WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.410 --> 00:00:06.400 What if the words spoken by Jesus from the cross had been written centuries 2 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:09.619 before he had ever walked upon the earth? 3 00:00:10.490 --> 00:00:16.060 As Jesus hung on the cross, he cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 4 00:00:16.940 --> 00:00:22.300 Those words come directly from Psalm 22. But that's not the only connection. 5 00:00:22.910 --> 00:00:27.500 As we read this ancient psalm, we encounter a man surrounded by enemies, 6 00:00:27.500 --> 00:00:30.170 mocked by those who watch him suffer, 7 00:00:30.680 --> 00:00:38.240 experiencing intense physical anguish, and even seeing his garments divided and lots cast for them. 8 00:00:39.210 --> 00:00:45.290 And yet Psalm 22 was written long before the crucifixion. Why? 9 00:00:46.350 --> 00:00:51.060 What was David experiencing when he wrote these words, and how could this psalm 10 00:00:51.060 --> 00:00:55.090 point so clearly toward the suffering of Jesus Christ? 11 00:00:55.820 --> 00:00:59.850 Today, we'll explore Psalm 22 and discover how the suffering of the Savior was 12 00:00:59.850 --> 00:01:01.870 part of God's redemptive plan. 13 00:01:02.510 --> 00:01:05.670 This is The Suffering Savior, today on... 14 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:34.240 Welcome to Bible Bytes, the podcast where we work to inspire faith one byte at a time. 15 00:01:34.700 --> 00:01:38.140 I'm your host, Randy Black. I'm an educator, technology specialist, 16 00:01:38.140 --> 00:01:40.720 and podcaster who's been a Christian for over three decades, 17 00:01:40.720 --> 00:01:45.580 and I'm excited to continue studying God's Word together with you here on Bible Bytes. 18 00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:50.600 In our previous episode, we continued our journey through the Psalms by looking 19 00:01:50.600 --> 00:01:55.820 at Psalm 19 and considered the ways that God has made himself known. 20 00:01:56.330 --> 00:02:00.060 We looked at the heavens declaring his glory, his word revealing his truth, 21 00:02:00.330 --> 00:02:05.410 and David's response as he allowed God's revelation to examine his own heart. 22 00:02:06.320 --> 00:02:11.000 Today, we're turning our attention to Psalm 22. Psalm 22 begins with one of 23 00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:14.130 the most familiar cries in all of Scripture. 24 00:02:14.870 --> 00:02:18.300 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 25 00:02:19.250 --> 00:02:24.240 Those words were written by David, But centuries later, they would be spoken 26 00:02:24.240 --> 00:02:27.180 by Jesus Christ as he hung upon the cross. 27 00:02:28.190 --> 00:02:32.860 As we study Psalm 22 here, we'll discover a remarkable picture of suffering 28 00:02:33.150 --> 00:02:34.880 that points us toward the Messiah. 29 00:02:35.490 --> 00:02:40.580 We'll see the anguish, rejection, and the physical suffering described in this psalm. 30 00:02:41.230 --> 00:02:46.130 And we'll examine how those words find their ultimate fulfillment in the suffering 31 00:02:46.230 --> 00:02:48.510 and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. 32 00:02:49.330 --> 00:02:54.889 But Psalm 22 doesn't end with suffering. The psalm moves from anguish to praise 33 00:02:55.150 --> 00:02:59.100 and from apparent defeat to confidence in God's purposes. 34 00:02:59.800 --> 00:03:03.210 Our key scripture today is Psalm 22, and as we study it together, 35 00:03:03.750 --> 00:03:06.430 I want us to consider this question. 36 00:03:07.540 --> 00:03:13.400 What can the suffering of the Savior teach us about God's redemptive plan when 37 00:03:13.400 --> 00:03:16.130 we are walking through suffering on our own? 38 00:03:17.730 --> 00:03:22.080 Before we go and open God's Word together, let's begin with a word of prayer. 39 00:03:23.570 --> 00:03:26.200 Heavenly Father, we come before you today with grateful hearts, 40 00:03:26.200 --> 00:03:29.380 thankful for your Word and for the opportunity we have to study it together. 41 00:03:30.200 --> 00:03:35.020 Lord, as we open Psalm 22, give us wisdom and understanding. 42 00:03:35.750 --> 00:03:40.990 Help us to see beyond the words of David and recognize the suffering of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 43 00:03:41.730 --> 00:03:45.960 Help us understand the depth of his sacrifice and the incredible redemptive 44 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:48.860 plan you were accomplishing through his suffering. 45 00:03:49.660 --> 00:03:53.650 Father, there are many listening today who may be walking through suffering of their own. 46 00:03:54.240 --> 00:04:00.180 Some may feel forgotten, abandoned, or uncertain about what it is that you are doing. 47 00:04:00.870 --> 00:04:05.610 Remind us that even when we cannot understand your purposes, you remain faithful. 48 00:04:06.340 --> 00:04:10.750 Teach us to bring our pain honestly before you while continuing to trust you. 49 00:04:11.390 --> 00:04:15.270 Give us the wisdom to see suffering through the lens of the cross and the faith 50 00:04:15.270 --> 00:04:18.700 to remember that suffering does not have the final word. 51 00:04:19.560 --> 00:04:23.770 Open our hearts and minds to your truth today and help us grow in our understanding 52 00:04:23.770 --> 00:04:26.089 of Christ and in our trust in you. 53 00:04:26.700 --> 00:04:30.640 We ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen. 54 00:04:31.910 --> 00:04:36.860 Our primary scripture today is Psalm 22. Rather than reading the entire psalm 55 00:04:36.860 --> 00:04:40.250 straight through, we're going to walk through several key portions of it together. 56 00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:47.050 As we do that, listen for the movement of this psalm, from anguish to suffering, 57 00:04:47.490 --> 00:04:50.360 and ultimately to praise and to proclamation. 58 00:04:51.320 --> 00:04:56.380 Let's begin with the opening verses. So Psalm 22, verses 1 through 5. 59 00:04:57.350 --> 00:05:00.680 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 60 00:05:01.390 --> 00:05:05.720 Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring? 61 00:05:06.320 --> 00:05:13.279 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not, and in the night season, and am not silent. 62 00:05:13.860 --> 00:05:17.700 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. 63 00:05:18.300 --> 00:05:22.680 Our fathers trusted in thee. They trusted, and thou didst deliver them. 64 00:05:23.320 --> 00:05:27.460 They cried unto thee, and were delivered. They trusted in thee, 65 00:05:27.820 --> 00:05:29.050 and were not confounded. 66 00:05:29.890 --> 00:05:35.130 Right from the beginning, we encounter the tension that will carry us through the entire psalm. 67 00:05:35.800 --> 00:05:41.550 David cries out to God because God seems distant, yet he immediately begins 68 00:05:41.550 --> 00:05:44.610 remembering God's faithfulness to his people. 