Sermon for 12/14/2003
Psalm 22
Introduction:
Retails tell us that this is going to be the best Christmas ever. I thought the first one was pretty good.
Christmas has replaced Easter as the most important holiday…
(Mat 1:21 NIV) She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
IN THE FIRST LIGHT
Bob Kauflin / Clydesdale
In the first light of a new day no one knew HE had arrived
Things continued as they had been while a Newborn softly cried
But the heavens wrapped in wonder knew the meaning of His birth
In the weakness of a baby they knew God had come to earth.
As His mother held Him closely it was hard to understand
That her baby, not yet speaking, was the Word of God to man
He would tell them of His kingdom but their hearts would not believe
They would hate Him and in anger they would nail Him to a tree.
But the sadness would be broken as the Light of Life arose
And the Firstborn of creation would ascend and take His throne
He had left it to redeem us but before His life began
He knew He’d come back--- not as a baby--- but as the Lord of every man .
Hear the angels! Oh the singing! ... On the morning of His birth!
Yet how much greater will our song be when He comes again to earth! !
WBTU:
A. The crucifixion as depicted by David in Psalm 22 is just as graphic as the same story as found in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The only difference is the gospel writers tell of the actual event after it happened and David in this song tells the same story before it happened.
B. The accuracy of the prophecy is to say the least, accurate and amazing.
C. The gospels tell us the events and the details of the crucifixion but this Psalm tells us the heart and mind of Christ while he was up there.
D. We shall see what occurred in His heart and soul as He became the sacrifice for the sins of the world.
E. We will base our thoughts around the 7 last sayings of Christ from the cross. All of them are alluded to here in this Psalm.
For instances:
1. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Vs. 1-6.
A. God the Father turned his back upon Christ while he was on that Cross.
B. There was no place for Christ to turn. He had no place to go. The Man Christ Jesus was forsaken. No other ever has had to experience that. No one. He alone.
C. Vs. 3- You are the Holy One. The holiness of God could not gaze upon the sin of the world. (2 Cor 5:21 NIV) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
D. Forsaken. We don’t know what that is. The vilest man on this earth today is not forsaken of God. Anyone can turn to Him. But when Christ takes my sin upon Himself, He is forsaken of God.
E. Why? This is not the why of impatience. It is not the why of despair; it is not the why of doubt. It is the human cry of intense suffering, aggravated by the anguish of His innocent and holy life.
F. Groaning or KJ Roaring- At his trials he was silent. When they beat him, He said nothing; when they nailed him to the cross, He did not whimper. But when God forsook Him, He roared like a lion. He is like a wounded animal.
G. Vs. 4-5- Why God, why? I can understand why Peter denied me and ran off. I can understand why Judas betrayed me, but your leaving me at a time like this, I just can’t understand. Why? You delivered Daniel from the lion’s den. You delivered Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego from the fiery furnace; you delivered Jonah from the belly of the whale. You delivered Joseph from prison in the land of Egypt and made him governor of Egypt. Why cannot I be delivered?
H. Even those who were not delivered at least had God with them. We think of people like Stephen in the book of Acts given a vision of heaven. We think of others who tradition tells us sang songs at their execution, preached sermons, who had a smile on their face, but not Christ.
I. God is holy and Christ was taking the sins of all time. More to it than this. Jesus had to do the work of redemption alone. There could be no help from anyone, not even the Father. It was to be a victory for Jesus and Jesus alone. No one will ever be able to bring His salvation do-it-yourself kit to the cross- Jesus saves and Jesus alone.
J. By the way God the Father did deliver him. Jesus conquered death. (Rev 1:18 NIV) I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
K. Jesus when he died fought with the devil and he won. However, God the Father is the one who raised him from the dead. (Acts 3:15 NIV) You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.
L. Can be described as God’s stamp of approval on what Jesus, His Son, did. However, from the time he was on the cross until the resurrection, it appears that God forsook him.
M. Vs. 6- Christ had reached the lowest place.
N. A worm- the coccus worm. Used by the Hebrews in dyeing all the curtains of the tabernacle scarlet red. More than the lowest place, it is saying that through his blood sin can be washed away.
