Day 9: Psalm 22

Day 9: Psalm 22

• Readings:  Psalm 22: 1-18

King David wrote this Psalm when he was going through intense suffering but he believed God would lead him out of despair and into joy.  His focus remained on the future day when God would rule over the earth.

This Psalm is an accurate account of how Jesus, the Messiah, would suffer.  We could go through each part of this passage like we did with Isaiah 53, but then you’d have to endure a long blog post again.  So I challenge you to go through this passage and see how it foreshadows the death of the Messiah.  We’ll look at one obvious one -verse 1, a foreshadow of an event at the cross,  another that just clarified different language and then how it ends.  This will give you an idea of how to dive into the rest of the passage if you so desire.

• My God, My God. Why have you forsaken me.

My God personalized the relationship between God and the Messiah.  Emphasis on My.  Seeing that it was stated twice shows the desperation in the cry.

Forsaken. 

I love how concise and powerful  David Guzik explains this moment on the cross.

“Yet beyond David and his life, this agonized cry and the intentional identification of Jesus with these words are some of most intense and mysterious descriptions of what Jesus experienced on the cross. Jesus had known great pain and suffering (both physical and emotional) during His life. Yet He had never known separation or alienation from God His Father. At this moment He experienced what He had not yet ever experienced. There was a significant sense in which Jesus rightly felt forsaken by God the Father at this moment

On the cross at that moment, a holy transaction took place. God the Father regarded God the Son as if He were a sinner. As the Apostle Paul would later write, God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

• Verse 8

During Jesus’s crucifixion, people gathered at the foot of the cross and mocked Jesus.  We see the words foreshadowed in Psalm 22:8 and fulfilled in Matthew 27:43

• Bulls

Before this study I never knew what “bulls” referenced so I went searching and found this:

"The bull is the emblem of brutal strength, that gores and tramples down all before it." (Clarke)

"The priests, elders, scribes, Pharisees, rulers, and captains bellowed round the cross like wild cattle, fed in the fat and solitary pastures of Bashan, full of strength and fury; they stamped and foamed around the innocent One, and longed to gore him to death with their cruelties." (Spurgeon)

Another proof that you constantly can grow and go deeper on the Bible.

If you are wondering how I look further into areas I search my study bible, read Blue Letter Bible Commentaries (my favorite way to search,) visit past studies or if those don’t lead me I just google. 

There are other verses in this passage that foreshadow the events that were to happen to the Messiah, particularly to the body.  Example, all joints out of place and tongue sticks to my jaws in verses 14 meaning when a man hangs on the cross, joints most likely come out of place and all the fluid in the body goes to his feet leaving the mouth extremely dry. 

Let me remind you that this Messianic Psalm was written 1,000 years before the death of our Savior! Can we just all agree there is great power in these words?  Personally these words help solidify my faith knowing that it was in God’s plan all along.  It wasn’t by mere chance that Jesus died on the cross.  It was planned and he foretold the details in the plan so we would know that this was the Messiah that was written about and promised to us.

• The Ending

But can we just read the end of this Psalm again?  

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the Lord and he rules of the nations.”  Verse 27-28

May we praise God and His holy name. And may we proclaim his righteousness to the people that He has done it (v31)

Day 8 - Isaiah 53, Suffering Servant

Day 8: Isaiah 53 – Suffering Servant

• Reading: Isaiah 53:1-12

Isaiah was a prophet 700+ years before the birth of Jesus.  Isaiah 53 tells of Jesus’ death. A death that hasn’t even been “invented.”  To die on a cross, didn’t even exist in Isaiah’s time.  Yet,  Isaiah 53 gives us an extremely detailed account of his death and in every aspect of his death.  He shows us the Messiah was to be a Suffering Servant.  The idea that the Messiah would suffer was extremely foreign to the Jewish people.  They saw the messiah as a conquering hero. In fact, Isaiah starts out verse 1 by essentially saying, “you’re not going to believe this...”