69 00:05:45.529 --> 00:05:50.020 There's something important here. The psalmist's circumstances have not changed, 70 00:05:50.790 --> 00:05:54.770 but his understanding of God's character hasn't changed either. 71 00:05:55.810 --> 00:06:02.710 He can ask why while still saying my god now let's move into the next portion 72 00:06:02.710 --> 00:06:08.500 where the anguish becomes more personal and the opposition becomes more intense. 73 00:06:10.750 --> 00:06:18.260 Verses 6-8 say this, But I am a worm, and no man, a reproach of men, 74 00:06:18.610 --> 00:06:20.120 and despised of the people. 75 00:06:20.840 --> 00:06:24.020 All they that see me laugh me to scorn. 76 00:06:24.550 --> 00:06:29.990 They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord 77 00:06:30.210 --> 00:06:31.260 that he would deliver him. 78 00:06:31.820 --> 00:06:35.430 Let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. 79 00:06:36.610 --> 00:06:41.320 Here the psalmist describes humiliation, rejection, mockery. 80 00:06:42.260 --> 00:06:49.400 Those words become especially significant when we later read the gospel accounts of Jesus' crucifixion. 81 00:06:50.340 --> 00:06:55.420 The people gathered around the cross and mocked Jesus, and they did it in a 82 00:06:55.420 --> 00:06:59.670 strikingly similar way and similar language than what happened here. 83 00:07:00.580 --> 00:07:05.530 What David describes here in his suffering becomes part of the biblical picture 84 00:07:05.830 --> 00:07:07.830 of the suffering of the Messiah. 85 00:07:08.890 --> 00:07:13.830 But the psalm continues, and the language becomes even more striking. 86 00:07:14.570 --> 00:07:19.130 Let's jump forward. Let's look at verses 14 through 18. 87 00:07:20.810 --> 00:07:25.070 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. 88 00:07:25.430 --> 00:07:29.480 My heart is like wax. It is melted in the midst of my bowels. 89 00:07:30.220 --> 00:07:35.020 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws. 90 00:07:35.520 --> 00:07:39.240 And thou hast brought me into the dust of death. 91 00:07:40.190 --> 00:07:45.400 For dogs have compassed me. The assembly of the wicked have enclosed me. 92 00:07:45.990 --> 00:07:47.920 They pierced my hands and my feet. 93 00:07:48.650 --> 00:07:52.560 I may tell all my bones, they look and stare upon me. 94 00:07:53.240 --> 00:07:57.960 They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture. 95 00:07:59.180 --> 00:08:02.530 This is one of the most remarkable portions of Psalm 22. 96 00:08:03.330 --> 00:08:07.320 We hear language describing extreme physical suffering. 97 00:08:07.930 --> 00:08:12.010 We hear of hands and feet being pierced. We hear of garments being divided and 98 00:08:12.010 --> 00:08:13.420 lots being cast for them. 99 00:08:14.350 --> 00:08:18.900 And when we read the gospel accounts of the crucifixion, we find these very 100 00:08:18.900 --> 00:08:22.350 details surrounding the death of Jesus. 101 00:08:23.470 --> 00:08:29.670 The significance of Psalm 22, then, is not simply that it contains words about suffering. 102 00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:34.870 It gives us a picture of suffering that finds a remarkable correspondence in 103 00:08:34.870 --> 00:08:36.280 the crucifixion of Christ. 104 00:08:37.240 --> 00:08:41.230 But if we stopped here, we would miss something very essential. 105 00:08:42.270 --> 00:08:46.540 Because Psalm 22 does not end with suffering. 106 00:08:47.500 --> 00:08:52.130 There's a dramatic change that begins in verse 22. The language moves from anguish 107 00:08:52.500 --> 00:08:57.970 toward praise, and the focus expands from the suffering individual to the worship 108 00:08:57.970 --> 00:09:02.250 of God among his people and ultimately among the nations. 109 00:09:02.929 --> 00:09:09.030 Listen to this closing moment of the psalm. So, Psalm 22, verses 22 through 24. 110 00:09:10.220 --> 00:09:15.660 I will declare thy name unto my brethren. In the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. 111 00:09:16.470 --> 00:09:21.610 Ye that fear the Lord praise him. All ye the seed of Jacob glorify him, 112 00:09:21.940 --> 00:09:24.530 and fear him all ye the seed of Israel. 113 00:09:25.160 --> 00:09:29.820 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted. 114 00:09:30.230 --> 00:09:35.200 Neither hath he hid his face from him, but when he cried unto him, he heard. 115 00:09:36.230 --> 00:09:42.290 That is the turning point. The psalm began with a cry that God seemed far away. 116 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:46.890 Now the psalm declares that God has heard the afflicted. 117 00:09:47.530 --> 00:09:55.410 And the final verses take that praise one more step further. So verses 27 to 31. 118 00:09:56.320 --> 00:10:00.040 All of the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord, 119 00:10:00.429 --> 00:10:03.650 and all the kindreds of the nation shall worship before thee. 120 00:10:04.350 --> 00:10:07.940 For the kingdom is the Lord's, and he is the governor among the nations, 121 00:10:08.390 --> 00:10:13.700 and they that be fat upon the earth shall eat and worship, and they that go 122 00:10:13.700 --> 00:10:19.110 down to the dust shall bow before him, and none can keep alive his own soul. 123 00:10:19.870 --> 00:10:25.309 A seed shall serve him. It shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. 124 00:10:25.890 --> 00:10:29.880 They shall come and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall 125 00:10:29.880 --> 00:10:32.340 be born, that he hath done this. 126 00:10:33.460 --> 00:10:37.970 Notice where Psalm 22 ends. He doesn't end with abandonment. 127 00:10:38.580 --> 00:10:40.100 It doesn't end with mockery. 128 00:10:40.760 --> 00:10:43.220 It doesn't end with pierced hands and feet. 129 00:10:44.120 --> 00:10:49.080 It ends with worship, proclamation, and the righteousness of God being declared 130 00:10:49.080 --> 00:10:50.760 to generations that are yet to come. 131 00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:58.960 That movement from suffering to praise is essential to understanding this psalm. 132 00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:05.320 As we move into our exploration of the historical and biblical context of Psalm 133 00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:10.700 22, we're going to step back and ask what David was experiencing when he wrote 134 00:11:10.700 --> 00:11:14.870 these words, how Psalm 22 fits within the biblical story, 135 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:19.590 and why the New Testament repeatedly points us back to this psalm when telling 136 00:11:19.590 --> 00:11:23.780 us about the suffering and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. 137 00:11:25.299 --> 00:11:30.360 Psalm 22 is identified as a Psalm of David. David knew opposition, 138 00:11:30.750 --> 00:11:33.290 danger, rejection, and uncertainty. 