“Songs of Messiah—The Sacrifice” (Part 2)

This week we are considering Psalm 22, the song of the Sacrificed Christ. Monday we saw His spiritual suffering as He was abandoned by His Father. Today we examine His emotional sufferings…

The Cry of Aloneness (vv.6-8)

This speaks to the emotional suffering Christ endured from those who stood by and watched the events of Calvary. Their mocking and verbal abuse are the root of three elements of the crowd at the cross—and vividly parallel the Gospel accounts of the passion of the divine Sufferer…

Their Appearance- These who mock and abuse the Sufferer are described in harsh terms. From God’s perspective, they are not seen as men at all, but as wild animals! The intent is not so much a literal description of the scene at Calvary as it is a figurative portrait of sinful men from the divine perspective. The scene is similar to the kingdoms of men in Daniel. In Daniel 2, these kingdoms are viewed by men and seen as precious metals, but in Daniel 7 those same kingdoms are seen by God as raging beasts. Such is the view here, as the psalmist speaks in strong and very descriptive terms…

• “strong bulls” (v.12)- a picture of well-fed cattle east of the Sea of Galilee which were vicious toward approaching people
• “roaring lions” (v.13)- Spurgeon said, “Like roaring lions they howled out their prey, and longed to tear the Savior in pieces, as wild beasts raven over their prey.”
• “dogs” (v.16)- a description of the scavenging animals of the say- dangerous, diseased, and destructive.

Their Actions- In parting His garments (v.18) and casting lots for them, we see one of the most blatantly prophetic statements in this psalm if suffering. John Stevenson wrote, “Trifling as this act of casting the lot for our Lord’s vesture may appear, it is most significant. It contains a double lesson. It teaches us how greatly that seamless shirt was valued, and how little he had to whom it belonged. It seemed to say, this garment is more valuable than its owner… How cheaply Christ was held!”

Their Attitude- Derek Kidner says their attitude is rooted in hatred for several reasons, including resentment (v.8), the compulsion of mob-mentality (vv.12, 16a), greed (v.18) and perverted tastes—“enjoying a harrowing spectacle (v.17) simply because sin is murderous, and sinners have hatred in them.” Once again David uses pointedly graphic words to display this hateful attitude—“scorned,” “despised” (v.6), “gape” (v.13), “gaze” (v.17). Perhaps it is the word “gaze” that so vividly portrays the wickedness of men’s hearts. Leupold wrote, “He was reduced to a state of misery that should have produced some pity in the hearts of onlookers. Instead they ‘gaze’ heartlessly with some measure of satisfaction. They may even be said to ‘feast their eyes on him.’”

All of these details of the sufferings of Christ as He is rejected by the very men and women He had come to redeem are fully and minutely fulfilled in the crowd at the foot of the cross—multiplying the Savior’s suffering. The rejection and hatred of men, like wild animals dividing his clothes because they can’t tear into Him, then staring with pleasure at the horrors of crucifixion—even the crucifixion of the Son of God—shows mankind at its very worst. Yet, it simultaneously shows grace at its fullest and purest because it was for that very crowd that the willing Sacrifice was suffering alone—abandoned by the Father, and rejected by the crowd!

On Friday we will see the remainder of this powerful anthem of worship and wonder.