Psalm 22:11-20

_Theme The suffering and humiliation of Christ for you.

_Notes Few psalms speak so clearly of – and draw us so immediately to – Jesus Christ. The focus of this twenty-second Psalm is not necessarily the intricacies of the prophecies and their fulfillment, but the humility and humiliation of the Lord’s suffering servant. How is it that the King could ever suffer so much rejection and pain? More to the point of this song, how would the King deal with such rejection?

This song’s glory is that it remains a clear, direct window in the heart of our Savior on the cross. It’s a powerful song through which we come to know more deeply our precious Savior – not just to know of him, but to know him! And in knowing him, we can come to rejoice in our union with him all the more. In this section of the song, we see:

· Jesus’ cry for the Father’s presence (11), being truly in a position where no earthly help was available.

· Jesus’ awareness of his enemies, the “bulls of Bashan”(12-13 – the biggest, strongest bulls in the country), those who sought to devour him.

· Jesus’ assessment of his heart-condition (14-15), that hope was gone and despair had begun its reign for the coming of the dust of death.

· Jesus’ assessment of his outward condition (16-18). These verses chronicle the realities of his crucifixion: surrounded by evildoers (Mt. 27:27-31), pierced hands and feet, clothing dispersed by gambling (Mt. 27:35), and the gloating of all those who thought they had won.

· Jesus’ second cry for the Father’s deliverance (19-20); even though he had been rejected by the Father, our Savior yet had the faith to believe that his Father would never abandon him to the grave (Acts 2:27). Committing his soul into the Father’s hands, Jesus submitted to the final, utmost cruelty sin has ever imposed: the death of the Son of God.

What are we to do with this song? Should not our hearts overflow with thanksgiving and wonder as we meditate on the suffering of Christ for us? Shouldn’t we be encouraged beyond description by this most vivid example of God’s love for us?

We can also see in this song from what Christ saved us; here in his despair is a perfect picture of hell, the just rewards of our own sin. Here is where we would be if the perfect sacrifice had not filled our place. So, for the heart of the Savior revealed and for the wonder of salvation made new again, this is one of our greatest songs of worship!