There is so much packed in to Isaiah 53 that I want to break it down.  Our explanation will be concise and quick so this blog post doesn’t take you hours to read and my fingers don’t grow numb from typing.  If there is a verse that stirs you, dive deeper!  This passage is powerful and will be worth your time.

Who has believed what he has heard from us?

- You are not going to believe this.  It’s contradictory to the belief of the Messiah.

And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 

- Arm of the Lord is seen as strength, power and might.  Yet this passage seems odd since it talks about a Messiah who is portrayed as weak and suffering. 

Yet we have the privilege to know and see Jesus as strong and powerful in the midst of his suffering.

For he grew up before him like a young plant,

- Young plant is tender and Jesus came as a baby and matured as a child

and like a root out of dry ground;

- Jesus grew up in Galilee an area see as “dry” and boring.  It was nothing special.  Dry in the areas of spiritual, political and standard of living.

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 

-Jesus’ outward appearance was nothing special. 

He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;

- Because he was fully man, who knew what it felt like to be sad. He had full human emotion.

and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 

- Jesus was not “fancy” Men did not esteem him.  They saw him as plain thus rejecting him as their Messiah.  They wanted their Messiah to be a conquering hero like the Kings of their day – Full of physical beauty and a charismatic character.  A man of high status and power.

Surely he has borne our grief and carried our sorrows;

- This Messiah, Jesus took our pain upon himself.  He literally carried our sorrows on his back as he walked/carried his cross to be crucified.

yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 

- Seen as stricken and afflicted by God because they couldn’t fathom “why” the Messiah would carry our sin.

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

- Here Isaiah explains why he was stricken.  It was for us, for our sin.  The Messiah suffered for us and took our place on the cross.  And why?  Because it brought us peace.

and with his wounds we are healed. 

- A few translations use stripes.  The stripes and wounds refer to the beatings.  We have healing because of Christ’s sufferings.  It is through Jesus’ death on the cross that we have full healing and atonement.  (confused why? We’ll explain more on day 14. 

All we like sheep have gone astray;

- we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

we have turned-every one-to his own way;

- we all walk away, chosen our own path even though God has placed a path before us.

and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 

- God laid this on Jesus for us.  Synonyms for iniquity are wickedness, sinfulness and immorality.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth;

- he stood silent, never standing up for himself, never rebuking false claims against him.  Thy will be done he uttered in the garden.  He knew this was the only way we could be made right with God so he stood silent.  Ready to take on the sin of the world for our redeeming salvation.

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 

- Jesus was willing to be the final and ultimate sacrifice for all time.  So he stood, taking in all the hate and abuse with not a single retaliation.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living,

- Generation refers to no children. Cut off foreshadows that the Messiah would die.

stricken for the transgression of my people? 

- He does not suffer for himself but for the sins of people.

And they made his grave with the wicked.

- He died in the company of the wicked. A criminals death.

and with a rich man in his death,

- laid in the tomb of a wealthy man.

although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 

- Because he had done no violence.  He never sinned and he remained holy.

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief;

- God was in control.  His sovereign hand controlled the priests, Pontius pilot and the Roman Soldiers.  This was not by mistake.  God allowed man to crucify Christ all for His redemptive purpose and plan.

when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

- We will dive into Jesus as the final sacrifice on another day.  But he was and we now are made right with God.

he shall see his offspring;

- Spiritual descendants.

he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 

- life after death with the glory of God

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

- He will look back on his suffering and it will all be worth it.

 by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 

- We are justified before God when we know/believe in the Messiah because of who he is and what he did on the cross for us.

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,

- We will divide the goods with those who share in his suffering, those who are followers of Christ, you and me, heirs to his throne.

because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors;

- He gave it all. He poured out all of himself on the cross.

yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

- He identified himself with us, a sinner, and here Isaiah states again He took our sin upon himself and we are now made holy through the Messiah.

