the affliction of the afflicted. Neither heavy hit his face from him. But when he cried into him.

He heard my praise shall be of the in the great congregation I will pay my vows before them that fear him, the meek shall either be satisfied.

They shall praise the Lord that seek him.

Your heart shall live forever all the ends of the world.

She remembered turning to the Lord and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before the for the kingdom is the Lords and he is a governor among the nations.

All they that be fat upon the earth shall either worship all they that go down to the.shall bow before him, and none can keep alive his own soul, a seed shall serve him, it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation they shall come in shall declare his righteousness unto the people they that shall be borne that he hath done this. May God add his blessing to the reading of his word and all God's people said you may be seated in a very simple reading of the Psalm 22 that we just read. It is clear that the author David is expressing his feelings as someone is been abandoned and forsaken by God and he is responded to the Lord by clinging to him in faith and prayer, and from that perspective we would call this all a Psalm of lament. When you're in trouble and you see God but I don't think you have to read very long as we did this morning before you realize that the setting of the Psalm cannot really be the experience of David, because this is the suffering of someone who is being executed by crucifixion. One writer Derek Kidner said no incident recorded of David can begin to account for this. The language of the Psalm defines a naturalistic explanation. The best account is in the terms used by the apostle Peter concerning another Psalm of David when he wrote being there for profit. He supports all and he spoke of Christ, the Messiah. Psalm 22 is not so much a lamentable account of the suffering of an ancient King, but rather it is a prophetic picture of the suffering of the King of Kings, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ Steve Lawson writes of this Psalm. What makes Psalm 22 so amazing is is that it was written 1000 years before the first coming of Christ, and it reads as if it were actually recorded by a person standing at the foot of the cross, the very words spoken by Christ from the cross, as well as his thoughts and the injuries he suffered are all recorded here by David.

David is the sweet psalmist of Israel and yet he sets forth the graphic portrayal of the cross hundreds of years before crucifixion was even invented as a form of capital punishment with the precision of an eyewitness, observing the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ David, under the direction of the Holy Spirit wrote the most detailed description of the cross found anywhere in the Bible. Here is David's preview of the cross, a masterpiece that is been called the fifth gospel in the gospel according to David, perhaps we should simply entitle the Psalm is date as Charles Spurgeon entitled it. The Psalm of the cross and Psalm 22 best describes of the crucifixion of Christ. Of all the verses that are in the Bible so this morning. Let's take a few moments to look at this gripping prophetic portrayal of the crucifixion of Jesus and the words that he spoke and I'd like to divide the Psalm up into simple parts you see the parts in the reading verses one through 21 and then verses 22 to the end of the chapter and the first part of this song is entitled the prevailing darkness of the crucified Savior. And as you read it. It is very clear that he feels abandoned by God. And I'm going to follow the idea that is been proposed by a number of authors that that in this first part, these first 21 verses there are two running alternative faults to ideas running through these first 21 verses on the one hand there is the experience of the writer where he reveals what he thinks and what he feels in his suffering and so he uses the pronouns I and me.

We will call that the a section in the second part, on the other hand is the writer reveals what he knows is true about God and then how he responds in prayer and faith and uses the word thou or the word you we call that section be so back-and-forth section a and section B. So if we look at the first a section in verses one into what we see, the author is crying out with a question God, why have you about banded me, my God, my God, why has thou forsaken me, and according to Matthew 2746 and Mark 1534 Jesus applied this verse to himself at 3 o'clock in the afternoon after three hours of darkness while he was suffering on the cross. It is clear that when Jesus was on the cross. Psalm chapter 222, which he would've memorized, was running through his mind.

So why, why did Jesus feel abandoned by God. But I think it's important to understand that in the Old Testament, the essence of the atonement was the transferral of guilt to an innocent sacrifice that is like core atonement is the transfer of guilt to an innocent sacrifice and that transfer would take place when a priest would lay literally would press down his hands on the head of a sacrifice, he would confess the sins of the people over the sacrifice so that the sacrifice was receiving the guilt and bearing the full weight of the sinners deserve judgment upon himself and then that sacrifice was executed.

He was slain he was killed by the shedding of his blood as a death penalty for those sinners sins.

That's what atonement is all about. And when John the Baptist saw Jesus for the first time what'd he say he said, behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Why would Jesus feel abandoned by God because he was bearing the full way the pressure of the guilt of the sin of the world on his own body. Isaiah says it this way.

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him. He has put him to grief when his soul makes an offering for guilt. Jesus was being abandoned by God because God was pressing on Christ the sin of the world and he was bearing it alone and then that takes us to the first beast section, verses three through five. God is silent but David exercises faith.

He expresses that he does know that God is not like man God is holy. What is that mean it means he doesn't make promises and then he breaks them. God is not like you keep God sent a lie and David goes on to acknowledge that in the past. His ancestors trusted in God and God faithfully delivered them, and all you have to do is read the Old Testament and you see one deliverance after another, God never puts his people to shame, and therefore will God not also be faithful and deliver the one who is crying out in abandonment for Christ on the cross understood the history of his people and he knew that God faithfully delivered them.

