The Crucifixion was not an Accident

Lessons from Psalms: 18

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Psalm 22:1

The book of Psalms contains many different kinds of psalms. There are psalms of praise, lament, imprecation, edification and prophesy. Psalm 2 was clearly a prophetic psalm declaring the nature of God’s Son and His crucifixion at the hands of both the Jews and the gentiles. Psalm 21 is a portrayal of His crucifixion and His resurrection. The details of the crucifixion are quoted repeatedly in the Gospel accounts. They begin with the cry of Christ on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” This cry is the echo of the cry of Christ’s earthly ancestor King David. They are the cry of the King of the Jews on the Cross.

We would often like to bypass the true agony of Christ for our sins, but this psalm gives its ugly picture quite clearly. We see the pierced hands and feet. We see the mocking crowds who should have received Him as their king. We see the gaunt body with all its bones sticking out. We feel the agony of the parched mouth and the humiliation of the cross. We see the mockery of the soldiers as they gamble for His clothes. It is not a very pretty psalm, but it is an accurate one. One thousand years before Christ’s crucifixion, David completely captured the event in this psalm. But it doesn’t end there. It also tells of His resurrection as Christ lives again to declare God’s name to the disciples and give praise to God in the midst of His followers. The cross wasn’t an accident or an unexpected event. It was the will of God for our salvation.

Dear Father, Thank You for the consistency of Your word and the promises it gives that cannot be broken. Amen.

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