#DailyDevotion Jesus Cries Out To The Father With A Sure And Certain Hope

Psalm 22 ¹⁶Dogs gather around Me; a gang of villains surrounds Me. They have dug holes in My hands and feet. ¹⁷I can count all My bones. They watch; they gloat over Me. ¹⁸They divide My clothes among themselves and throw dice for My garment.

Like I said in a previous devotion, it is like David is there, watching his see and his Adonai being crucified. I’m certain he is in a prophetic trance when composing this psalm and has not experienced anything like this in any figurative way. Well, sure, he certainly has had enemies, but everything that follows doesn’t point to a moment in his life.

Jesus being nailed to the cross certainly gives us a very literal depiction of him nailed to the cross by his hands and his feet. Hanging here and looking down as he asphyxiates, he can indeed see all his bones and count them. As he is being crucified he sees the crowds and those who sought his death while below him he sees the agents of his crucifixion throwing dice for the tunic he wore. Contemplating this, we see what our sins deserve, the ones we committed and the ones we thought about committing. The sins which actively hurt our fellows and the sins where we did not help our fellows but we could have.

¹⁹But You, O LORD, don’t go far away; O My Strength, hurry to help Me. ²⁰Save My life from the sword, My one life from the clutches of a dog.²¹Save Me from the lion’s mouth, and from the horns of the wild bull. You answered me!

Jesus, in the midst of his suffering and pain, hanging on the cross, surrounded by his enemies, continues to put his faith in his Father. He petitions Him not to be far from him. He still calls upon Him to be his strength in all this to hurry and help him. You can hear this prayer for help as Jesus cries out, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” The darkness has dissipated. God’s wrath has been propitiated. Our atonement has been made complete. With these words Jesus knows the Father has answered him and will not leave him in the grave.

²²I will spread Your fame among My brothers; I will praise You in the congregation: ²³“You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him! Fear Him, all you descendants of Israel!

At his resurrection and appearance to his disciples, Jesus spread the fame of the Father and praised Him in the congregation. Jesus’ brothers, i.e. his disciples continue to this day spreading the good news of the God our Father and our LORD Jesus Christ. We all are called to praise Him for the work of our salvation completed in Christ Jesus. Starting from Jerusalem, to Samaria to the ends of the earth Jesus’ Church praises God the Father and our LORD Jesus Christ to Jacob and the descendants of Israel. That is what Jesus sets out his disciples to do in Matthew 28 before he ascends to the right hand of the Father.

Some may complain, “What kind of Father would do that to His son?” One who loved you and didn’t want to see you get what you deserve for your sins against Him. The only other option is to cast you into the Lake of Fire to be punished with the fallen angels forever. These people rarely see that Jesus volunteered for this job, for being a sacrifice. Like Isaac before him, he does not struggle against being sacrificed but submits to the will of his Father. Jesus is in on it also. He submits his will to the Father’s will in praying, “Not my will be done but Your will be done.”

Heavenly Father, grant us faith and thanksgiving for all Your Son Jesus Christ has done for our salvation upon the cross so it will lead us to a godly life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.