Then God will deliver him and may I say to you as it is true for his people in the past and for Christ on the cross is true for you and I God will not put us to shame, he will deliver his people in their darkest hour. Then we come to sect. The second section, a verses six through eight here, the author prophetically expresses the shame and the rejection he feels when he is being mocked for trusting God for when Christ hung on the cross.

The crowd derided and scorned him even the two thieves that were on either side mocked him so that he felt subhuman.

He felt like a worm because of the cynicism and the mockery and notice verse seven he says all who seek me, mocked me, they make mouse at me, they wag their heads. This is quoted directly by Matthew and Mark as they alluded to this verse when they said all those who pass by, derided him, wagging their heads.

Jesus experienced contempt, rejection and ridicule by those he came to say in the notice chapter 22 in verse eight he trusts in the Lord, let him deliver him only Matthew mentions this verse in his gospel as he describes the crowd who said he trusts in God.

Let God deliver him now if he desires him though Jesus claims to be close to God. It is apparent that God is not there to answer, or deliver him. He appears to be abandoned by God. Will God stepped in and and and deliver him from abandonment. Then we come to verses nine through 11, and here we come to the second beast section in here David writes of himself and prophetically of the Messiah that he is always had a close relationship with God. Ever since his birth, for here, the writer speaks about being in the womb of his mother and on his mother's breast.

I think it is very clear to us as we understand the conception of Jesus Christ that he was born of a virgin, miraculously in the womb of his mother Mary so that even from his womb.

He was trusting in the Lord and so the writer here is saying that this we should never be moved away from the conviction that we are God's. Even from my mother's birth. When you face the darkness and all of you will face the darkness all of you will what do you do with your mind.

What do you fill your mind with fill your mind with light.

Fill your mind with your history, how his God been faithful to you. We did a podcast this past week and in that the presidents podcast we have the testimony of Helen Wallin everybody Michelle and she talked about how through her darkest hours. She remembered God's delivering her as a baby that was left in the field to and a man picked her up and brought her to an orphanage and eventually God is brought her here and she's a junior at Bob Jones University in your darkest hours.

Remember that God is unchanging and immutable in his faithfulness will he abandon his own. And then we come to the third a section, verses 12 through 18.

This section is a vivid portrayal of the crucifixion, David describes the abusers as wild beast bulls, lions, dogs, wild oxen and how they abuse the Messiah and the well-known Scofield reference Bible. Schofield writes Psalm 22 is a graphic picture of the death of death by crucifixion bones out of joint, profuse perspiration caused by intense suffering. The heart is being affected. Strength is exalted and extreme thirst. What I think is the most remarkable verses 16 and eight because in verse 16 it reads for dogs and compass me a company of evil do doers and circle me.

They have pierced my hands and feet. Here we have crucifixion prophesied nails driven through the criminal's feet and hands and says he is nailed to a tree and this was not a form of Jewish execution and it was invented 400 years after King David and yet David prophesies of the way the Messiah is executed.

Never question what Christ is done as we see it prophesied with Zachariah prophesied chapter 12 verse 10, so that when they look on me whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him as one mourns for his only child, Jesus was prophetically announced in death and crucifixion in the Old Testament. Then we come to verse 18 it says they divide my garments among them, and my clothing they cast lots and for my clothing they cast lots. The foot of the cross.

The Roman soldiers were anticipating how close Jesus was a death so what are they do they roll the die scores close in all four Gospels describe this event and John is probably the most descriptive. Let me read to you.

John 19 verse 23 and 24, when the soldiers had crucified Jesus. They took his garments and they 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. So they said to one another, let us not tear it, but cast lots for to see whose it shall be. This was to fulfill the Scripture what says they divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. We have prophecy written a thousand years before Jesus was even born, prophesied and fulfilled at the foot of the cross and then we come to the third beast section and here we have become climactic turning point of the first part in the Messiah here prays earnestly for his deliverance and the section concludes with an answer to his prayer. Look at verse 21 and I'm going to read it in the ESV where it says you have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen.

Literally, the phrase you have rescued me reads you have answered me, what started with abandonment on the cross in darkness in his with assurance.

You have answered me. John Calvin makes his powerful application for believers when he writes a sense of being forsaken by God. Far from being unique to Christ or rare for the believer is a regular and frequent struggle for believers. There is not one of the godly who does not. Daily experience in himself the same thing according to the judgment of the flash. He thinks he is cast off and forsaken by God while yet he apprehends by faith. The grace of God which is hidden from the eye of sense and reason alone, the crawl's cry said you have answered me and that leads quickly to the second part the first part being the crucified one. Now we come to verse 22.

