Psalm 22:1-2 ESV 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?     Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,     and by night, but I find no rest.  

When have you felt alone? Or abandoned? Psalm 22:1-2 ESV 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?     Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,     and by night, but I find no rest.   When have you felt alone? Or abandoned?

Psalm 22:1-5 ESV 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?     Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,     and by night, but I find no rest. 3 Yet you are holy,     enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 In you our fathers trusted;     they trusted, and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried and were rescued;     in you they trusted and were not put to shame.  

Psalm 22:6-8 ESV 6 But I am a worm and not a man,     scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me;     they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;     let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”  

When have you felt most ashamed? Psalm 22:6-8 ESV 6 But I am a worm and not a man,     scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me;     they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;     let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”   When have you felt most ashamed?

Psalm 22:6-11 ESV 6 But I am a worm and not a man,     scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me;     they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;     let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” 9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb;     you made me trust you at my mother's breasts. 10 On you was I cast from my birth,     and from my mother's womb you have been my God. 11 Be not far from me,     for trouble is near,     and there is none to help.  

Prophecy Fulfilled Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.  

Prophecy Fulfilled Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 48:6 You have heard; now see all this; and will you not declare it? From this time forth I announce to you new things, hidden things that you have not known.  

Prophecy Fulfilled Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 48:6 You have heard; now see all this; and will you not declare it? From this time forth I announce to you new things, hidden things that you have not known. Ephesians 3:9 …and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things…  

Prophecy Fulfilled Luke 24:44-45 44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures…  

Prophecy Fulfilled Luke 24:44-45 44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures… Acts 2:29-31 29 Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.  

Death by Crucifixion 1 Corinthians 1:23 …but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles…  

Death by Crucifixion 1 Corinthians 1:23 …but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles… 1 Corinthians 1:27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong…  

“Now to be sure, the theme of divine foolishness expressed by Paul is found elsewhere in religion. This in itself is not peculiar to Paul’s message. The utter uniqueness of the New Testament gospel is not the foolishness itself, but the linkage of holy foolishness to an actual historical event of government-sponsored torture and public execution… It is not easy to gain a hearing for this crucial point, because so much American Christianity today comes packaged as inspirational uplift—sunlit, backlit, or candlelit… It requires a considerable effort of the imagination to enter into the first- century world of the Roman Empire so as to understand the degree of offensiveness attached to crucifixion as a method of execution.” (p. 3)

Psalm 22:12-18 ESV 12 Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— 17 I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.  

“The only way to gain a breath at all would be by pushing oneself up from the legs and feet, or pulling oneself up by the arms, either of which would cause intense agony. Add to this primary factor the following secondary ones: bodily functions uncontrolled, insects feasting on wounds and orifices, unspeakable thirst, muscle cramps, bolts of pain from the severed median nerves in the wrists, scourged back scraping again the wood of the cross. It is more than any of us are capable of fully imagining. The verbal abuse and other actions such as spitting and throwing refuse by the spectators, Roman soldiers, and passersby added the final touch.” (p. 95)

Psalm 22:6-8 ESV 6 But I am a worm and not a man,     scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me;     they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;     let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”  

“Crucifixion as a means of execution in the Roman Empire had as its express purpose the elimination of victims from consideration as members of the human race. It cannot be said too strongly: that was its function. It was meant to indicate to all who might be toying with subversive ideas that crucifies persons were not of the same species as either the executioners or the spectators and were therefore not only expendable but also deserving of ritualized extermination.” (p. 92)

“In a sense, crucifixion was a form of entertainment “In a sense, crucifixion was a form of entertainment. Everyone understood that the specific role of the passerby was to exacerbate the dehumanization and degradation of the person who had been thus designated to be a spectacle. Crucifixion was cleverly designed—we might say diabolically designed—to be an almost theatrical enactment of the sadistic and inhumane impulses that lie within human beings. According to the Christian gospel, the Son of God voluntarily and purposefully absorbed all of that, drawing it into himself.” (p. 93)

“A naked victim of scourging and mockery would not be able to cover his genitals with his hands but would be utterly exposed to scrutiny, derision, and any obscenity that the spectators cared to hurl in his direction— …sexual taunts of the crudest sort would surely have been part of this ‘entertainment.’ In Desire of the Everlasting Hills Thomas Cahill’s vivid descriptions of a crucified person are to the point: ‘a pitiable, Shuddering worm of a man,’ a ‘comic gargoyle.’ He makes a particularly insightful comment on Jesus’ identity precisely as a Jew in his death. He evokes the specifically Jewish aspect of Jesus’ shame, with his ‘…circumcised penis’ on show for mockery by the uncircumcised Roman soldiers and passersby.” (p. 96)

Psalm 22:1-2 ESV 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?     Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,     and by night, but I find no rest.  

Psalm 22:1-2 ESV 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?     Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,     and by night, but I find no rest. Mark 15:33-34 33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  

Psalm 22:1-2 ESV 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?     Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,     and by night, but I find no rest. Mark 14:36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”  

Jesus’ prayer was met with silence. Psalm 22:1-2 ESV 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?     Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,     and by night, but I find no rest. Mark 14:36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”   Jesus’ prayer was met with silence.

Psalm 22:19-21 ESV 19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! 21 Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!  

Psalm 22:19-21 ESV 19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! 21 Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen! Philippians 2:8-11 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  

Psalm 22:22-26 ESV 22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;     in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: 23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!     All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,     and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! 24 For he has not despised or abhorred     the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him,     but has heard, when he cried to him. 25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;     my vows I will perform before those who fear him. 26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;     those who seek him shall praise the Lord!     May your hearts live forever!  

Psalm 22:22 ESV 22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;     in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: Hebrews 2:9-12 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”  

Shameful Scenes Redeemed Hebrews 4:14-16 14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  

Shameful Scenes Redeemed Psalm 69:19-20 19 You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to you. 20 Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.  

Shameful Scenes Redeemed Psalm 69:19-20 19 You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to you. 20 Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none. 1 Peter 2:24-25 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.  

Shameful Scenes Redeemed Hebrews 12:1-3 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  

Psalm 22:27-31 ESV 27 All the ends of the earth shall remember     and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations     shall worship before you. 28 For kingship belongs to the Lord,     and he rules over the nations. 29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;     before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,     even the one who could not keep himself alive. 30 Posterity shall serve him;     it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; 31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,     that he has done it.  

Scary Steps of Faith How will you make meditation on the crucifixion more central to your life?  

Scary Steps of Faith How will you make meditation on the crucifixion more central to your life? How does “He has done it” redeem the scene of your shame?  

Scary Steps of Faith How will you make meditation on the crucifixion more central to your life? How does “He has done it” redeem the scene of your shame? Who will you tell about the crucifixion of Jesus?  

Scary Steps of Faith How will you make meditation on the crucifixion more central to your life? How does “He has done it” redeem the scene of your shame? Who will you tell about the crucifixion of Jesus? Read and meditate on Psalm 121 for next week!