Psalm 22:1-21

Order of Service

• Scripture Reading — Psalm 22:1-21
• Sermon
• Pastoral Prayer

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Sermon Title: Cross-Shaped Darkness and the Suffering of Christ

Scripture: Psalm 22:1-21

I. The Unique Prophetic Character of Psalm 22

A. Unlike most Royal Psalms, Psalm 22 appears to be explicit prophecy rather than a psalm with both an immediate Davidic context and an ultimate fulfillment in Christ B. Nothing in David's own life corresponds to the descriptions given — particularly the piercing of hands and feet in Psalm 22:16 C. Peter affirms David's role as prophet in Acts 2:30-31, foreseeing the resurrection of Christ D. The psalm divides into two sections:

1. Verses 1–21: Cross-shaped darkness — the suffering of Christ
2. Verses 22–31: Resurrection and victory (to be covered in a later session)

II. The Cry of Abandonment — Psalm 22:1-2

A. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" — the haunting words of Christ at Calvary B. This is not the cry of faithlessness but of disorientation, as God's familiar protective presence is withdrawn (Derek Kidner) C. Christ, who enjoyed intimate eternal fellowship with the Father (John 1:14), now experiences the Father as distant — as though he is in Sheol D. Day and night he cries; God the Father goes completely silent and does not answer

III. Faith Persisting Amidst Abandonment — Psalm 22:3-5

A. The word "yet" in verse 3 is pivotal — faith is not lost amidst the silence B. Christ on the cross recounts God's redemptive-historical faithfulness to his people in the past C. He rests his soul in what God has proven himself to be, even amidst the hell-fire of God's wrath

IV. The Scorn and Mockery of Man — Psalm 22:6-8

A. "I am a worm and not a man" — crucifixion was a public declaration that the victim was less than human

1. A first-century cave painting depicts a man bowing before a crucified figure with a donkey's head, illustrating how crucifixion dehumanized its victim B. The words of verse 8 are replicated at the cross in Matthew 27:39-43 C. A double temptation: Christ is challenged to come down from the cross to prove both his own identity and the honor of his Father

V. God's Personal Faithfulness Recounted — Psalm 22:9-11

A. A second "yet" — Christ recounts not redemptive history broadly, but God's personal faithfulness to him from the womb B. Even the womb of Mary is encompassed in this personal history of divine faithfulness

VI. The Animal Language for Christ's Killers — Psalm 22:12-21

A. Christ's accusers and killers are described throughout as animals:

1. Many bulls (Psalm 22:12)
2. Roaring lions (Psalm 22:13)
3. Dogs (Psalm 22:16, 20)
4. Wild oxen (Psalm 22:21) B. The great irony: Christ is presented to the world as less than human, yet he is the only truly human person present — those putting him to death are the ones acting as animals C. Christ salvages his humanity in his response: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" — he does not bite back

VII. Both God and Man Put Christ to Death — Psalm 22:15-16

A. Verse 16 — "They have pierced my hands and feet" — explicit prophecy with no Davidic parallel; points directly to crucifixion B. Verse 15 — "You lay me in the dust of death" — it is also God who puts him to death C. This dual agency is confirmed in Isaiah 53:7-10: wicked men oppress him, yet "it was the will of the Lord to crush him" D. Confirmed again in Acts 2:23: delivered by God's definite plan and foreknowledge, yet crucified by the hands of lawless men

1. The men were not forced — they were wicked
2. Yet simultaneously, it is the Lord crushing him with his wrath for the sins of his people

VIII. The Preciousness of Life — Psalm 22:20

A. "My precious life" — the Hebrew reads literally "my only one"; everything has been stripped from Christ except his life B. Christ understood the preciousness of life and the horror of death as a foreign enemy — seen in his weeping at the tomb of Lazarus C. A naturalistic world treats death as ordinary; Christ's anguish over death should sharpen our appreciation for the good news that death has been vanquished

IX. The Abrupt Shift to Deliverance — Psalm 22:21

A. The Hebrew reads abruptly: "You have heard me" — a sudden and striking shift within the section of suffering B. This is not resurrection deliverance, but a deliverance Christ experiences in the final moments on the cross C. Christ moves from "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" to "It is finished" and "Into your hands I commit my spirit" D. Even at Calvary, Christ sees the finish line: he promises the thief "Today you will be with me in Paradise" E. Faith, hope, and love remain intact in Christ even amidst the full heat of God's wrath and man's hatred

X. Cross-Bearing Faith Defined

A. Psalm 22 shows us how Christ processes his suffering at Calvary — recounting God's redemptive faithfulness in history and in his own personal life B. He continues to cry out to the Father up to the bitter end — this is faith par excellence C. We will know the anger and shame of man; we will never know the nakedness and shame before a holy God as wrath is poured out — yet Christ did not curse God but recounted his goodness D. Christ is the supreme and unrepeatable example of cross-bearing faith