Advent - Day 21
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
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.
Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!
Psalm 22:1 & 23-24 & 30-31
Full Readings: Psalm 22
You probably recognise this Psalm as the one that Jesus cries out on the cross. Why does Jesus speak the words of Psalm 22 at the point of His death? Is it simply to describe what’s happening for Him? That God was forsaking Him at that moment?
I think it is. But I reckon it’s so much more.
In people’s hardest hours, where do they often turn? I think of the slaves of the American plantations. In the midst of their suffering, they would find comfort in song. So it was for the Jews. Psalms were a source of comfort, reminding them of the promises and faithfulness of God.
Could it be that Jesus is crying out Psalm 22 to describe His suffering and as a source of hope. Could it be that it’s been Psalm 22 that’s been playing in His mind throughout the torture and the humiliation?
But why would you want to remember that God was forsaking you? But that’s not where the Psalm ends. The movement of the Psalm is suffering & forsakenness followed by hope and finishing with triumph. Jesus is reminding Himself and anyone who takes the time to consider - that this is not the end of the story.
The end is - He has done it!
For Today:
Pray:
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
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.
Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!
Psalm 22:1 & 23-24 & 30-31
Full Readings: Psalm 22
You probably recognise this Psalm as the one that Jesus cries out on the cross. Why does Jesus speak the words of Psalm 22 at the point of His death? Is it simply to describe what’s happening for Him? That God was forsaking Him at that moment?
I think it is. But I reckon it’s so much more.
In people’s hardest hours, where do they often turn? I think of the slaves of the American plantations. In the midst of their suffering, they would find comfort in song. So it was for the Jews. Psalms were a source of comfort, reminding them of the promises and faithfulness of God.
Could it be that Jesus is crying out Psalm 22 to describe His suffering and as a source of hope. Could it be that it’s been Psalm 22 that’s been playing in His mind throughout the torture and the humiliation?
But why would you want to remember that God was forsaking you? But that’s not where the Psalm ends. The movement of the Psalm is suffering & forsakenness followed by hope and finishing with triumph. Jesus is reminding Himself and anyone who takes the time to consider - that this is not the end of the story.
The end is - He has done it!
For Today:
- Take five minutes to read all of Psalm 22 and reflect on it.
- Do you have a song that you turn to for hope and comfort?
- Listen to some Christians songs that remind you of our hope and peace in Christ this week.
Pray:
- Praise the Father that He is the God of comfort, hope and victory.
- Give thanks for Jesus Christ who endured the cross and triumphed over death.
- Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others find our hope and comfort in the work of Christ.
Posted in Advent
No Comments