Day 7 - Details Before His Death - Easter Reading Plan

Day 7: Details Before His Death

• Donkey
  • Readings:  Zechariah 9:9, Matthew 21:1-11 
• 30 pieces (price of an ox or slave found in Exodus 21:32)
  • Readings: Zechariah 11:12-13, Matthew 26:14-16, Matthew 27:3-10
• Strike and scatter
  • Readings: Zechariah 13:7, Matthew 26: 31-35, Matthew 26:55-56

Yesterday you read the overview of the crucifixion.  Today we get into the details.  Throughout the life of Jesus from birth until his resurrection, the details are given to us to prove he was the Messiah that was prophesied in the Old Testament.  Since it is Easter, we are focusing on detailed events with his death, but there are so many prophesies about his whole life!  For example, Isaiah 7:14-15 talks about the virgin birth, Jeremiah 31:15 and Micah 5 tells us the Messiah will come from Bethlehem, and 2 Samuel 7:16 that the Messiah will come from the line if King David. Plus about a billion more!  Okay maybe not a billion.

So many times people say, how do you have such confidence in your faith?  How do you know Jesus is real?  And the answer is here folks.  It’s in the details.  The things prophesied. These prophesies fulfilled all in one man.

Rarely will someone dispute the Bible.  They believe it’s an actual book that has existed.  They might not believe the Bible is God’s word but it’s a proven historical book.  And other ancient Historians like Augustine and Josephus wrote about a man named Jesus who actually walked the earth.

I heard this stat and quote and it made me really think.  There are 66 books in the Bible, 49 authors, written over 1600 years, yet there is one central theme and that’s Jesus Christ.

In the reading today you read about three prophesied details that occurred before the crucifixion. 

• Jesus riding a donkey
• Jesus sold for 30 pieces silver
• The scatter of Jesus’ followers.

I challenge you to take these three events as an example of how to connect scripture.  Then get a good Study Bible.  I have a few linked below.  These bibles help us out so much in connecting the Old and New Testament.  They take all the work and research out of it and literally list out the Old Testament Scriptures/prophesies next the New Testament fulfillments. 

Many of you say you don’t have time.  Read what I’m about to say with all of the love in my heart and soul.  Eternity is a long time.  There is no greater task than solidifying your faith and connecting with your Savior.

Study Bibles

• She Reads Truth
• Life Application

Day 6 - Overview of Crucifixion - Easter Reading Plan

Day 6: Overview - Christ Crucified

• Readings: John 19:1-37
• Bonus Reading:  Other Gospel accounts of the crucifixion

photo: Desiring God

Today’s blog is a little different.  I think it’s important for us to understand the Gospels, the Gospel writers and why the Gospels were written.  All the Gospels are different because they were written to different audiences.  Their main theme was the same -The life of Jesus Christ.  Yet, each Gospel writer shares some aspect of Christ that they deem important.

What I love most about the Gospels is that each of them dedicates a large part of their writings to two events that changed the course of History for Christians – the Crucifixion and Resurrection.  Without these two events, we have no hope, no conquering of sin, no atonement, no victory, no eternal life.  The Crucifixion and Resurrection are everything to us.

Every Easter, my husband and I put the kids to bed, grab a box of Kleenex, a good blanket, sit on the couch and watch Passion of the Christ.  We have a love hate relationship with this tradition.  I hate watching this movie, YET it is so good for us.  It’s one thing to read the Gospel accounts but to watch the death of Christ is another thing. His sacrifice, the weight of the world’s sin, the separation from God, the beatings just make my heart completely ache. (Hence the Box of Kleenexes). We realize it’s Hollywood but we take this movie and bring it to the scriptures.  Then when we read, we have a visual and that visual helps us understand just a bit more and brings the Gospel story to life.  

I challenge you to do that this Easter.  I’m sure Red Box will have it or buy it here.

But let’s get off that rabbit trail and back to the Gospel accounts.  Below are each Gospel and a small summary of whom their audience is and why they wrote it.

Matthew – the book of Matthew was written to the Jews to portray Jesus Christ as our Messiah and eternal King.  Matthew uses many OT passages that prophesied Jesus as the Messiah from his birth to his suffering servant death.  Matthew proves with his historical narrative that Jesus was man and God and he alone provides the way to the Kingdom.