139 00:11:33.900 --> 00:11:38.730 He experienced seasons when enemies surrounded him and his life depended upon God's deliverance. 140 00:11:39.299 --> 00:11:46.470 So the anguish that's described here is not abstract. David is expressing genuine suffering. 141 00:11:47.460 --> 00:11:52.260 Yet the language of Psalm 22 reaches beyond what we might expect from David's 142 00:11:52.260 --> 00:11:53.490 immediate circumstances. 143 00:11:54.490 --> 00:11:59.910 The psalm here describes mockery, physical anguish, pierced hands and feet, 144 00:12:00.910 --> 00:12:04.070 and garments being divided and lots being cast. 145 00:12:04.950 --> 00:12:08.980 And when we read those words alongside the New Testament accounts of Jesus' 146 00:12:08.980 --> 00:12:13.160 crucifixion, the connections are extremely remarkable. 147 00:12:14.059 --> 00:12:19.080 Matthew records people mocking Jesus and challenging him to trust God for deliverance. 148 00:12:19.799 --> 00:12:23.309 Matthew also records the soldiers casting lots for his garments. 149 00:12:24.049 --> 00:12:28.400 John specifically connects their actions with Scripture concerning Christ's vesture. 150 00:12:29.020 --> 00:12:34.020 Matthew and Mark both record Jesus crying from the cross with the opening words 151 00:12:34.140 --> 00:12:39.510 of Psalm 22, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 152 00:12:40.420 --> 00:12:45.180 The connection between Psalm 22 and Jesus is therefore not simply something 153 00:12:45.180 --> 00:12:48.870 Christians discovered by looking backward and finding similarities. 154 00:12:49.490 --> 00:12:54.530 The New Testament itself repeatedly brings this psalm into the story of Christ's suffering. 155 00:12:55.610 --> 00:12:59.000 At the same time, we should not make David disappear from the picture. 156 00:12:59.530 --> 00:13:04.150 Psalm 22 was written in the midst of his real suffering, but God used David's 157 00:13:04.150 --> 00:13:08.960 experience and the words he wrote in a way that ultimately pointed beyond David 158 00:13:09.260 --> 00:13:10.380 to the promised Messiah. 159 00:13:11.110 --> 00:13:14.740 This fits a larger pattern in the Old Testament. The scriptures point forward 160 00:13:14.740 --> 00:13:19.420 to a coming king and a savior from the line of David, and they also point toward 161 00:13:19.420 --> 00:13:21.080 a Messiah who would suffer. 162 00:13:21.950 --> 00:13:26.700 Isaiah 53 provides another powerful picture of this suffering servant, 163 00:13:26.950 --> 00:13:32.160 describing one who would be wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. 164 00:13:32.810 --> 00:13:38.790 Jesus later explained that the Scriptures had spoken beforehand about the suffering 165 00:13:39.020 --> 00:13:40.260 and the glory of the Messiah. 166 00:13:41.060 --> 00:13:45.430 Psalm 22, therefore, brings together David's genuine suffering, 167 00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:52.480 the prophetic anticipation of the Messiah, and the New Testament testimony concerning Jesus Christ. 168 00:13:53.420 --> 00:13:58.860 And there's one final detail that we need to keep in view. Psalm 22 does not end with suffering. 169 00:13:59.420 --> 00:14:03.910 It ends with God's righteousness being declared and the nations turning to worshiping the Lord. 170 00:14:04.560 --> 00:14:09.860 The psalm moves from the suffering of one to the worship of many. 171 00:14:10.730 --> 00:14:14.630 That movement helps us understand the purpose of Christ's suffering. 172 00:14:15.220 --> 00:14:23.040 Jesus did not go to the cross simply to endure pain. He went to accomplish redemption. 173 00:14:24.110 --> 00:14:28.670 With that foundation in place, we're ready to examine the first major truth 174 00:14:28.670 --> 00:14:30.490 that Psalm 22 teaches us. 175 00:14:31.140 --> 00:14:36.320 The suffering of the Savior was not an accident. It was foretold in the Word of God. 176 00:14:37.250 --> 00:14:41.890 When we look at the suffering of Jesus Christ, it can be easy to view the cross 177 00:14:41.890 --> 00:14:45.320 as a terrible event that happened to him unexpectedly. 178 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:51.650 But Scripture gives us a very different picture. The suffering of the Savior was foretold. 179 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:55.890 Psalm 22 was written centuries before Jesus walked the earth, 180 00:14:56.200 --> 00:15:02.040 yet portions of this psalm describe circumstances that correspond remarkably 181 00:15:02.220 --> 00:15:03.590 with what happened at Calvary. 182 00:15:04.670 --> 00:15:07.930 We've already heard David write about being mocked and despised. 183 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:12.330 We heard him describe his enemies surrounding him. We heard the words, 184 00:15:12.460 --> 00:15:14.300 they pierced my hands and my feet, 185 00:15:14.800 --> 00:15:18.610 and we heard that his garments would be divided and lots cast for them. 186 00:15:19.260 --> 00:15:23.540 Now compare those words with what the gospel writers tell us happened to Jesus. 187 00:15:24.310 --> 00:15:28.950 Matthew records the mocking of Jesus at the cross. John records the soldiers 188 00:15:28.950 --> 00:15:31.410 dividing his garments and casting lots for his vesture. 189 00:15:32.050 --> 00:15:38.620 And Jesus himself quoted the opening words of Psalm 22 while hanging on the cross. 190 00:15:39.620 --> 00:15:44.420 These connections are not isolated details. They're part of a much larger biblical 191 00:15:44.420 --> 00:15:47.240 testimony concerning the suffering Messiah. 192 00:15:48.460 --> 00:15:51.640 Isaiah chapter 53 gives us another remarkable picture. 193 00:15:52.100 --> 00:15:56.250 Isaiah writes that the coming servant would be despised and rejected, 194 00:15:56.750 --> 00:16:02.500 acquainted with grief, wounded for our transgressions, and bruised by our iniquities. 195 00:16:03.180 --> 00:16:08.010 Then, after his resurrection, Jesus explained this very truth to his disciples. 196 00:16:08.660 --> 00:16:12.690 Luke chapter 24 tells us that he showed them from Moses, the prophets, 197 00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:19.700 and the scriptures that Christ must needs have suffered before entering into his glory. 198 00:16:20.760 --> 00:16:22.500 That word must matters. 199 00:16:23.560 --> 00:16:28.920 The suffering of Christ was not an accident. It was not evidence that God's plan had failed. 200 00:16:29.650 --> 00:16:31.910 The cross was part of the plan. 201 00:16:32.860 --> 00:16:35.400 Peter made the same point when he preached in Acts chapter 2. 202 00:16:35.660 --> 00:16:40.460 He told the people that Jesus had been delivered by the determinate counsel 203 00:16:40.690 --> 00:16:42.420 and foreknowledge of God. 204 00:16:43.040 --> 00:16:47.820 The crucifixion was carried out by wicked hands, but it did not take God by surprise. 205 00:16:48.640 --> 00:16:53.370 This gives us a really important truth when we think about suffering in our own lives. 