Psalm 22: The Cross, The Crook, and The Crown

There is great benefit in studying the Psalms. In times of rejoicing we can read Psalms that help guide our minds in rejoicing in the Lord, and when we are in times of sorrow, we can read Psalms that help comfort us. The psalms have a general theme of showing the omnipotence of God and express the deepest emotions of the human heart and some of the most basic of religious truths of divine inspiration. The New Testament contains two-hundred eighty-three quotes from the Old Testament and of that one-hundred sixteen are taken from the psalms. This great collection of writings was written over a period of some one-thousand years, written by at least eight different writers, and all being inspired by God in their writings. In this inspired collection of writings there are different groups of the psalms; some are ethical, some are praises to God, some are historical, some are imprecatory (calling upon God to fulfill His covenant by punishing evil doers), some are psalms of thanksgiving, some are psalms of suffering, and some are Messianic (psalms which pertain to the coming of the Messiah). Of the Messianic psalms there are three that pertain to the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus (22, 23, and 24), and have been given the title by some as “The Cross, The Crook, and The Crown.”

Psalm 22 contains the words uttered by Jesus while on the cross (Mark 15:34). Some have suggested that Jesus quoted the entire psalm while on the cross, but we do know for sure that the words of Psalm 22:1 were expressed. While the original writer of this psalm was David, and he was expressing the persecution and suffering that he was facing at that time, this psalm is one that looks forward to the cross of Jesus Christ, as we read of the crucifixion and the resurrection in this psalm. In this psalm there are several parallels that can be seen connecting these words to the suffering of Jesus. In verses 1-21 there are needs that are expressed, and in verses 22-31 there is hope that is expressed. The suffering is seen as the psalm expresses the feeling of loneliness (v.1-6), the mocking and the enemies that have surrounded (v.7-18), the cry for help (v.19-21). All of these are a picture of what Jesus endured on the cross; verses 6-8 is a parallel of Matthew 27:35-44, verses 16-18 can be seen in John 19:37, Luke 23:27, and John 19:23-24, and verse 31 is a parallel of John 19:30. The redemption of mankind through the sufferings of Jesus is the theme of the Bible and the cross can be seen in Psalm 22.

Psalm 23 are the comforting words of the great Shepherd. This psalm may be among the most famous passages in all of Scripture as it has been a favorite of many during times of sorrow. In this psalm we have a picture of the care that the Shepherd has for His sheep. This is a personal psalm as the writer uses personal pronouns seventeen times referring to his relationship to the Shepherd. When considering this psalm, we should look to the Great Shepherd of our souls, Jesus Christ (John 10:11-16). Jesus is the Shepherd that has given His life for His sheep (John 10:11) and has made us to be able to take rest in Him as He has restored our souls (Psalm 23:1-3) by shedding His blood for our forgiveness. Jesus is the Shepherd that provides protection from those that war against the soul (John 10:12-13) and is with us and comfort us (Psalm 23:4; Heb. 13:5). Jesus is the Shepherd that makes ready the eternal reward of heaven, being our intercessor to the Father (John 10:14-16) and provides an opportunity for us to dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:5-6). Jesus is the Shepherd of our souls, and just as a shepherd will use the crook of his staff to lift up the sheep that are in need, Jesus lifts up those that come to Him for salvation.

Psalm 24 is a psalm of victory as it expresses the sovereignty of God, but also is connected to the ascension of Jesus and His sitting at the right hand of God on His rightful throne. The suffering of Jesus on the cross, and the care that He provides for His sheep leads to the eternal home and being crowned as the King of glory. The first two verses refer to the eternal power that God possesses as He has created all and all belongs to Him. Verses three through six express our need to be pure in worshipping Him, which is only made possible for us by the cleansing blood of Christ, who is able to reconcile us to God and be made acceptable in His sight. Verse seven through ten are words of celebrating the King of glory, as the King has been mighty in battle and now seated in glory. This is a picture of the risen Jesus, as He was victorious over death, and ascended into heaven where He now sits reigning over His kingdom (Dan. 7:13-14; 1 Tim. 6:15; Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11) being crowned as the King of kings!

What a wonderful illustration given to us in the psalms as we see Jesus suffering on the cross for our sins, caring for our souls as a Shepherd using the crook of His staff to lift us up, and being seated at the right hand of God being crowned in glory.