Do You Feel Hopeless? (AM Sermon Notes)
GIST: Remember, Jesus suffered for us to bring us unshakeable hope!
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 22
Today we’re coming to Psalm 22 which opens with a phrase that will seem very familiar.
“1 To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?...”
Where have you heard this before? Jesus quoted this psalm on the cross! Those words were the fourth words He spoke while being crucified. And it was common practice to quote the opening lines of a passage of Scripture to refer to the entire passage since these psalms would have been common knowledge to so many at the time. Much like if I were to say, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.” Just saying those words would bring the entire song to mind for many of you.
What’s incredible about this psalm is that though it was written by David to be performed by a what appears to be a group of musicians called the Doe of the Dawn, scholars agree there is no event in David’s life that corresponds to what is being written about here. This is a psalm about an innocent person suffering an execution. David faced many trials, but not that. This psalm is a prophecy about Jesus’ death and resurrection written 1,000 years before it happened and 400 years before crucifixion was even first used! This is amazing! You don’t have to take my word for it either. Let me just show you a few points here that really hammered this home for me.
We already mentioned that it opens with words Jesus spoke on the cross. But it also ends with “He has done it”, which is the same language as what Jesus cries just before His death, “it is finished!” If that’s not enough, the psalm talks of this innocent sufferer being mocked like Jesus was on the cross. Verse 8 reads, “8 He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” If you’re familiar with the gospel accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion, you’ll remember the same taunts were made by the religious leaders about Jesus. But wait, there’s more ☺️! Just look at verses 16-18, “16b… 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.” That’s the cross! This. Is. Amazing!
As I read over this incredible psalm this week, I was struck with the truth that so many of us live this life without the hope His death and resurrection made possible. If you are here today and you don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, or maybe it’s just getting a little dim, let me give you this gist: Remember, Jesus suffered for us to bring us unshakeable hope.
I. Jesus Suffered For Us
This is a longer psalm, and I don’t want to detract from its beauty by losing you. So, I’m going to try and make a few big points while talking through observations from each verse along the way. And the first point I want to draw attention to is how His Reality Changed Ours.
Look at verses 1&2 first. “1b… 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.” This refers to the true agony Jesus faced on the cross. He was crucified in the middle of the day, but at His death the whole world went dark as night. And as He hung there, he was not just suffering physically. He was taking on eternal punishment for us. He was enduring the anguish of Hell, the judgment of God, for us. Why? Paul puts it best when he writes to the Corinthians, “21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) He was despised and rejected, so that we could be accepted and called children! I know we’re not even close to “takeaways” time, but please hear this. You might feel like God has abandoned you, but He hasn’t because He experienced a rejection we can’t even wrap our minds around and took on a punishment we could not endure, so that you could be with Him. Your sin separates you from God, but He will not abandon His people. Period. And this shows you how seriously He takes this!
Secondly here, I want us to see that→ He Showed Us How To Face Great Sorrow. While facing greater sorrow than we will ever know, His focus is amazing. This is the biggest chunk of the psalm I want to work through this morning, so let’s take it a bit at a time.
“3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.” He’s suffering great agony, but, of course, He never loses the right perspective. In a mindblowing truth, Jesus, who is God, experiences being forsaken by God the Father. Still, He knows the truth! He knows God is still God—still holy, still worthy of praise—even when He doesn’t “feel” it. He then continues this perspective in the next few verses. “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.” What’s He doing here? Remembering. Remembering God has always been faithful to His people! Oh, we’d do well to remember this. When we face hardships, rather than hole up in our circumstances and self-pity, remember that we serve the God whose track record of faithfulness is blameless!
In the next verse, we have then this incredible prophetic picture of who Jesus is and what He’s doing on this cross. “6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.” This is incredible. It’s easy to miss, but we’re given an awesome prophetic perspective on His suffering. Not only is Jesus saying that He is like a worm because He’s being treated like nothing, but the word worm here is specific. In fact, from what I’ve studied, often in the Bible this word is translated red or scarlet because the worm referred to here was customarily crushed to make a red dye. I think we can see the symbolism there for sure, but it keeps going. This red worm would also attach itself to a tree to give birth. In giving birth, though, it would die. So, through its death, it created life. There’s even more symbolism there! BUT, that’s not even all! When the worm died, it would leave a red stain on the tree, but in three days that stain would turn white and flake off! Jesus died on the cross to bring life, to clean our sins from scarlet to white as snow, and three days later He rose from the grave sealing the deal! It’s amazing!
Let’s keep moving through here. “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!”Again, this is a prophetic prediction. Jesus was despised and rejected, and when He hung on the cross, the religious leaders mocked Him saying, “42 "He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"” (Matthew 27:42-43)
Despite the mockery though, He remembers not only has God always been faithful to His people, but He’s always been faithful to 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.” This is personal. It also rings of Christmas, right? The incarnation. Jesus divinely born of the virgin. That all happened because God loves His people, and He loves you. It wasn’t a general death that Jesus died. He died for you on purpose, too!
Let’s keep going. “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.” This is the reality of His suffering on the cross. Bulls of Bashan were known to be well-fed and strong, so the picture of bulls and lions surrounding Him is one of fierce and mighty foes. I think this speaks not only to the physical hardship of the cross, but the great spiritual war He was winning here. Peter later picks up this roaring lion imagery and applies it to Satan (1 Peter 5:8).
“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…” That’s a broken piece of pottery. “..., 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.” Again, you can’t read this and miss the cross! This points to the actual physical effects of the crucifixion. He’s sweating profusely and in internal agony. He’s weak and thirsty and near the grave (which is what the “dust of death” refers to). He’s surrounded by His enemies as they nail Him to the cross! The torment is so taxing that his bones are visible through His skin, none of which have been broken. And as He suffers, His belongings are being divided up amongst His persecutors. This is terrible, but He did this because of His great love...for you!
In the midst of it, He reminds us never to forget the source of all hope! “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! 21a Save me from the mouth of the lion!” We have this cry for help. This is our natural state and points to our central need. And then we see this beautiful turning point. Jesus suffered→
II. To Bring Us Unshakeable Hope!
These last ten verses point to the fact that→ There Is Victory In Jesus! Look at the tense change in the second part of verse 21. “21b You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!” What? How do we get from suffering an unjust death to rescue? The resurrection! Jesus didn’t stay dead. He’s alive→
And Here’s What That Victory Looks Like! Here are the results of his resurrection. “22 I 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 a proclaiming of His grace! He died. He rose. He came to rescue you! He sees your needs and has already met them on the cross! This. Is. Amazing. Grace! Proclaim it. Embrace it. Be changed by it! You feel hopeless? Come to the source of hope today!
Look at this. “25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. 26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. 28 For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. 29 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. 30 Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; 31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.” Salvation for you and the whole world is possible because He lives—because IT IS FINISHED!
TAKEAWAYS
This is a beautiful psalm. Let’s hit a few takeaways here.
1. Look to the cross for unshakeable hope. There is hope in the midst of this dark world, and it’s all because of Jesus, and it’s through Him. Come to Him today. Admit that you’re a sinner needing salvation and give Him control of your life believing that He is the One True God who loves you!
2. Remember, His rejection bought your acceptance. Because He cried out, “My God, My God why have You forsaken Me?”, you will never have to! If you feel separated from Him today, it is your sin that is standing in the way of His grace. He has not abandoned you!
3. Look back to His grace as you move forward in His love. Remember what He’s done for all His people and for you personally! And proclaim Him to the world!
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