passion week fast day 2

Ok, so if you’re still sticking with me after yesterday, here it goes…

Read Psalm 22

Seriously, go read it, or you will not understand the rest of this.  Give yourself a few minutes.

Now, I’m sure you recognized v. 1 “My God, my God!  Why have you forsaken me?”  Jesus is quoted saying this on the cross, but this is not the only time Jesus quotes this psalm of David.  Jesus quotes Ps. 22 NINE times in his last THREE days.  In order for him to quote this passage so much, it had to be something He was focused on intently.

I believe there are two reasons for this.  The first is that the disciples needed it.  They didn’t have the New Testament to look at and think, It’s all good guys, He rises in three days.  It wasn’t in vain.  Jesus knew these disciples would think all was lost after He had been placed in the tomb.  Despite them all being told by Jesus himself what was going to happen, they didn’t get it.  He knew they would need something tangible to look at -   something that showed them that God’s glory would be displayed, that there was hope.

The second reason was that Jesus needed it.  David wrote this psalm at a time when he felt his lowest, yet he knew God was there in it all even though He seemed far off.  David didn’t go through the experiences in the psalm; this was prophetic of what Christ was going to suffer. V 8 the mocking of the people, v 14-16 the physical anguish, v17-18 casting lots.  Christ knew what was coming.  He needed to meditate on this psalm to remind Himself that in all this He would endure, God was there and would be triumphant.  Most importantly, He needed to remember that the people would see and believe v 22-31.

Jesus knew what was coming.  He knew the mocking He would face.  He knew the brutal torturous death He would endure.  Did He run from it?  No, He embraced it, and prepared Himself for it.  He got ready for the cross.  He prepared Himself to suffer FOR YOU.

Thank Him today!  As Psalm 22 states in v 22, ‘Declare the wonder of [His] name!’

Think on these things.  I will post again tomorrow.  I love you!