Psalm 22 is best know as a Messianic Psalm predicting the suffering of the Christ upon Calvary. Besides references to the mocking by the crowd, to all the bones being out of joint, to terrible thirst, and to the gambling for Jesus' clothing, the Psalm contains the cry of anguish; "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" As the Psalmist records his own agony, he foreshadows the much greater agony of David's Son, the Messiah.
We could meditate forever upon that final cry of agony from the cross and still not plumb all of its depths and implications for the Trinity.
However, is there a Christmas message in this passage? I think there is. This passage is a significant statement of incarnation. In verse 22, the Psalmist says that he will declare God's name among his brothers and will praise God's name in the congregation. In Hebrews this passage from Psalm 22 is quoted from the mouth of Jesus. "Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family." The writer of Hebrews then brings this thought to a climax by stating:
"Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery."(Heb 2:14-15 ESV)
Christ came at Christmas to share the flesh and blood of the children. Psalm 22 picks up on the Messiah who would identify with us in our human weakness, redeem us, and, thereby, call us brothers.
We could meditate forever upon that final cry of agony from the cross and still not plumb all of its depths and implications for the Trinity.
However, is there a Christmas message in this passage? I think there is. This passage is a significant statement of incarnation. In verse 22, the Psalmist says that he will declare God's name among his brothers and will praise God's name in the congregation. In Hebrews this passage from Psalm 22 is quoted from the mouth of Jesus. "Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family." The writer of Hebrews then brings this thought to a climax by stating:
"Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery."(Heb 2:14-15 ESV)
Christ came at Christmas to share the flesh and blood of the children. Psalm 22 picks up on the Messiah who would identify with us in our human weakness, redeem us, and, thereby, call us brothers.
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