206 00:16:54.050 --> 00:16:58.080 We often judge our circumstances by what we can see in the moment. 207 00:16:58.780 --> 00:17:03.170 When something painful happens, we may immediately wonder, where is God? 208 00:17:03.780 --> 00:17:08.030 Why would he allow this? What purpose could possibly come from this. 209 00:17:09.050 --> 00:17:13.250 Psalm 22 reminds us that we cannot always understand God's purposes simply by 210 00:17:13.250 --> 00:17:16.200 looking at the circumstances that are placed in front of us. 211 00:17:16.920 --> 00:17:21.900 At the cross, it looked like everything had gone wrong. The Messiah was rejected. 212 00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:26.840 He was mocked. He was beaten. He was crucified. 213 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:31.740 But what looked like defeat was actually part of God's redemptive work. 214 00:17:32.560 --> 00:17:38.200 It doesn't mean every painful experience that we face is going to make immediate sense to us. 215 00:17:38.760 --> 00:17:44.280 It does mean, though, that God's purposes are not defeated simply because we cannot see them. 216 00:17:45.050 --> 00:17:49.250 The suffering was foretold. The suffering had purpose. 217 00:17:49.760 --> 00:17:54.160 And the God who was faithful through the suffering of Christ is still faithful 218 00:17:54.160 --> 00:17:56.109 when we walk through suffering ourselves. 219 00:17:56.920 --> 00:18:00.480 So when you find yourself in a season you don't understand, remember this. 220 00:18:00.890 --> 00:18:03.930 God's silence is not the same thing as God's absence. 221 00:18:04.349 --> 00:18:09.609 And circumstances that look like defeat are not necessarily the end to God's story. 222 00:18:10.510 --> 00:18:14.460 The cross reminds us that God could be working out His greatest purposes in 223 00:18:14.460 --> 00:18:15.840 ways that we cannot yet see. 224 00:18:16.640 --> 00:18:22.540 And if the suffering of Christ was part of God's plan, then we need to ask the next question. 225 00:18:23.180 --> 00:18:25.470 What was the purpose of that suffering? 226 00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:29.730 Why did the Savior willingly endure the cross? 227 00:18:31.250 --> 00:18:37.770 That then brings us to the second major truth from Psalm 22 The Savior suffered for us, 228 00:18:39.150 --> 00:18:43.349 This first truth we've seen is that the suffering of Christ was foretold Scripture 229 00:18:43.349 --> 00:18:47.070 pointed toward a Messiah who would suffer And what happened at Calvary was not 230 00:18:47.070 --> 00:18:48.510 an interruption of God's plan, 231 00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:55.099 But that leads us to an even more important question Why did Jesus have to suffer? 232 00:18:56.770 --> 00:19:01.790 The answer is that he suffered for us. The cross wasn't simply an example of 233 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:03.810 someone enduring terrible pain. 234 00:19:04.770 --> 00:19:10.700 Jesus willingly gave himself, sacrificed himself for sinners. 235 00:19:11.590 --> 00:19:16.820 Jesus said in Mark 10.45, For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered 236 00:19:16.820 --> 00:19:21.090 unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. 237 00:19:22.349 --> 00:19:28.160 That's the language of purpose. Jesus came to earth to give his life. 238 00:19:29.160 --> 00:19:31.930 Isaiah had already pointed toward this hundreds of years earlier. 239 00:19:32.380 --> 00:19:37.790 Isaiah chapter 53, we read that the suffering servant would bear our griefs and carry our sorrows. 240 00:19:38.359 --> 00:19:40.880 Then Isaiah gives us the heart of the matter. 241 00:19:41.849 --> 00:19:46.760 But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our inequities. 242 00:19:47.750 --> 00:19:51.390 Notice the language. Our transgressions. 243 00:19:52.500 --> 00:19:58.330 Our iniquities. The suffering of Jesus was connected directly to our sin. 244 00:19:59.290 --> 00:20:05.030 Peter makes the same point in 1 Peter 2, verse 24, saying that Christ, 245 00:20:05.150 --> 00:20:09.190 his own self, bear our sins in his own body on the tree. 246 00:20:10.170 --> 00:20:17.960 This is why we cannot understand Psalm 22 simply as a prophecy describing physical suffering. 247 00:20:18.920 --> 00:20:24.660 The physical suffering was real and terrible, but the cross was accomplishing 248 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:27.140 something, something far greater. 249 00:20:27.910 --> 00:20:30.970 Jesus was bearing the penalty of sin. 250 00:20:31.770 --> 00:20:35.320 Paul summarizes it simply in 1 Corinthians 15 3. 251 00:20:36.090 --> 00:20:40.619 Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. That little phrase, 252 00:20:41.220 --> 00:20:45.210 for our sins, that's central to the gospel. 253 00:20:46.010 --> 00:20:50.440 We've all sinned. We've all fallen short of God's righteousness. 254 00:20:51.099 --> 00:20:56.010 There's nothing that we can do in our own strength to remove the guilt of our own sin. 255 00:20:56.710 --> 00:21:01.750 But Christ, Christ did what we could never do. He took our place. 256 00:21:02.720 --> 00:21:08.830 Paul explains this even more directly when we look at 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21. 257 00:21:09.630 --> 00:21:14.980 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made 258 00:21:14.980 --> 00:21:16.920 the righteousness of God in him. 259 00:21:18.060 --> 00:21:23.550 Jesus was without sin, yet he willingly endured the judgment associated with 260 00:21:23.550 --> 00:21:27.369 our sin so that we could be reconciled to God. 261 00:21:28.290 --> 00:21:31.270 That changes the way that we should look at the cross. 262 00:21:32.260 --> 00:21:36.410 The cross should not merely make us feel sorrow because Jesus suffered. 263 00:21:36.970 --> 00:21:39.490 It should make us marvel at his love. 264 00:21:40.440 --> 00:21:42.410 He knew what awaited him. 265 00:21:43.690 --> 00:21:52.220 He knew the rejection, the suffering, the cross, and yet he willingly went anyway. 266 00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:57.570 That's why Jesus' suffering is so different from our suffering. 267 00:21:58.470 --> 00:22:01.480 We may suffer because of circumstances that we cannot control, 268 00:22:02.220 --> 00:22:08.250 but Christ willingly entered into suffering because he was accomplishing something on our behalf. 269 00:22:09.000 --> 00:22:12.330 And that gives a different reason to look at our own suffering. 270 00:22:13.170 --> 00:22:18.970 We should never assume that our suffering somehow earns our salvation or pays for our sins. 271 00:22:19.609 --> 00:22:24.840 Only Christ could accomplish that work. Our hope is not in how much we can endure. 272 00:22:25.590 --> 00:22:30.400 Our hope is in what Jesus accomplished through his death and resurrection. 