Who is Jesus? Crucified and suffered for our sins

Verses:

'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. “He trusts in the Lord ,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment. But you, Lord , do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. '

Psalms 22:1

'When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews . Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him. From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ). '

Matthew 27:35

'I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. You who fear the Lord , praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows. The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him— may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord , and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations. All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!'

Psalms 22:22

Devotional:

Are you a big-picture person or a detail-oriented type of person? Some people just want the summarized version of the book, project, or event while others want a full-length description including all the particulars. Some people get energized thinking about the overall goals and long-term vision. Others get energized working through the day-to-day specific aspects of the task. Because God didn’t want anyone to miss out on His perfect plan of redemption, He gave us both the big picture as well as the precise details of how the world would be saved.

During His crucifixion, Jesus referenced this plan when He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Hanging on the cross, Jesus could hardly breathe, let alone quote the full-length passage. However, with the few words He could manage, Jesus was directing people to Psalm 22. What’s amazing is David penned these words roughly one thousand years before Christ's birth or even Rome's invention of crucifixion. And yet Psalm 22 provides a detailed description of exactly how the Messiah would die and that is recorded in Matthew 27.

In the prophecy of Psalm 22, verse 2 we are told day would turn to night. In verse 7 we are told Jesus would be mocked. Verse 15 tells us of His extreme thirst. Verses 16 and 17 tell us His hands and feet would be pierced, but no bone would be broken. Then in verse 18 we are told his garments would be divided by casting lots. That said, Psalm 22 also provides a message of incredible hope.

The second half of the 22nd Psalm encourages us that people all over the globe will turn to the Lord. More importantly, we are promised all who seek the Lord will live forever because of His righteous sacrifice.

Reflect:
Jesus lived a perfect life and yet voluntarily took on the punishment for our sins. Jesus was willing to be separated from the Father, so that as we place our faith in Him and the sacrifice He made on the cross, we will never again be separated from God.

Respond:
Whether you are a big-picture or detailed-oriented person, all of us must decide what we will do with the reality of Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus died so that you might live. If you have never accepted the free gift of salvation Jesus offers, prayerfully read through Psalm 22 and thank Jesus for His great sacrifice.

Pray:
Lord, thank You for revealing your plan to save the world through Psalm 22. Help me to never take your sacrifice for granted. Give me boldness to share the hope I have with others who don’t yet know You.