Seder 90: Psalm 22---Preview of the Cross

In Christianity, Psalm 22 is the most famous of the individual lament psalms.  Jesus quoted the beginning of this psalm on the cross, and evangelists describe the crucifixion with an emphasis on the events mentioned in it (see Mt 27:32-46).  The division of Jesus' garments (Psalm 22:18) and the derision of onlookers (Ps 22:6-8) are two notable examples.  

In Psalm 22, the psalmist alternates between the agony of his present situation and what he knows about God.  God has done mighty works on behalf of his people (vv 3-5).  God created and sustained the psalmist and had always been with him in the past (vv 9-11), so he prays that God will rescue him once again.  

As in a number of lament psalms, there is a transition from supplication to thanksgiving, as the psalmist either states that he has been rescued or looks forward confidently to his deliverance.  He looks forward to praising God publicly (v 22) and calls upon others to join him (v 23).  He affirms that all people in the past, present, and future will submit to God.  

Psalm 22 is also quoted in the New Testament outside of the passion accounts.  In Heb 2:10-12, the author quotes Ps 22:22 in making the point that Jesus, in humbling himself to take on the burden of our sins, is not ashamed to call human beings his brothers.  

Here, as in several others places in the Heb 1-2, the author asserts that Jesus is the speaker in Ps 22:22,   We might imagine that Jesus prayed through all of Psalm 22 on the cross, expressing how he honestly felt at that point and perhaps looking forward to the time when he would be resurrected and speak with his brothers again.

On Feb 5, 2022, Kyle Kettering gave a sermon on Psalm 22 at Church of the Messiah.  He pushed back at the idea that the Father ever abandoned Jesus as he took on himself the sin that alienates us from God.  But Jesus would have felt particularly alone at that time.  

Seder 48: Psalm 8---Marveling at Man's Place in God's Plan

Psalm 8 is a hymn of praise to God as Creator, and a meditation on man's place in the cosmos as revealed in Genesis 1.

The psalmist marvels at the fact that God, Creator of the vast universe, has given people dominion over the earth (Gen 1:28).  People are "made a little lower than the heavenly beings," created out of dust and returning to dust.  And yet God has entrusted us with a great responsibility.  

The New Testament presents Jesus as the one who has most fully carried out God's intention for humans and paved the way for the rest of us to fulfill what God has in mind for us---Heb 2:5-9.  For our sake he became "for a little while lower than the angels" (v 7), but has now through his work on the cross been "crowned with glory and honor."  God has placed "all things under his feet" (Eph 1:22; 1 Cor 15:25-28), and we are destined to rule with him (Rev 5:10).  

Psalm 8:2 contains the remarkable image of the praise of children silencing and defeating the enemies of God.  Psalms commentator Derek Kidner has written, "The free confession of love and trust is a devastating answer to the accuser and his arsenal of doubts and slanders."  Through each new generation of children the human race and its connection to God continue, thwarting the purposes of those who oppose God. 

Jesus quoted Psalm 8:2 when some chief priests and scribes were distressed by the praise Jesus was receiving from children after his triumphal entry of Jerusalem (Matt 21:14-16).  The children had picked up on something that some religious leaders were slower to grasp.  

Significantly, Jesus applied Psalm 8:2, a verse about praise of God, to a situation where he was receiving praise.  This is one of those situations where Jesus implicitly affirmed his deity.