The Christ in Prophecy Journal

The Passion in Psalm 22:26-31

Crucifixion

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The last six verses of Psalm 22 give us a summary of the glorious consequences of the Cross.

The first is salvation for all who put their faith and trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior:

26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord,
Let your heart live forever!

The apostle Peter sums up the meaning of this verse in 1 Peter 2:24, “He Himself [Jesus] bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”

The second consequence of the Cross that is mentioned in Psalm 22 is that the obedience of Jesus in submitting to the humiliation of the Cross will result in His glorification before all the nations of the earth when He returns to reign over the world:

27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations will worship before You.

28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s,
And He rules over the nations.

When that glorious reign begins, all the Redeemed will be prospered, while those who are damned by their unbelief will bow before Him and confess Him as King of kings and Lord of lords before being consigned to Hell:

29 All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.

Isaiah states that “every knee will bow, every tongue will confess” that Jesus Christ is Lord. This is affirmed in Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10-11.

Think of it — a day will come when Hitler and Stalin will bow and confess the lordship of Jesus, as will Madeline Murray O’Hare, Charles Darwin, and ever other nefarious person who has ever lived. But it will have no impact upon their eternal destiny. Only those who make that confession in this life will receive the blessing of having their “hearts live forever” (Psalm 22:26).

The final consequence of the Cross that is mentioned in Psalm 22 is that during the millennial reign of Jesus, the Redeemed (who will be in glorified bodies) will teach those who are born during that time of the righteousness of Jesus and of the all—sufficiency of His sacrifice on the Cross:

30 Posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation.

31 They will come and will declare His righteousness
To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.

A Fascinating Possibility

Notice again the last phrase of Psalm 22: “He has performed it.” Literally, in the Hebrew, it says, “It is finished.”

This fact has prompted some scholars to theorize that as Jesus hung on the Cross, He quite likely quoted all of Psalm 22, beginning with the words, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” and ending with the words, “It is finished.” The witnesses then simply wrote down the opening and closing words which were recorded in the Gospels (see Matthew 27:46 and John 19:30).

In the final part of “The Passion in Psalm 22” series, we’ll look at the Giver of Salvation prophetically described in Psalm 22.

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Dr. David Reagan

Dr. David Reagan is the Founder and Evangelist Emeritus of Lamb & Lion Ministries. He is a life-long Bible student, teacher, and preacher and he led over 45 pilgrimages to Israel. Dr. Reagan was the host of the radio then television program Christ in Prophecy for nearly 40 years.

8 CommentsLeave a Comment

  • “…some scholars to theorize that as Jesus hung on the Cross, He quite likely quoted all of Psalm 22…”

    I have to say that when my back hurts and my knees are giving me gyp; I’m not much into quoting Scriptures or waxing lyrical.

    Hanging on a cross for hours on end, not being able to breathe terribly well, isn’t likely to have induced a passion for recitation. I expect Scriptures did cross Jesus’ mind, but was otherwise engaged in indescribable spiritual and physical agony bearing the sins of the whole world.
    Those few recorded words were more than enough to 'catch His drift'.

    I don’t reckon those scholars, sat comfortably at their desks, thought that through very well. imo.

    Thank you Lord Jesus, for everything you did for us.
    Maranatha!

  • Having at least preached on Psalm 22 this weekend, I for once have to disagree with you, E.I. (wierd feeling ;).

    Jesus wasn't just quoting Psalm 22 while on the cross, he was writing it! The Psalm is Christ's own first person account of what it was like to pay the price for the sins of humanity, given to David 1,000 years before it occurred.

    The time paradox can just boggle the mind, and makes me appreciate the miracle of our salvation even more.

  • Nathan: I don't mind you disagreeing with me my flowerpot; that's a healthy sign 🙂

    BUT

    "He was 'writing it" (present tense?)

    I would have thought the Psalm was penned past tense; having inspired it to be written by the Psalmist for the future action (known by GOD from the foundation of the world)

    Not only was it hard for Jesus the MAN to speak, but even harder for Him to hold pen and parchment steady from his fixed position? imo.

    Praise The Lord!
    Sue
    x

  • Nathan
    I am sure you are right, I find here and now a strain!

    I DO know what you are saying – really, what I am trying to stress is Jesus the MAN, who was in all ways just like us. He HAD to be otherwise He couldn't have died in our place – to the very weakest of us, and I can't speak when I get to the top of our stairs.
    ~~wheeze~~

  • I fully agree, Nathan!

    "The time paradox can just boggle the mind, and makes me appreciate the miracle of our salvation even more."

    I do believe that Ps.22 is prophetic in retrospect [if you could say it that way], and that Jesus is uttering His Eternal Words live, not quoting it!

    EI is old school, Nathan [and I do mean "old"], pre-relativity theory…

    "Sue, as Doc Brown told Marty in Back to the Future, "Marty, you're not thinking fourth dimensionally."

    EI, this might help:

    There once was a lady so bright
    she could travel much faster than light
    She departed one day
    In a relative way
    And returned on the previous night!
    ;D

  • Dearest DrNofog
    Watch it lad! I still got me own teef.

    At least you can both admit to being boggled. 😀

    LOVE the verse, I shall write it down and treasure it, that's the very first poem I have ever had dedicated to me. I shall recite it with gusto the next time I'm having trouble breathing. 😀

    Loves ya both – punch!
    xx
    Hugs.

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