The most powerful good in this part is known as the most powerful deliverance for the powerful deliverance of the resurrected Savior. I think were the most interesting portions in the New Testament is Luke 24 after Jesus the resurrected two disciples were on the road to Emmaus. Emmaus is about 7 miles from Jerusalem as their walking along their talking about the weekend what it happened and what happened was that Jesus had been executed and they had heard credible reports of the tomb was empty, but they did not believe that Jesus had resurrected from the dead and on their way home.

What happens Jesus comes alongside of them and ask what they're talking about and they describe how their hopes that Jesus was the Messiah had been destroyed and so Jesus holds the first Bible study of the Christian era. What did he teach them. He went to the Old Testament, beginning with Moses and all the prophets and he spoke and explained to them his death and resurrection. Have you ever wondered what scriptures in the Old Testament you surely used Isaiah 53, but I think most definitely use Psalm 22, because in this he said guys is like I told you here it is.

And then they read it and suddenly their eyes were open and they saw what Christ came to do verses 1 to 21 are prophetic foreseeing of the crucifixion of Jesus. Verses 22 through 31 are prophetic foreseeing of the resurrection of Jesus, and specifically anticipates the growth and expansion of the gospel and we see it in three phases. In verses 22 to 24 we see Jesus meeting with the Jewish brothers was really interesting to me. Hebrews 212 is a direct quotation of Psalm 22 to 22 in Hebrews.

The rider declares that Jesus is superior to the Angels he's greater than the Angels. He also searched stresses that Jesus has become the savior of his people because he became like them and by making them members of his family. So we read in Hebrews 211. Was this what the want both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. That is why is not ashamed to call them brothers. And then he quotes Psalm 2222 saying, I will tell of your name to my brothers in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise the New Testament interpret Psalm 2222 is the words of Jesus as he goes to meet his brothers after he dies and rises from the dead, and this is Jesus coming to his own after his resurrection, and what it Jesus commanded his disciples to do going to the world and expand the gospel.

Start with the Jews, then go to the Gentiles and Psalm 22 prophetically not only sees the crucifixion, but he sees the effects of the resurrection. The preaching of the gospel that we come to verses 25 to 29 where he speaks of the global expansion of the church the great congregation.

It starts with the early church targeting the Jews and then the Gentiles are followed. Jesus spoke about this in his parables about the king who had a banquet and he went out to bring his friends in the Jews, but they rejected and so is it going to the highways and hedges compel them to come in.

What's he saying reach the Gentiles.

We see this in the feeding of the 5000 and 4000 5000 Jews in Jewish territory. 4000 Gentiles in Gentile territory saying what that beginning in Psalm 22 this is a worldwide expansion of the gospel and then in John 17 Jesus prays for the future the gospel when he prayed for his disciples and all who shall believe in me through their word. Do you realize that when Jesus was dying on the cross he had Psalm 22 in his mind he had the future expansion of the gospel, even all the way up to the day, even all the way to you sitting here right now and I want to finish with what he says in verses 30 and 31 because the final phase of this prophecy sees the gospel expanding not only through space that's in the world of the day but through time future generations for verse 30 says this posterity shall serve him, it shall be told of the Lord, to the coming generation they shall calm and proclaim his righteousness to a people, yet on board 3000 years ago.

You and I were included in this prophecy. We are the fulfillment of the coming generation and the people yet unborn and senseless, and very carefully since this is what Jesus this looks like what Jesus was thinking while he hung on the cross. During those hours of darkness and this is incredible then it means that you and me were on his mind while he was dying at the moment of his death. We were in his thoughts. The first half of Jesus's crucifixion was within daylight and he thought about people that were wrong around the cross but his last hours were in darkness. Any thought about the future and those that would come to believe in.

It means that you and me explicitly or own his mind when he was dying on that cross. And as we conclude these verses we see the last phrase, verse 31 that he had done this for literally he has done it and Jesus on the cross said the same thing when he said it is finished. He has done it and all of that was in his mind on the cross to fulfill what he came to do to make the atonement for us.

Psalm 22 is the song of the cross. And you know what God intends for us to do to fulfill that prophecy in the day and age at which were living to go out and preach the gospel to see those he is called to come and be saying that's what is called us to do. Psalm 22 being fulfilled as we sit here in Chapel at Bob Jones University. Father, we praise you this morning that your ways are beyond understanding and your ways are perfect.

Thank you that when you were all the cross we were own your mind, and we praise you for this. Help us to be faithful to what you've called us in Jesus name, amen. These daily programs are made possible by the many friends about Jones University and this radio ministry would love to hear from you, so don't hesitate to send us your feedback by going to the website. The Daily Platform.com there's a place where you can send a message and you'll also find her phone number along with more information about Bob Jones University. The sponsor of today's program. I'm Steve Pettit, president of Bob Jones University and I invite you to join us at our beautiful campus in Greenville, South Carolina to see how you can be prepared academically and spiritually to serve the Lord through one of our more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs. For more information about Bob Jones University, visit www.btu.edu or call 800-252-6363.

Thanks again for listening and we look forward to having you tomorrow as we study God's word together on The Daily Platform