Part 14: The Lord's Prayer From The Cross Series

Great Prayers of the Old Testament

Part 14: The Lord's Prayer from the Cross

Psalm 22:1-31 (Initial reading: vs. 1-10)

Sermon by Rick Crandall

(Prepared December 31, 2024)

MESSAGE:

*Church: God is bigger, better, stronger and more glorious than we can possibly imagine. In Isaiah 66:1, "Thus says the LORD: 'Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?'"

*"The earth is My footstool," says God. That's a big foot, and a big God, but God is bigger than that! The Lord put it as a question in Isaiah 40:12. And in the New Living Translation He asked, "Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed out the mountains and the hills?"

*That's a mighty big hand, and a mighty big God, but God is bigger than that! He is even bigger than time. That's why in Isaiah 46:9-10, the Lord could say, "Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.'"

*It's no wonder then that God could tell us about the cross a thousand years before it happened. And that's what He did here in Psalm 22 through His servant, King David. Charles Spurgeon said, "This is beyond all others The Psalm of the Cross. It may have been actually repeated word by word by our Lord when hanging on the tree. It would be too bold to say that it was so, but even a casual reader may see that it might have been. It begins with, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' and ends according to some translators with 'It is finished." We may say of this Psalm, 'there is none like it.' It is the picture of our Lord's saddest hours, the record of his dying words, the vessel of his last tears, the memorial of his expiring joys. Before us we have a description of both the darkness and the glory of the cross. The sufferings of Christ and the glory which shall follow. Oh for grace to draw near and see this great sight!" (1)

*John Phillips added that no one in the Old Testament suffered the agonies reported in this Psalm, but since the crucifixion and resurrection of our Savior, Christians can see a clear picture of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. We see the agonies that Jesus went through for us. In fact, through King David, the Holy Spirit gave us a more vivid description of the sufferings of Christ on the cross than the authors of the gospels. Phillips concluded that the horrors of crucifixion were so well known in their day they didn't need explanation. (2)

1. AND WHAT DO WE SEE IN THE PSALM OF THE CROSS? FIRST: WE SEE JESUS WONDERING ABOUT INJUSTICE.

*In vs. 1-3, this Psalm begins by showing us some of the emotional agony the Lord suffered on the cross:

1. My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?

2. O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent.

3. But You are holy, Who inhabit the praises of Israel.

*In other words: "It's not your fault, Father God, because You are holy. But I am struggling here, and I can't understand why. Here Jesus was wondering about injustice in our world: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

*Our wonderful Savior was so willing to identify with us that He was willing to go through the same kind of confusion that we go through. Why? -- Why is this terrible thing happening to me? Why did I lose my job? Why did I get sick? Why is my loved one sick? Why did that wreck happen? Why is my family messed up? Why did they die so young?

*Once I heard from a young Christian going through a tough family problem. She was frustrated with God, and wondered why things were going wrong. One thing I told her was that it is okay to ask "why?" And we know this is true, because Jesus asked "why?" on the cross. -- And He never did anything wrong.

*The problem with asking why is that many times we won't get an answer in this world. That's why a very wise man said a better question is, "What now?" "What should I do now, Lord?" I told that struggling Christian that over time, God would surely show her the answer to this question. God will show us what to do. He will lead us, even through the darkest valleys in life. And it helps to know that Jesus has been there too. "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"