How does Psalm 22:21 connect to Jesus' crucifixion in the New Testament? Setting the Scene: Psalm 22 as a Messianic Roadmap - Psalm 22 reads like an eyewitness account of crucifixion centuries before crucifixion was invented. - The psalm moves from agony (vv. 1–21) to sure deliverance and worldwide praise (vv. 22–31). - Jesus consciously ties Himself to this psalm when He cries, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34), quoting its first verse. Psalm 22:21—The Pivot Point “Save me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me!” (Psalm 22:21) - Up to this verse, every line is a plea; immediately afterward the tone flips to victory. - The verb tense changes—“You have answered me!”—signaling God’s decisive intervention. - Two vivid pictures: • “the mouth of the lion” – a metaphor for lethal danger (cf. 1 Peter 5:8). • “the horns of the wild oxen” – symbolizing unstoppable strength arrayed against the sufferer. Echoes at Golgotha - Physical torment: “They pierced My hands and feet” (Psalm 22:16) fulfilled in John 20:25–27. - Public humiliation: “All who see Me mock Me” (Psalm 22:7) echoed in Matthew 27:39–44. - Gambling for clothing: “They divide My garments among them” (Psalm 22:18) fulfilled in John 19:23–24. - Sudden turn to triumph in v. 21 mirrors Jesus’ own shift from “Why have You forsaken Me?” to “It is finished!” (John 19:30), and ultimately His resurrection. From Plea to Triumph—Resurrection Foretold - The rescue proclaimed in v. 21 finds its historical fulfillment three days later: “God raised Him from the dead” (Acts 3:15). - Hebrews 2:12 quotes Psalm 22:22 immediately after teaching that through death Jesus “destroyed the one who has the power of death” (Hebrews 2:14). The writer sees the resurrection as God’s answer to the psalmist’s cry. - Jesus was not spared the cross, but He was delivered from death’s final grip—exactly the pattern Psalm 22:21 anticipates. Practical Takeaways - God hears and answers even when deliverance seems impossibly late. - The turning point in Psalm 22 assures believers that apparent defeat can be the prelude to victory (Romans 8:37). - Because Christ’s plea was answered, our own cries for salvation rest on the same unfailing faithfulness (Hebrews 4:14–16). |
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