Reading Isaiah 53 has been nearly a play-by-play for the Savior’s way, helping to ground our hearts in the weeks leading up to Resurrection Day. Let us pause once more before the victory view in the fateful words of Psalm 22, a praise song revealing faith’s humble journey.
Like the Isaiah passage, the psalm speaks of intimate, humiliating details of Jesus’ death. How could this be? The psalm was written centuries ahead of Jesus’ place in history. Let us linger in this mystery…
My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? Psalm 22:1 NKJV
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:46 NKJV
click here to read Psalm 22 in full
The psalm’s threshold became Words that Jesus spoke and entered into through brutality and pain, uttered in the intensity of his suffering. They sting with haunting, as if maybe God is untrustworthy after all. Yet where does the psalm go from there? This special panic-and-praise sing-song patterns a mini-trail map of faith’s humble journey, blazing the way through haunted humility to faith-victory. Jesus knew we would need these Words!! Psalm 22 offers down-to-the-ground doubts and sprouting, rising declarations, which might reflect our lives through seasons of growth, or really, the low-to-high cycles in any given day! This is the way of faith, a passage; back and forth the psalm swings, crying out about physical turmoil, evil terrors, and destitute emotions, resounding the anguish of Isaiah 53…
Everyone who sees me mocks me; they sneer and shake their heads Psalm 22:7 HCSB
They have pierced my hands and my feet. Like a pack of wild dogs they tear at me, swirling around me with their hatred. Psalm 22:16 TPT
I’m a bucket kicked over and spilled, every joint in my body has been pulled apart. My heart is a blob of melted wax in my gut. I’m dry as a bone, my tongue black and swollen. They have laid me out for burial in the dirt. Psalm 22:14 The Message
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. Isaiah 53:3 CSB
…then undulating back around, proclaiming grasps of God’s strength and devotion, reflecting glimmers of His holiness.
From the time I was born, you took good care of me. Ever since I came out of my mother’s body, you have been my God. Psalm 22:10 NIRV
Don’t stay far away, Lord! My strength comes from you, so hurry and help. Psalm 22:19 CEV
Still, You are holy; You make Your home on the praises of Israel. Psalm 22:3 VOICE
Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. Psalm 22:23 KJV
…be struck with wonder before Him, all you children of Israel. Psalm 22:23 VOICE
Our Savior was willing to experience this holy hinge of trust through bleak uncertainty just as we do, enduring scorn to ensure our emotional bond and braving death to secure our future together.
Verses expressing troubles: V. 1-2 V. 6-8 V. 12-18
Verses expressing triumph: V. 3-5 V. 9-11 V. 22-31
Take heart! The psalm prevails in praise and confidence, establishing in the end: It is finished!
They shall come and shall declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born—that He has done it [that it is finished]! Psalm 22:31 AMPC
When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. John 19:30 MEV
Prayer: Dearest God, thank you—2 small words that I hope will always be on my heart and mind. Thank you for what you endured; thank you for going through death for me; thank you for forgiving me and securing my place next to you forever. Because of you, anything that causes me to panic paves a path to you, and anything leading me down to the dust (Psalm 22:29) takes me on faith’s humble journey, which rises to meet you. Lord, especially this Resurrection Day, let all the families of all the nations gather and return to You, and delight in Your Glory (Psalm 22:27). Let the earth flourish as we all dig deeper into resurrection life!
Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we’re at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah!
Romans 5:9-11 The Message
HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!!
Grounded in God is a devotions series lingering in the facets of humility from Isaiah 53. Our Savior’s greatest gift to us came through His humiliation detailed in this earthy passage. Humiliation … humility… humus… hmmm… perhaps the garden is a unique host to God’s purposes in humility, already grounded in humus-filled soil. Let these one-a-week, Scripture compositions draw you to God’s Words for simple consideration, cultivating a special intimacy with the Lord through the Lenten season.
Find more devotions on Humility the Garden Tools section in God’s Word for Gardeners Bible, beginning on pages a-38 & a-39
The Devotions Blog returns to bi-weekly posts of growing faith in the garden on April 28th. Until then, enjoy these spring ideas for your garden-to-table goodness: Bitter Herbs Banter, Fill the World with Fennel, Double Duty Herbs, The 7 Species
Photo Credits: ©2022 Shelley S. Cramm
AMPC notes Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible, Classic Edition, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
CEV notes Scripture quotations taken from the Contemporary English Version Copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
CSB notes Scripture quotations taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
HCSB denotes Scripture quotations taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
KJV denotes Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, King James Version published in 1611, authorized by King James I of England, which is public domain in the United States.
MEV denotes Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.
MSG/The Message denotes Scripture quotations taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries.
NIRV denotes Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®, Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIrV” and “New International Reader’s Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®
NKJV denotes Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
TPT denotes Scripture quotations taken from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com
VOICE denotes Scripture quotations taken from The Voice™. Copyright © 2012 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