O. Lady McBeth went up and down rubbing her hands, insane with the guilt of murder. She says, “All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.” And she was right; they could not. She seemed to be continually washing her hands as she rubbed them together, and she cried, “Out spot! Out, I say!” My friends, there is only one things that will take the spot of sin out of our lives, and that is the blood of Christ. The blood of the Lord Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses from all sin.
P. Something unique that happened to Jesus Christ. There is no need for us to say while in this life, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” After all Christ says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” We can be sure that he will not forsake us. Through His salvation we will be with him forever.
2. Father, Forgive them Vs. 7-8
A. Most people do not enjoy watching executions. Few years ago going to put them on TV. Victims, family, and sick people do.
B. Sad commentary about the Pharisees. Didn’t have to be there, they loved to taunt him.
C. After a snake has put its deadly fangs into its victim and emitted its poison, it will slither away in the grass. But not this crowd- not the human heart in rebellion against God.
D. (Luke 23:34 NIV) Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
E. Thanks be that he did that. They might have committed the unpardonable sin, those physically present.
3. Woman, Behold Your Son. Vs. 9-11
A. Jesus turns his thoughts toward his mother.
B. When Simeon rejoiced over Jesus in the temple, he said to Mary, “A sword will pierce your own soul too.”
C. Talked about his last week.
D. Make reference to verse 14.
1. I am poured out like water- excessive sweating.
2. All my bones are out of joint- Person being crucified lost blood, strength leaves, and then all the bones slip out of joint. Terrible suffering.
4. I Thirst. Vs. 15
A. When Jesus said this, someone went and dipped a sponge in vinegar mixed with gall, and put it on a stick and gave him to drink.
B. Even water was denied him.
C. Make mention of vs. 17-18
1. My bones, people stare and gloat- Jesus was crucified naked. Hanging nude upon the cross, great humiliation.
2. The soldiers did this at the foot of the cross. Piece of clothing should have been given to his mother, but even this was denied.
4. Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit Vs. 19-20
A. Vs. 20- My precious life, my darling. This can be translated, “My only one.”
B. Or this is my beloved Son
5. Today you shall be with me in paradise. Vs. 25-26
A. The thief on the cross.
B. Christ- I’ll pay my vows.
C. The poor; those who seek Him will praise the Lord; let your heart live forever.
D. It is fitting that Christ should take the most vile to paradise with him.
E. He was a man unfit to even live here, but the Lord Jesus makes him fit for heaven but His death on the cross.
6. It is finished. Vs. 31
A. His righteousness. We have no righteousness on our own.
B. He has done it- IT is finished.
C. The transaction has been made. Your redemption is a completed package, and Christ presents it to you wrapped up with everything in it.
D. Receive it, accept it.
E. He completed the transaction in triumph. He offers to us a finished redemption. We never shall be worthy of it; we cannot earn it; we cannot buy it- we must receive it as a gift.
Conclusion:
A. Davon you are crazy
B. This morning I heard a story on the radio of a woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable. And after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids. She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don’t forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card. Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn’t take it anymore and stated, “Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot.” From the back of the elevator everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, “Don’t worry we already crucified him.” For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.
C. Who crucified Christ? Well, we have here the ones who did it.
1. Vs. 7 and 8- the Pharisees and religious leaders of the day. Out of envy.
2. Vs. 12- Allusion to the soldiers
3. Vs. 16- Dogs sometimes refer to the Gentiles. Gentile rulers with the help of their soldiers did this.
4. Vs. 21 and 16- Satan is described as a roaring lion.
5. Vs. 16- the assembly of the wicked; a band of evil men. That includes you and me. Christ did it for us.
D. Ed Bousman- We all had a part. Christ died for the ungodly. Some of the old painters had a way of putting themselves into their pictures. The Dutch painter Rembrandt painted his own face on the soldier driving the nails through the hands of Jesus. I do not know what kind of a picture you can conjure up as you paint the picture of the crucifixion of Jesus on the canvas of your own imagination but any picture that leaves you out of the picture is a false impression. The weight of your sins and mine was on the hand that held the hammer that drove the nails through the hands and the feet of Jesus and riveted Him to those timbers of torture that we call the cross. We all had a part in the crucifixion.
E. Were you there? Yes you were. WE are all guilty.