273 00:22:31.410 --> 00:22:36.340 Instead, when we suffer, we can look to the one who suffered for us. 274 00:22:37.099 --> 00:22:41.400 We can remember that we have a Savior who understands suffering, 275 00:22:41.940 --> 00:22:47.250 who knows rejection and grief, and who willingly gave himself so that we can 276 00:22:47.250 --> 00:22:49.490 have forgiveness and reconciliation with God. 277 00:22:50.470 --> 00:22:53.960 The cross then is not simply a picture of suffering. 278 00:22:54.920 --> 00:22:59.960 It's a picture of sacrificial love. The Savior suffered for us. 279 00:23:01.119 --> 00:23:06.130 And because he suffered for us, We can know that our suffering is not meaningless 280 00:23:06.130 --> 00:23:08.180 simply because we cannot understand it. 281 00:23:08.880 --> 00:23:14.590 We can trust the one who has already demonstrated his love for us by going to the cross. 282 00:23:15.310 --> 00:23:18.010 But there's still one more truth that we need to see in Psalm 22. 283 00:23:18.290 --> 00:23:20.980 The psalm does not end at the place of suffering. 284 00:23:21.540 --> 00:23:27.680 It points us, it turns us toward praise, toward proclamation, 285 00:23:28.130 --> 00:23:30.260 and toward the glory of God. 286 00:23:31.359 --> 00:23:39.030 And that leads us to our third major truth from Psalm 22 Suffering does not have the final word. 287 00:23:40.290 --> 00:23:45.420 We've seen that the suffering of the Savior was foretold. We've seen that he 288 00:23:45.420 --> 00:23:46.920 willingly suffered for us. 289 00:23:47.750 --> 00:23:50.920 But there is one more truth here that we need to see in Psalm 22. 290 00:23:51.590 --> 00:23:53.420 Suffering does not have the final word. 291 00:23:54.170 --> 00:24:00.440 If we stopped reading Psalm 22 at verse 21, we would have a very different psalm on our hands. 292 00:24:01.510 --> 00:24:08.800 We would have anguish, rejection, physical suffering, enemies surrounding the 293 00:24:08.800 --> 00:24:12.010 sufferer, and a desperate cry for deliverance. 294 00:24:13.020 --> 00:24:15.130 But Psalm 22 doesn't stop there. 295 00:24:16.250 --> 00:24:19.420 Beginning in verse 22, the entire direction of the psalm changes. 296 00:24:20.330 --> 00:24:26.020 I will declare thy name unto my brethren. In the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. 297 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:33.080 The suffering one is now speaking of praise. And then the scope of the psalm becomes even greater. 298 00:24:33.290 --> 00:24:37.580 It moves beyond one individual and looks toward the worship of God's people 299 00:24:37.859 --> 00:24:39.700 and ultimately to the nations. 300 00:24:40.349 --> 00:24:45.900 Verse 27 says, All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord, 301 00:24:46.240 --> 00:24:49.340 and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. 302 00:24:50.330 --> 00:24:53.160 That's an extraordinary conclusion to a psalm that began with, 303 00:24:53.480 --> 00:24:57.210 my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 304 00:24:58.270 --> 00:25:04.450 The psalm moves from anguish to praise, from suffering to proclamation, 305 00:25:04.900 --> 00:25:09.599 from what appears to be defeat to confidence in the reign of God. 306 00:25:10.280 --> 00:25:14.280 And this is where the connection to Christ becomes especially important to us. 307 00:25:15.480 --> 00:25:18.710 Jesus' suffering and death were not the end of his story. 308 00:25:19.730 --> 00:25:22.720 He went to the cross, but he didn't remain in the grave. 309 00:25:23.430 --> 00:25:28.660 The writer of Hebrews points back to Psalm 22 and connects its language of declaring 310 00:25:28.660 --> 00:25:31.390 God's name among the brethren with Christ. 311 00:25:32.080 --> 00:25:39.000 The suffering Savior is also the victorious Savior who brings his people into the presence of God. 312 00:25:39.720 --> 00:25:45.580 Philippians 2 gives us the same pattern. Christ humbled himself and became obedient 313 00:25:45.580 --> 00:25:48.260 unto death, even the death of the cross. 314 00:25:48.850 --> 00:25:50.840 But the passage doesn't end with the cross. 315 00:25:51.630 --> 00:25:58.020 God highly exalted him, and one day every knee will bow and every tongue will 316 00:25:58.020 --> 00:26:00.930 confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. 317 00:26:02.080 --> 00:26:07.020 The humiliation was real. The suffering was real. 318 00:26:07.900 --> 00:26:11.830 The death was real. But none of those things had the final word. 319 00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:15.520 And that's an important truth for us today as believers. 320 00:26:16.180 --> 00:26:19.890 Christian hope does not mean that suffering isn't real. 321 00:26:20.450 --> 00:26:25.840 It doesn't mean that we pretend that grief doesn't hurt or that difficult circumstances don't matter. 322 00:26:26.700 --> 00:26:30.940 Christian hope means that we know suffering is not the end of the story. 323 00:26:31.820 --> 00:26:39.400 Hebrews 12, verse 2, tells us that Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before him. 324 00:26:39.790 --> 00:26:43.660 He could see beyond the suffering to what God was accomplishing through it. 325 00:26:44.350 --> 00:26:49.610 And because Christ rose from the dead, we have a hope that reaches beyond this present life. 326 00:26:50.230 --> 00:26:54.920 Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15 that Christ is risen from the dead and has 327 00:26:54.920 --> 00:26:57.270 become the first fruits of them that sleep. 328 00:26:57.900 --> 00:27:01.830 That means the resurrection changes the way that we look at suffering. 329 00:27:03.230 --> 00:27:07.170 We may not know how every difficult circumstance will turn out. 330 00:27:07.910 --> 00:27:11.280 We may not receive the answer that we're hoping for in this life, 331 00:27:12.040 --> 00:27:14.660 but we know how the greater story ends. 332 00:27:15.400 --> 00:27:16.830 Christ has conquered death. 333 00:27:17.590 --> 00:27:21.420 God's kingdom will stand. His righteousness will be proclaimed. 334 00:27:21.880 --> 00:27:27.430 And those who belong to Christ have an eternal hope that suffering cannot take away. 335 00:27:28.430 --> 00:27:32.170 So if you're walking through a difficult season right now, don't allow the present 336 00:27:32.170 --> 00:27:35.800 moment to convince you that God has finished writing your story. 337 00:27:36.500 --> 00:27:41.960 Psalm 22 reminds us that the darkest portion of the psalm is not the conclusion. 338 00:27:42.640 --> 00:27:47.820 The cross was not the conclusion. The grave was not the conclusion. 339 00:27:48.510 --> 00:27:51.870 And your present suffering doesn't have to be the conclusion either. 340 00:27:53.230 --> 00:27:59.220 There is hope beyond the pain because there is victory in Christ. 341 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:02.560 The suffering Savior is the risen Savior. 342 00:28:03.350 --> 00:28:10.090 And because He lives, we can face suffering without believing that suffering has the final word. 343 00:28:11.990 --> 00:28:17.090 So how do we take what we've learned from Psalm 22 and apply it in our own lives? 