>I thought as Easter is upon us to take a little look at Psalm 22. It’s opening verses resonate with so many of us who go through hardship/suffering, as we relate to the cry of the Psalmist heart;
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
and by night, but find no rest.”

Written originally by King David, these words are echoed by Jesus on the cross in the midst of his own personal suffering “At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling for Elijah.’ And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.’ Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’“(Mark 15:34ff)

It is likely that Jesus did not stop at the first couple of verses but repeated the whole Psalm. Jesus understood the psalm’s lament. He knew, just like he could in the garden of Gethsemane, pour out his distress to His Father.
Charles Spurgeon has the following to say (Treasury of David, I:A:324) on Psalm 22:
“For plaintive expressions uprising from unutterable depths of woe we may say of this Psalm, there is none like it. It is the photograph of our Lord’s saddest hours, the record of his dying words, the lachrymatory of his last tears, the memorial of his expiring joys. David and his afflictions may be here in a very modified sense, but, as the star is concealed by the light of the sun, he who sees Jesus will probably neither see nor care to see David. . . . We should read reverently, putting off our shoes from off our feet, as Moses did at the burning bush, for if there be holy ground anywhere in Scripture, it is in this Psalm.”

Take a look at this – the gospel-shaped Psalm on the lips of its ultimate fulfiller, Jesus Christ (Hat tip: Between Two Worlds)

My God, my God, why have you forsaken Jesus? (Matt. 27:46)
Why are you so far from saving Jesus?
Why are you so far from the words of Jesus’ groaning?
O my God, Jesus cried by day, but you do not answer.
Jesus cried by night, but Jesus finds no rest. (Matt 26:36-45)

Yet you, Yahweh, are holy.
You, Yahweh, are enthroned on the praises of Israel.

In you, Yahweh, our fathers trusted.
They trusted, and you, Yahweh, delivered them.
To you, Yahweh, they cried and were rescued.
In you, Yahweh, they trusted and were not put to shame.

But Jesus is a worm, not a man,
Jesus is scorned by mankind.
Jesus is despised by the people.
All who see Jesus mock him. (Matt. 27:29, 31, 41-42)
They make mouths at Jesus.
They wag their heads at Jesus. (Matt. 27:39)
“Jesus trusts in Yahweh!
Let Yahweh deliver Jesus!
Let Yahweh rescue Jesus,
for Yahweh delights in Jesus!” (Matt. 27:43)

Yet you, Yahweh, are he who took Jesus from the womb.
You, Yahweh, made Jesus trust you at his mother’s breasts.
On you, Yahweh, was Jesus cast from his birth,
and from his mother’s womb you, Yahweh, have been his God.

Be not far from Jesus,
for trouble is near Jesus,
and there is none to help Jesus.

Many bulls encompass Jesus; strong bulls of Bashan surround Jesus.
They open wide their mouths at Jesus, like a ravening and roaring lion.

Jesus is poured out like water,
All Jesus’ bones are out of joint;
Jesus’ heart is like wax; it is melted within his breast;
Jesus’ strength is dried up like a potsherd.
Jesus’ tongue sticks to his jaws. (John 19:28)
You, Yahweh, lay Jesus in the dust of death.

For dogs encompass Jesus.
A company of evildoers encircles Jesus.

They have pierced Jesus’ hands and feet. (John 20:27)
Jesus can count all his bones.
They stare and gloat over Jesus.
They divide Jesus’ garments among them,
and for Jesus’ clothing they cast lots. (Matt. 27:35)

But you, O Yahweh, do not be far off from Jesus!
O Yahweh, Jesus’ help, come quickly to Jesus’ aid!
Yahweh, deliver Jesus’ soul from the sword,
Yahweh, deliver Jesus’ precious life from the power of the dog!
Yahweh, save Jesus from the mouth of the lion!

You, Yahweh, have rescued Jesus from the horns of the wild oxen!

Jesus will tell of your name, Yahweh, to his brothers;
in the midst of the congregation Jesus will praise you, Yahweh (Heb. 2:12):
“You who fear Yahweh, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify Yahweh,
and stand in awe of Yahweh, all you offspring of Israel!

For Yahweh has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from Jesus,
but has heard, when Jesus cried to him.”
From you comes Jesus’ praise in the great congregation;
Jesus’ vows he will perform before those who fear him.

The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied.
Those who seek him shall praise Yahweh!
May their hearts live forever!

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh,
and all the families of the nations shall worship before you, Yahweh.
For kingship belongs to Yahweh, and Yahweh rules over the nations.

All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship.
Before Yahweh shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
Posterity shall serve Yahweh.

It shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
They shall come and proclaim Yahweh’s righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.

Related posts:

1. It is well with my soul…How is yours?
2. Psalm 1: Reflection
3. Psalm 1: A Tale of 2 Ways
4. >The revelation of a society's soul