The silence of God was exactly what Jesus experienced as He hanged on the cross. The first five verses of Psalm 22 reveal that silence. The psalm is one of my favorite Old Testament locations when it comes to prophecies concerning the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ. (My other favorite large passage is Isaiah 53, “the forbidden chapter”). As the words of this psalm unfold before us, we see that death has not yet arrived. It is surely coming, yet the condemned, our sweet Lord, is still alive and conscious knowing all that is transpiring as He is suspended between heaven and earth. He is experiencing rejection, despisement, hatred and contempt from all those onlookers except for four people, three women and one man. Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary the wife of Cleopas, Mary Magdalene, and John. Other Christ followers watched from a distance (Luke 23:49) but of those near the cross, the overwhelming number of them were a hostile hoard.
How many prophecies are fulfilled from Psalm 22 when Jesus died on the cross? I don’t consider myself a scholar by any stretch, but from a casual reading this morning I highlighted several easily identifiable ones. I thought I’d walk us through the Psalm and then give you a fulfillment which is found in the gospels.
1. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (22:1). Those exact words are used by the Lord and are found in Matthew 27:46 & Mark 15:34.
2. “All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake their head, saying,” (22:7). Fulfilled. Matthew 27:39, “And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,”. Mark 15:29, “And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,”
3. “He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, see he delighted in him” (22:8). Fulfilled. Luke 23:35, “And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.”
4. “Many bulls have compassed me: strong bull of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion” (22:12-13). Fulfilled. Matthew 27:30, “And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.”
5. “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels” (22:14). Fulfilled. John 19:34, “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.” A second fulfillment from this verse is found in John 19:33. “But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:” Think about the preciseness of the Bible. The Old Testament prophets had said, “not a bone would be broken”. Here John includes this in his gospel. The OT passages are Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalm 34:20. The Passover lamb wasn’t to have any flaws such as a broken bone. Jesus our Passover lamb did not have broken bones, his were simply out of joint.
6. “My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death” (22:15). Fulfilled. John 19:28, “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.”
7. “For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and feet” (22:16). This verse actually has at least two fulfillments within it. The first fulfillment is Matthew 27:35, “And they crucified him…” John 19:37, “And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.” These words from the Apostle John are quoted from another Old Testament prophet Zechariah. That Bible address is Zechariah 12:10. The second fulfillment concerns the crowds surrounding Him. Matthew 27:20-44 is a longer passage that identifies many of those enemies of Christ who are encompassing Him. Included in the list would be chief priests, elders, thieves, soldiers and a screaming mob.
8. “They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture” (22:18). Fulfilled. John 19:23-24, “Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.” All four of the gospel evangelists mention this fulfillment, not just John. Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34.
9. “… he hath done this” (22:31b). Fulfilled. John 19:30, “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” Perhaps this fulfillment is my favorite. When Jesus said, “It is finished” the word that he used was tetelestai. It means “bring to an end, to accomplish or to complete.” When Jesus used that word telling everyone “It is finished” He was declaring that salvation was complete. Everything that needed to be done for our salvation had been accomplished, nothing else would need to be added. Unlike the Old Testament sacrifices that had to constantly, year by year, be offered, Jesus with His sacrifice suffered and only once was sacrificed as the Lamb of God, never needing to be repeated.
I’d bet if you will take your time reading and meditating on Psalm 22 you also will be able to come up with some fulfillments beside the ones I listed. P.P. Bliss wrote the famous song “Man of Sorrows” in the year 1875. That’s a minute ago, but the words of this great song still ring in my ears when I think of Jesus dying on the cross for my sin.
“Bearing shame and scoffing rude, In my place condemned he stood; Sealed my pardon with his blood, Hallelujah what a Savior.”