344 00:28:18.280 --> 00:28:22.690 The first thing we need to understand is that suffering is not something we have to hide from God. 345 00:28:23.690 --> 00:28:27.510 David didn't hide his anguish. He cried out, My God, my God, 346 00:28:27.510 --> 00:28:28.900 why hast thou forsaken me? 347 00:28:29.450 --> 00:28:33.890 He brought his questions, his fear, and his pain directly before God. 348 00:28:34.820 --> 00:28:39.860 And we can do the same. When we're hurting, we don't have to pretend that everything is fine. 349 00:28:40.490 --> 00:28:45.050 We can tell God what we're experiencing. We can ask Him difficult questions. 350 00:28:45.490 --> 00:28:50.000 We can bring our grief, our disappointment, our fear, and our confusion before Him. 351 00:28:51.110 --> 00:28:55.800 But Psalm 22 also teaches us not to stop with what we can see in the moment. 352 00:28:56.560 --> 00:29:00.490 The psalmist remembers God's faithfulness. He looks back at what God has done 353 00:29:00.490 --> 00:29:04.230 for His people, and eventually, the psalm turns toward praise. 354 00:29:05.150 --> 00:29:09.450 That gives us a practical pattern for suffering. Bring your pain to God. 355 00:29:10.120 --> 00:29:15.160 Remember His faithfulness and continue trusting Him even when you cannot see the outcome. 356 00:29:16.380 --> 00:29:20.710 Second, don't automatically interpret God's silence as God's absence. 357 00:29:21.550 --> 00:29:26.020 There may be moments when you pray and don't receive the answer you want. 358 00:29:26.940 --> 00:29:31.950 There may be seasons when you cannot understand why God has allowed something to happen. 359 00:29:32.920 --> 00:29:37.830 But the cross reminds us that God can be working through circumstances that 360 00:29:37.830 --> 00:29:39.310 look completely hopeless. 361 00:29:39.860 --> 00:29:44.620 What appeared to be the defeat of Jesus was actually part of God's redemptive plan. 362 00:29:45.300 --> 00:29:50.480 That doesn't mean every painful circumstance will have an explanation that we see in this lifetime. 363 00:29:51.180 --> 00:29:55.890 It means we can trust the character of God even we don't understand his purposes. 364 00:29:57.140 --> 00:30:00.200 Third, look to Christ when you suffer. 365 00:30:01.060 --> 00:30:04.960 Jesus is not a distant Savior who knows nothing about pain. 366 00:30:05.580 --> 00:30:11.590 He experienced rejection, humiliation, physical suffering, and ultimately death. 367 00:30:12.090 --> 00:30:15.150 He understands what it means to walk through suffering. 368 00:30:15.930 --> 00:30:18.710 And yet His suffering, it was not the end. 369 00:30:19.640 --> 00:30:25.540 So when you're hurting, don't let your circumstances become the only thing that you see. Look to Christ. 370 00:30:26.310 --> 00:30:29.840 Remember his cross. Remember his resurrection. 371 00:30:30.860 --> 00:30:35.940 Remember that your present circumstances are not greater than his power. 372 00:30:37.820 --> 00:30:43.490 And finally, allow your suffering to become an opportunity to point someone else toward hope. 373 00:30:44.450 --> 00:30:48.580 Psalm 22 ends with God's righteousness being declared to future generations. 374 00:30:48.920 --> 00:30:54.510 What began as a cry of anguish ends as a testimony of God's faithfulness. 375 00:30:55.440 --> 00:31:02.050 We may not choose the suffering that we experience, but we can choose what it is that we do with it. 376 00:31:02.780 --> 00:31:08.220 We can allow suffering to drive us away from God, or we can bring it to him 377 00:31:08.510 --> 00:31:10.490 and allow him to strengthen our faith. 378 00:31:12.400 --> 00:31:16.760 So here's the challenge for this week. Identify one area of your life where 379 00:31:16.760 --> 00:31:19.160 you're struggling to understand what God is doing. 380 00:31:19.820 --> 00:31:22.500 Bring that situation honestly before him. 381 00:31:23.310 --> 00:31:27.140 Then deliberately remember his faithfulness, what he has done, 382 00:31:27.370 --> 00:31:30.710 what he has promised, and what Christ has already accomplished for you. 383 00:31:31.500 --> 00:31:36.480 You may not have the answer to your why today, but you can still say, 384 00:31:36.770 --> 00:31:40.840 my God, and you can trust him to take care of the rest. 385 00:31:42.890 --> 00:31:48.250 There are five truths from Psalm 22 that I want us to remember from today's study. 386 00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:53.630 First, Psalm 22 shows us that we can bring our suffering honestly before God. 387 00:31:54.340 --> 00:31:57.830 David did not hide his anguish, and we don't have to hide ours. 388 00:31:58.340 --> 00:32:03.660 We can bring our questions, our fears, and our pain directly to the Lord. 389 00:32:04.610 --> 00:32:09.590 Second, the suffering of Christ was foretold and was part of God's total redemptive plan. 390 00:32:10.350 --> 00:32:14.920 What happened at the cross was not an accident, and it wasn't a failure of God's purposes. 391 00:32:15.400 --> 00:32:20.830 Scripture pointed toward the suffering Savior long before Jesus ever went to Calvary. 392 00:32:22.400 --> 00:32:27.290 Third, Jesus willingly suffered for our sins, accomplishing something that we 393 00:32:27.290 --> 00:32:28.980 could never accomplish for ourselves. 394 00:32:29.830 --> 00:32:35.330 The cross is not simply a story about suffering. It's the story of sacrificial 395 00:32:35.330 --> 00:32:38.790 love and God's provision for our redemption. 396 00:32:40.270 --> 00:32:45.990 Fourth, God's purposes are not defeated by suffering. Even when we cannot understand 397 00:32:45.990 --> 00:32:51.100 what it is he's doing, the cross reminds us that circumstances that appear to 398 00:32:51.100 --> 00:32:54.220 be defeat can still be part of God's greater work. 399 00:32:55.870 --> 00:33:01.440 And finally, because Christ suffered, died, and rose again, suffering does not 400 00:33:01.440 --> 00:33:04.300 have the final word for those who trust in him. 401 00:33:05.060 --> 00:33:12.850 Psalm 22 moves from anguish to praise, and the gospel moves from the cross to the empty tomb. 402 00:33:14.060 --> 00:33:18.940 So when suffering comes, bring your pain to God. Trust his purposes. 403 00:33:19.560 --> 00:33:25.630 Look to Christ and remember that what you can see in the present moment is not the whole story. 404 00:33:26.230 --> 00:33:27.700 God is still faithful. 405 00:33:28.450 --> 00:33:34.150 Christ is still our savior. And suffering does not have the final word. 406 00:33:36.530 --> 00:33:42.200 Psalm 22 gives us some difficult truths to consider, but it also gives us an 407 00:33:42.200 --> 00:33:43.950 opportunity to examine our own hearts. 408 00:33:45.190 --> 00:33:48.960 When suffering comes into your life, what's your first response? 409 00:33:49.970 --> 00:33:54.030 Do you immediately turn toward God or do you find yourself pulling away because 410 00:33:54.350 --> 00:33:57.290 you just don't understand what it is that he's allowing? 