Mark – the book of Mark was the Gospel written to the Romans.  It is a very quick overview (because that culture wanted quick and concise)  of Jesus as the Son of Man, his work and his teachings.   Mark always aimed to portray Jesus as the Son of Man who came not to be served but to serve others.  In Roman times, the ideal man was strong and powerful but Mark shows us that Christ was a servant and not warrior.

Luke –the book of Luke was written for the Gentile and Greeks.  Gentiles were anyone who was not Jewish. Luke gives us a very detailed account on the complete life of Christ from conception to after death.  His Gospel is well researched and aimed to show that Jesus was not just an imaginary person but a very real man who came to be our Savior

John – the book of John was written for Christians in the early church.  John is all about deity of Jesus being the eternal word of God.  John’s goal was to prove to his readers that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that Jesus is the only way to eternal life – All who believe in him will have life and not perish (John 20:31) He uses specific titles for Jesus and I Am statements that show Jesus’ holiness.  He wanted us to understand who Christ was and that we have direct access to him.

So as you dive into each account of the Gospels keep in mind who they were writing to and their purpose in writing.  When you do this, you’ll begin to understand why each Gospel account is so different yet just as important as the others.  

Day 5 - Bronze Serpant Foreshadows - Easter Reading Plan

Day 5: Bronze Serpent

• Readings: Numbers 21:4-9
• Bonus Reading: John 3:1-15, Hebrews 12:2

Okay let’s put this passage into context.  The Israelites are still wandering in the desert before the promise land.  They’ve experienced the miracles of the plagues (Exodus 7-13), parting of the red sea (Exodus 14) , they’ve been protected from the heat of the scorching sun by God as a cloud,  they were kept warm in the cool evenings by God as a pillar of fire, they’ve cried out to God many times and God has delivered.  They cried out for water so God made water come from a rock (Exodus 17), for food and God gave manna from the Heavens and quail (Exodus 16). They cried out in desperation over and over again and God has come to their rescue.  

BUT this time around it’s different.  Verse 4 tells us they became impatient.  Their exact words are at the end of verse 5.  

Sometimes I like to make the Bible come to life, so read verse 5 with a 5 year old whine and exaggerate while falling to the floor in a dramatic despair.  It’s how I picture this scene to be.  

“Why have you brought us out of Egypt to DDDIIIEEE in the wilderness? For there is not food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” (Emphasis mine) 

First off,  you can’t say there is no food and you end that same sentence with the fact that you have food but it’s worthless.  

Second, hello, water miraculously came spouting from a rock!!  Food falls from the sky!  I mean people... come on.

Let’s get back on point.

The Israelites cry out to God because of their unbelief and God sends judgment.  A serpent or snake. To be bitten by a snake means a very slow and painful death.   Up until now, you better believe God has been protecting the Israelites from those same snakes as snakes are all over the desert floors.  But here, God allows them to bite as punishment.  But Moses cries out to God in confession and prayer and God instructs him to make a fiery serpent and put it on a pole.  And whoever lifts their eyes to the pole will live.

Sounds odd right.  But it points to our salvation.  You see, the Israelites needed to look at this evil/sin (serpent) on a pole.  The bronze, back then, represented judgment.  So when Moses held up the pole, the Israelites were looking at their sin and judgment.  And as long as they kept lifting their gaze to the pole, they would be saved. They would be healed of their sickness, their venomous bite.

The Bronze Serpent foreshadows the body of Christ. Jesus taking on the sin of the world and bringing it to the judgment of the cross.

Just as the simple act of looking to the pole showed their belief and obedience to God, we need to look at the cross.  Our world is full of poison, sickness and sin.  The devastation is everywhere creeping in on us, but Christ gives us the answer to overcome the worldly sickness.  He gives us himself, on a pole (wooden cross), dying to overcome it all.  If we simply look to him, our hearts are healed and we are transformed.

Christ and his crucifixion and resurrection are what we need to look to each and every day to be reminded of his loving grace and mercy to save us from evil and bring us into His holy presence.  If we can always remember that, it's amazing how we can guard our hearts and mind from the world that surrounds us and focus on the mission he has before us.