#DailyDevotion When Suffering, Meditate On The Crucified Christ
Psalm 22 6But I am a worm and no man, scorned by men and despised by people. 7All who see Me mock Me; with mouths wide open they are wagging their heads (saying): 8“Put Your trouble on the Lord. — .Let Him rescue Him and save Him, seeing He delights in Him!”
You know, I bet there are a lot of Christians that feel this way and experience this in their lives. Jesus did say in the beatitudes, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, lie and tell only evil about you on account of Me.” Jesus, though, experienced it first on the cross. Just reading the crucifixion scene from the four Gospels we hear the people mocking Jesus and casting doubt on the LORD helping him and the LORD delighting in him. Jesus said, “Follow me.” So as we follow Jesus we can expect to experience what he experienced on the cross. Jesus’ suffering overflows into our lives (2 Cor. 1) and the comfort he received from the Father will also overflow into our lives.
9You drew Me out of My mother’s womb and made Me feel safe on My mother’s breasts. 10I was cast on You from before I was born; from My mother’s womb You have been My God. 11Don’t go far away from Me, trouble is near and there’s no one to help Me.
Jesus’ faith in God his Father does not fade though. He recalls God’s action in his life from the womb. Jesus indeed from before he was born was dedicated to God and the God of Israel was his God from birth. This is according to his human nature. Jesus does in his human nature what we should have done from the Garden and what Israel should have done from being delivered from Egypt. Jesus looks to God alone for help. He does not put his trust in princes, men, armies, or wealth. Though trouble is near, God alone is his help.
12Many bulls gather around Me; strong bulls from Bashan surround Me. 13They come for Me with mouths opened wide, lions tearing and roaring.
The rich and the powerful from both Jews and Gentiles surround Jesus at the cross. They jeer. They stir the crowds against Jesus. They pierce Jesus’ hands and feet to the cross as their sacrificial lamb. They hate God but cannot hurt God. But Jesus in the flesh they can inflict their hatred of God upon. You may likely stir up those in power when you are faithful to Jesus alone. Your faith in Jesus stirs up their hatred towards God and like Jesus, they can strike you with their hatred towards God.
14I am poured out like water, and all My limbs are torn apart. My heart is like wax, melted within Me. 15My strength is dried up like a piece of broken pottery; My tongue sticks to My jaws. You are placing Me down in the dust of death.
What an image of the crucifixion we see here. Jesus bearing the iniquities of us all. Jesus bears the wrath of God against our sinfulness and his heart, like wax, is melted within him. With the words, “I thirst” he fulfills the scripture here, “My tongue sticks to My jaws.” He refused to drink earlier. He had not come to this point yet. The sins of us all upon him, he recognizes he is receiving the penalty for our sins, being placed down in the dust of death. God’s wrath is no more directed at us. We are free. A clear conscience is given us as we are baptized into his death.
Heavenly Father, as we contemplate Jesus’ crucifixion for our salvation, grant us faith to believe in this work and may it strengthen us when we have to bear our own crosses. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.