411 00:33:58.210 --> 00:34:02.040 It's easy to trust God when circumstances are going the way that we expect, 412 00:34:02.640 --> 00:34:06.470 but what happens to your faith when the answer doesn't come, 413 00:34:06.880 --> 00:34:13.090 the situation doesn't change, or the pain continues longer than you had anticipated. 414 00:34:14.790 --> 00:34:18.800 Have there been times when you've interpreted God's silence as God's absence? 415 00:34:19.510 --> 00:34:21.739 Think about those seasons of life carefully. 416 00:34:22.640 --> 00:34:28.640 Did God actually leave you, or were you simply unable to recognize what it was he was doing? 417 00:34:29.560 --> 00:34:33.080 Psalm 22 reminds us that a person can cry out, my God, my God, 418 00:34:33.500 --> 00:34:36.449 even while struggling to understand God's presence. 419 00:34:37.199 --> 00:34:42.010 What would it look like for you to hold on to who God is, even when you cannot 420 00:34:42.010 --> 00:34:44.110 understand what it is that he's doing? 421 00:34:45.880 --> 00:34:50.650 How does the suffering of Christ affect the way you view your own difficult circumstances? 422 00:34:51.730 --> 00:34:58.410 Jesus willingly endured rejection, suffering, and the cross to accomplish our redemption. 423 00:34:59.290 --> 00:35:03.960 When you remember what he endured for you, does that change the way you respond 424 00:35:03.960 --> 00:35:05.300 when life becomes difficult? 425 00:35:06.050 --> 00:35:11.910 Does it move you toward greater trust, greater gratitude, or greater dependence upon him? 426 00:35:13.330 --> 00:35:18.320 Is there an area of your life right now where you are struggling to trust God's purposes? 427 00:35:19.290 --> 00:35:25.219 Perhaps it's a relationship, a loss, a disappointment, an unanswered prayer, 428 00:35:25.780 --> 00:35:28.690 or maybe a circumstance you simply cannot explain. 429 00:35:29.410 --> 00:35:37.790 Are you willing to bring that situation honestly before God and then trust Him 430 00:35:38.100 --> 00:35:39.719 with what you cannot control? 431 00:35:41.670 --> 00:35:46.360 And finally, are you allowing what you see today to determine your hope for tomorrow? 432 00:35:47.270 --> 00:35:51.820 Psalm 22 begins in anguish, but ends in praise and proclamation. 433 00:35:52.590 --> 00:35:56.940 The cross looked like defeat, but it was accomplishing redemption. 434 00:35:57.739 --> 00:36:03.310 What appears to be the darkest chapter of your story may not be the final chapter. 435 00:36:05.340 --> 00:36:08.960 Take some time to consider those questions. Don't rush past them. 436 00:36:09.400 --> 00:36:13.310 Bring the answers honestly before the Lord and ask Him to strengthen your faith, 437 00:36:13.620 --> 00:36:18.510 deepen your trust, and help you remember that He's faithful even when you can't 438 00:36:18.510 --> 00:36:22.100 see yet how the story is going to unfold. 439 00:36:24.560 --> 00:36:30.489 There may be someone listening today who understands Psalm 22 in a very personal way. 440 00:36:31.380 --> 00:36:35.980 Maybe you know what it feels like to cry out to God and wonder why he seems so far away. 441 00:36:36.670 --> 00:36:39.650 Maybe you've prayed for an answer that hasn't come. 442 00:36:40.640 --> 00:36:44.739 Maybe you're walking through grief, disappointment, loneliness, 443 00:36:45.280 --> 00:36:49.100 or a season of suffering that you never expected to happen. 444 00:36:50.699 --> 00:36:55.340 If that's where you are today, I want you to remember something from Psalm 22. 445 00:36:56.320 --> 00:36:59.989 God has not changed simply because your circumstances have changed. 446 00:37:00.930 --> 00:37:07.360 David began this psalm with a cry of anguish, but even in that cry he said, My God. 447 00:37:08.230 --> 00:37:13.530 He didn't understand what was happening, but he continued to recognize who God was. 448 00:37:14.180 --> 00:37:16.500 That is an important distinction for us. 449 00:37:17.360 --> 00:37:21.489 There may be times when we don't understand God's plan. There may be prayers 450 00:37:21.489 --> 00:37:25.510 we cannot explain and circumstances we cannot make sense of. 451 00:37:26.330 --> 00:37:31.580 But our inability to understand God does not mean that God has stopped being faithful. 452 00:37:33.080 --> 00:37:39.460 And look at where Psalm 22 ultimately leads. The psalm that begins with suffering ends with praise. 453 00:37:40.170 --> 00:37:43.650 The one who cries out in anguish eventually declares God's righteousness. 454 00:37:44.140 --> 00:37:48.930 The focus expands until the nations are turning to the Lord and worshiping Him. 455 00:37:49.630 --> 00:37:52.610 That is the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. 456 00:37:53.620 --> 00:37:58.370 The cross looked like the ultimate defeat, but God was accomplishing redemption. 457 00:37:58.870 --> 00:38:04.960 The grave looked like the end, but it wasn't because Jesus Christ rose again. 458 00:38:06.320 --> 00:38:11.890 So whatever it is that you're facing today, don't let the present moment convince 459 00:38:11.890 --> 00:38:15.690 you that God has abandoned you or that your story is finished. 460 00:38:16.570 --> 00:38:21.690 You may not know what God is doing. You may not understand why he has allowed 461 00:38:21.690 --> 00:38:25.440 this particular season, but you can know who he is. 462 00:38:26.380 --> 00:38:30.800 He is faithful, He is sovereign, and He is merciful. 463 00:38:31.310 --> 00:38:34.620 And He has already demonstrated His love for you through Jesus Christ. 464 00:38:35.310 --> 00:38:41.380 The suffering Savior is not a Savior who remained in the grave. He is the risen Christ. 465 00:38:42.150 --> 00:38:46.000 And because He lives, you can face the suffering that's in front of you with 466 00:38:46.000 --> 00:38:49.770 the confidence that suffering does not have the final word. 467 00:38:50.670 --> 00:38:55.000 When you cannot see the way forward, hold on to Christ. 468 00:38:55.969 --> 00:39:00.480 When you cannot understand the circumstances, trust his character. 469 00:39:01.570 --> 00:39:04.530 And when you are tempted to believe that the darkness will never end, 470 00:39:05.100 --> 00:39:08.199 remember the cross and the empty tomb. 471 00:39:08.949 --> 00:39:12.310 God's story is bigger than the suffering you can see today. 472 00:39:13.000 --> 00:39:17.430 And if you belong to Christ, your hope is bigger than your pain. 473 00:39:18.739 --> 00:39:22.570 As we close out this study, let's again go to the Lord in prayer. 474 00:39:24.500 --> 00:39:28.110 Heavenly Father, we thank you for allowing us to spend this time in your word 475 00:39:28.110 --> 00:39:31.050 and to see more clearly the suffering of our Savior. 476 00:39:31.920 --> 00:39:37.090 Thank you for Jesus Christ who willingly endured the cross, who bore our sins, 477 00:39:37.380 --> 00:39:40.040 and who gave himself for our redemption. 478 00:39:40.780 --> 00:39:43.640 Thank you that his suffering was not a failure of your plan, 479 00:39:44.150 --> 00:39:48.110 but part of the redemptive work that you had proposed from the beginning. 