Prophecy

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. (Psalm 22:1-11 ESV)

All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it. (Psalm 22:29-31 ESV)

These words were written by David to describe his own experience 1000 plus years before Jesus, but when Jesus died on the cross, He quoted the first verse as His own. The rest of the Psalm proclaims the faithfulness of God. God delivered David’s forefathers who trusted in Him. He rescued those who cried out to Him. Those who trusted were not put to shame.

What is amazing is that on the cross, Father God did not deliver His Son. He did not rescue. On the cross, Jesus suffered the ultimate shame. Jesus’ words truly described His experience – on the cross, full of my sin, Jesus was momentarily abandoned by the Father. He became the “curse” for His people, which made a way for me to be “redeemed” from the curse of the law. Because He was forsaken during that awful moment, I will never be forsaken by the Father for all eternity. Because Jesus cried those words of abandonment, I can proclaim God’s faithfulness and righteousness to all generations.