The Hope By Which We Live
Seeing the crucified Jesus is Psalm 22
At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”
Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.(Mark 15:33–36, NIV)
Abandoned
Have you ever felt abandoned, alone, forgotten by God and everyone around you? Have you ever asked yourself, “Does God care?” If we are honest with ourselves, many of us have had such thoughts and feelings at some point in our lives.
Abandoned…forgotten…ignored…unloved…
If Jesus felt these things, we can be sure to experience the same. His words from the cross — Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani — come straight from Psalm 22. The reference would have been recognized immediately by those who knew the Scriptures well. Those who heard Jesus’ quote would have been reminded of the Psalm in full, even though his tongue could utter nothing more than “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Psalm 22
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. (Psalm 22:1–2, NIV)
When going through trials and difficulties, we often feel as though God is not present, that God has abandoned or forgotten us. As the Anointed One coming from the line of David, Jesus connects himself to both David (to whom the Psalm is credited) and us (the beneficiaries of what took place on the cross that day).
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. (Psalm 22:3–5, NIV)
Calling out to the Holy One, the one in whom Israel had put their trust, Jesus tells us what is going on in the agony of the cross. Generations of hope and faith are coming to ultimate fulfillment. Deliverance and salvation are not far off any longer. Their cries have been heard, God is moving, and their hope in the One enthroned above will not bring disgrace.
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him.” (Psalm 22:6–8, NIV)
The shame of the cross brought upon Jesus mockery, insults, and ridicule from those who looked upon the spectacle of his crucifixion. “Surely God would not allow his chosen messiah,” people might have reasoned, “to suffer such embarrassment, shame, and humiliation.”
Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. (Psalm 22:9–11, NIV)
From his earliest days, Jesus had put his trust in God. He had demonstrated his love, faithfulness, and obedience throughout each stage of his earthly journey. Now, he wants nothing more than for his Father to be near in his time of need. The heaviest weight of trouble was upon him and there was no one else who could help him. Even his own disciples had abandoned him.
Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; It has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet.
All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment. (Psalm 22:12–18, NIV)
Take a moment and consider all the word pictures found in these verses. Jesus connects each of these images to his experience on the cross-being gored, torn apart, blood flowing like water, bones ripped out of joint, weakened heart, hardly able to speak, surrounded by wild canines, hands and feet bound. All of these, once again, are on full display for the jeering, unforgiving crowd.
But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen. (Psalm 22:19–21, NIV)
Despite the desperate situation in which he finds himself, Jesus declares his trust in God. “You are my strength,” the Psalm reads, and we can imagine the words coming from Jesus himself had he had the strength to do so-”rescue me…save me…” We might also imagine him following each statement with the words he used in the garden, “yet not my will, but yours be done” (Lk 22:42b).
I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly, I will praise you. You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. (Psalm 22:22–24, NIV)
By faithfully taking the form of a servant and being obedient to death, even death on a cross (Phil 2:8), Jesus declares the name and nature of God to all who were watching, to all who would hear, and to all who would later read of this event. God is to be praised, honored, and revered, for he has not forgotten, he has not ignored, and he has not hidden his face. No, God has heard the cry for help.
From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you, I will fulfill my vows. (Psalm 22:26, NIV)
The faithfulness of the Suffering One becomes a model for each of us as we take up our cross and follow him (Lk 9:23).
The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him-may your hearts live forever! (Psalm 22:26, NIV)
The suffering of the Holy One will bring new life and new hearts.
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,… (Psalm 22:27, NIV)
The holiness of the Compassionate One will become the mark of those who faithfully take the story of Christ to the ends of the earth.
…for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations. (Psalm 22:28, NIV)
The compassion of the one to whom God gave all authority will rule over all people, in all places, for all time, and become the culture of the kingdom.
All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him-those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn… (Psalm 22:29–31a, NIV)
The moment of Jesus’ death on the cross, followed by the reality of his resurrection, would change the world forever. This story of the righteousness of Christ would be told at all times, in all places, to all people.
He has done it! (Psalm 22:31b)
The All-Loving, All-Faithful, All-Powerful, and All-Holy God has done this. What God did in and through Jesus Christ — his birth, life, ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and continued ministry up to this day and into the future-are the hope by which we live.
