Why would God allow His One and Only Son to die the most horrific form of death ever devised by the sinful heart of mankind? Crucifixion was such an awful way to die that even pagan authors of the time wouldn’t write about it nor describe it in any way. And yet, David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, undertook the writing of two psalms applicable to himself and to his descendant Jesus Christ.
The Lord inspired David to write
In Psalm 20, David wrote, “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!” (Psalm 20:1 ESV). “Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:6-7 ESV).
Trust in the name of the Lord our God is David’s theme in this psalm.
In Psalm 21, David rejoices in the Lord’s Strength, To the Choirmaster, a Psalm of David.
21 O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices,
and in your salvation how greatly he exults!
2 You have given him his heart’s desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
3 For you meet him with rich blessings;
you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
4 He asked life of you; you gave it to him,
length of days forever and ever.
5 His glory is great through your salvation;
splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
6 For you make him most blessed forever;
you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord,
and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved” (Psalm 21:1-7 ESV).
The covenantal promises the LORD made to David and to Messiah are seen throughout the Old Testament and are emphasized here as the Holy Spirit inspires these words that David penned.
Isaiah was also inspired by God:
This is a prophecy of Jesus Christ. It was written hundreds of years before the incarnation of the Son of God in human flesh.
He Was Pierced for Our Transgressions
13 Behold, My servant shall act wisely;
He shall be high and lifted up,
and shall be exalted.
14 As many were astonished at you—
His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and His form beyond that of the children of mankind—
15 so shall He sprinkle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths because of Him,
for that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand.
53 Who has believed what He has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For He grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him,
and no beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
4 Surely He has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed Him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced for our transgressions;
He was crushed for our iniquities;
upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with His wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on Him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted,
yet He opened not His mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so He opened not His mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
and as for His generation, who considered
that He was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of My people?
9 And they made His grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in His death,
although He had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in His mouth.
10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush Him;
He has put Him to grief;
when His soul makes an offering for guilt,
He shall see His offspring; He shall prolong His days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
11 Out of the anguish of His soul He shall see and be satisfied;
by His knowledge shall the righteous one, My servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and He shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the many,
and He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because He poured out His soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet He bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 52:13-53:12 ESV)
David records for us prophetically, how Jesus responded and felt as He gave Himself over to death in order to pay the penalty for our sins and to bring in many who have entrusted themselves to Him.
The Sanhedrin shoved Him through a mock trial, and passed Him off to the Roman soldiers to beat, to torture, and then to crucify.
The Crucifixion
21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry His cross. 22 And they brought Him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it. 24 And they crucified Him and divided His garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour when they crucified Him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with Him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked Him to one another, saying, “He saved others; He cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with Him also reviled Him” (Mark 15:21-32 ESV).
While experiencing the most horrific and painful way to die, Jesus was openly mocked and derided by bypassers, chief priests, scribes, and the men crucified beside him, until one of them cried out to Jesus in belief.
My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?
To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?
Why are you so far from saving Me, from the words of My groaning?
2 O My God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried and were rescued;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock Me;
they make mouths at Me; they wag their heads;
8 “He trusts in the Lord; let Him deliver Him;
let Him rescue Him, for He delights in Him!”
9 Yet You are He who took Me from the womb;
You made me trust You at My mother’s breasts.
10 On you was I cast from My birth,
and from My mother’s womb you have been My God.
11 Be not far from Me,
for trouble is near,
and there is none to help.
12 Many bulls encompass Me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround Me;
13 they open wide their mouths at Me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
it is melted within My breast;
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and My tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay Me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs encompass Me;
a company of evildoers encircles Me;
they have pierced My hands and feet—
17 I can count all My bones—
they stare and gloat over Me;
18 they divide My garments among them,
and for My clothing they cast lots.
19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
O you My help, come quickly to My aid!
20 Deliver My soul from the sword,
My precious life from the power of the dog!
21 Save Me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued Me from the horns of the wild oxen!
22I will tell of Your name to My brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise You:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify Him,
and stand in awe of Him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For He has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted,
and He has not hidden His face from Him,
but has heard, when He cried to Him.
This is praise that comes from perfect obedience.
“Without a doubt, Mark knew surely, truly, and with all of his belief that this man, Jesus, was the Son of God. Jesus took on all the physical pain, emotional pain, the beating, the mockery, the unkindness of the crowd. And yet, He loved us enough to do this for us, so that, as His we could have eternal life.
“The love displayed on the cross is beyond any love we’ve ever experienced. You may feel unsupported, BUT THIS redefines the picture of love and sacrifice. Stop and see the Love of God, Experience God’s love displayed here. Allow yourself to sit in the authenticity of what Jesus has done. Stop. Recognize this. Feel the reality of Jesus’ sacrifice” (Dr. Matt Powell).
The love displayed on the cross is beyond any love we've ever experienced. You may feel unsupported, BUT THIS redefines the picture of love and sacrifice. Stop and see the Love of God. #GoodFriday #Faith Click To Tweet
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Footnotes
- Psalm 22:3 Or dwelling in the praises
- Psalm 22:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts like a lion [they are at] my hands and feet
- Psalm 22:21 Hebrew answered