480 00:39:49.500 --> 00:39:55.190 Lord, for those who are suffering today, remind them that you have not abandoned them. 481 00:39:56.020 --> 00:40:00.250 Help them bring their pain honestly before you while continuing to trust your 482 00:40:00.250 --> 00:40:02.080 character and your promises. 483 00:40:03.489 --> 00:40:08.320 When we cannot understand what you are doing, give us faith to trust you. 484 00:40:08.900 --> 00:40:13.840 When circumstances look like defeat, remind us of the cross. 485 00:40:14.710 --> 00:40:19.430 And when we are tempted to lose hope, remind us of the empty tomb. 486 00:40:20.710 --> 00:40:26.590 Thank you that suffering does not have the final word because Jesus Christ is risen. 487 00:40:27.130 --> 00:40:32.989 Help us keep our eyes upon him and to live with the hope that is found in him. 488 00:40:33.820 --> 00:40:37.110 We ask these things in his precious name. Amen. 489 00:40:39.290 --> 00:40:42.449 Before we close out today's episode, I again want to take a moment and thank 490 00:40:42.449 --> 00:40:44.590 you for being a part of the Bible Bytes community. 491 00:40:45.400 --> 00:40:48.380 One of the things I appreciate most about this podcast is knowing that these 492 00:40:48.380 --> 00:40:51.489 episodes aren't simply being recorded and sent out into the world. 493 00:40:51.850 --> 00:40:56.530 There are real people listening, studying God's Word, thinking about these truths, 494 00:40:56.820 --> 00:40:59.580 and allowing them to shape their walk with Christ. 495 00:41:00.830 --> 00:41:05.230 Today's study has been especially meaningful for anyone who's walking through a season of suffering. 496 00:41:06.010 --> 00:41:10.600 If Psalm 22 brought someone to mind while you're listening, I encourage you 497 00:41:10.600 --> 00:41:12.070 to share this episode with them. 498 00:41:12.640 --> 00:41:16.620 Sometimes a simple reminder that someone is not walking through a difficult 499 00:41:16.620 --> 00:41:20.199 season alone can make a tremendous difference in their life. 500 00:41:21.030 --> 00:41:24.690 And as always, if you have a prayer request, a testimony of God's faithfulness, 501 00:41:24.960 --> 00:41:27.280 or something you'd like to share with the Bible Bytes community, 502 00:41:27.590 --> 00:41:28.739 I would love to hear from you. 503 00:41:29.020 --> 00:41:35.770 Your messages and encouragement are meaningful parts of what makes this podcast possible. 504 00:41:36.180 --> 00:41:39.000 You can reach out through the contact page that's found on our website. 505 00:41:39.360 --> 00:41:45.719 That's at bible-bytes.com. That's B-Y-T-E-S, bytes with a Y, dot com slash support. 506 00:41:46.230 --> 00:41:48.960 And there you can send us a message for any of those reasons. 507 00:41:51.030 --> 00:41:54.239 If you'd like to support Bible Bytes, you can find information about supporting 508 00:41:54.239 --> 00:41:59.449 the podcast on our website at bible-Bytes.com. 509 00:42:00.890 --> 00:42:04.880 And if financial support that we offer there for you isn't something that you 510 00:42:04.880 --> 00:42:07.400 can provide, that's absolutely fine. 511 00:42:07.780 --> 00:42:11.750 One of the best ways that you can support this podcast is simply doing what 512 00:42:11.750 --> 00:42:15.530 we've already discussed, and that's sharing an episode with someone who might 513 00:42:15.530 --> 00:42:16.900 benefit from hearing it. 514 00:42:18.310 --> 00:42:21.170 If you'd like to stay connected with Bible Bytes, between episodes, 515 00:42:21.469 --> 00:42:24.060 we've recently launched the Bible Bytes newsletter. 516 00:42:24.400 --> 00:42:28.830 It's a simple way for us to share biblical encouragement, updates about the 517 00:42:28.830 --> 00:42:32.170 podcast, and occasional resources and announcements that we might have. 518 00:42:32.719 --> 00:42:36.540 If you'd like to receive these updates, you can subscribe by visiting Bible-Bytes, 519 00:42:36.540 --> 00:42:40.560 with a Y, B-Y-T-E-S dot com slash newsletter. 520 00:42:41.010 --> 00:42:44.380 We'd love to have you join us, and we're grateful for the opportunity to continue 521 00:42:44.380 --> 00:42:47.469 encouraging you through God's Word in just another medium. 522 00:42:48.370 --> 00:42:51.750 Thank you for listening, thank you for praying, and ultimately, 523 00:42:52.219 --> 00:42:55.390 thank you for being a part of the Bible Bytes community. 524 00:42:57.480 --> 00:43:01.160 And now let's take one final look at what we've learned today and look ahead 525 00:43:01.160 --> 00:43:02.270 to where we're going next. 526 00:43:03.360 --> 00:43:08.090 Today, we've seen that the suffering of Jesus Christ was not an accident and 527 00:43:08.090 --> 00:43:09.780 it was not a failure of God's plan. 528 00:43:10.390 --> 00:43:13.699 Psalm 22 gives us a remarkable picture of the suffering Savior, 529 00:43:13.960 --> 00:43:17.660 and the New Testament shows us how those words point us toward the cross. 530 00:43:18.500 --> 00:43:22.960 We have seen the suffering that was foretold, that the Savior willingly suffered 531 00:43:22.960 --> 00:43:27.210 for us, and that suffering does not have the final word. 532 00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:30.469 So, when you find yourself walking through a difficult season, 533 00:43:30.800 --> 00:43:33.420 remember what Psalm 22 teaches us. 534 00:43:34.100 --> 00:43:36.180 Bring your pain honestly before God. 535 00:43:36.860 --> 00:43:39.449 Trust his purposes even when you cannot understand them. 536 00:43:40.150 --> 00:43:43.310 Look to Christ and remember what he's accomplished for you. 537 00:43:43.850 --> 00:43:48.940 And never forget that the cross was followed by an empty tomb. 538 00:43:49.690 --> 00:43:53.460 The suffering Savior is also the risen Savior. 539 00:43:54.969 --> 00:43:58.150 Next week, we're continuing our journey through the Psalms with one of the most 540 00:43:58.150 --> 00:44:00.250 beloved passages in all of Scripture. 541 00:44:00.760 --> 00:44:08.300 Psalm 23 begins with these familiar words, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 542 00:44:09.239 --> 00:44:13.810 In episode 108, we're going to explore what it means to know the Lord is our 543 00:44:13.810 --> 00:44:17.900 shepherd, the one who guides us, provides for us, restores us, 544 00:44:18.040 --> 00:44:21.350 protects us, and walks us through every season of life. 545 00:44:21.830 --> 00:44:25.810 After looking at the suffering Savior in Psalm 22, we'll turn our attention 546 00:44:25.810 --> 00:44:27.780 to the shepherd who cares for his sheep. 547 00:44:28.239 --> 00:44:33.640 That's episode 108, The Lord is My Shepherd, coming next week on Bible Bytes. 548 00:44:34.480 --> 00:44:37.580 Until then, keep studying God's Word, keep growing in your faith, 549 00:44:37.580 --> 00:44:41.230 and keep looking to Christ in every circumstance in your life. 550 00:44:41.850 --> 00:44:47.739 Join us next time on Bible Bytes, the podcast where we work to inspire faith, one byte at a time.