The Anguish Of The Crucified (Psalms 22 And 69)

by J.W. Archibald, Wembley, England | Category: More Meditations In The Psalms | Oct 1992

These two Psalms are ascribed to David and this is confirmed in the case of Psalm 69 by Romans 11:9. They contain unmistakable references to the sufferings of Christ on the Cross, and direct quotations from both Psalms are found in the New Testament Gospel narratives.

David, a man after God's heart, has been used by the Holy Spirit to give us a glimpse of the events of Calvary as they were experienced by the Occupant of the central Cross. As we read and consider these intimate and deeply moving portions of the Word, our hearts are challenged through another prophet, "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto My sorrow, which is done unto Me" (Lam. 1:12).

BODILY ANGUISH (Ps. 22:14-16; 69:3,21):

Among the many amazing implications of the manhood of Christ was His direct experience of physical distress in His body. The thoughtful believer is filled with wonder on reading of One who is Mighty God, sitting by the well near Sychar, wearied with His journey. Acknowledging the all-sufficiency of God, David wrote "The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season". Yet we read of God the Son being hungry after forty days in the wilderness of Judea. How great then is the marvel of Golgotha, where the King

eternal, the only God, endured the bodily suffering that is so graphically portrayed in these Psalms.

First we consider the physical weariness and weakness expressed in the words "I am poured out like water" and "My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of My bowels" and "My strength is dried up like a potsherd". At Calvary He reached the end of His earthly journey, in which so much had been accomplished, "I must go on My way today and tomorrow and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem" (Luke 13:33). Unlike the journey that took Him to Sychar, there was no rest for Him when He reached His lifelong destination at the place of sacrifice. He suffered all the stress of those last days and hours before His arrest, and then the violence of the soldiers, the buffeting, the flogging and the thorns on His brow; followed by the burden of the Cross on His bleeding back as He set out for the appointed place. Surely the One who "by His strength setteth fast the mountains," was crucified through weakness (Ps. 65:6; 2 Cor. 13:4).

Weariness was accompanied by pain that was widespread, "all My bones are out of joint", and sharply focussed, "they pierced My hands and My feet". The apostle John received the future promise, "Behold ... death shall be no more ... nor pain, any more" (Rev. 21: 3,4). Is it not wonderful that the Supreme Ruler sitting on the throne from which the abolition of pain is proclaimed, has Himself known the unremitting pangs of bodily pain as He hung in weakness on the tree of shame? And there was no voice from the throne proclaiming relief for Him on that dark day.

Along with the weakness and the pain came thirst. "My tongue cleaveth to My jaws" and "My throat is dried" and "In My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink". From the account in John chapter 19 we learn that at the last He said, "I thirst". This is the only recorded instance of an audible comment from Him on the Cross about His physical distress. He gave one last opportunity for mankind to show Him kindness, and they responded with vinegar. With the bitterness from that final act of hostility searing His parched mouth and lips He said "It is finished".

ANGUISH OF MIND AND HEART (Ps. 22:6-8, 17-18 & 69:4,8-9,19-20)

At the same time as the body of the Lord Jesus was racked with pain there were deeper sorrows of the heart and mind to augment His anguish and we are given some insight into these.

Consider the shame and humiliation described: "they look and stare upon Me: they part My garments among them, and upon My vesture do they cast lots", and "shame hath covered My face". The Roman soldiers spat upon His face. For them to spit in the face of Tiberius Caesar would have brought instant death and the very idea would have filled them with terror, but they spat in the face of the King of kings. They took His clothes and gambled for the coat without seam, while onlookers and passers-by stared at the unclad Sufferer. In heaven the mighty seraphim habitually covered their faces and their feet in His presence; on earth the congregation of evil doers stripped Him' and stared.

There was also scorn. "A reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see Me laugh Me to scorn". The mighty Saviour was openly despised by the wretched creatures who were totally dependent upon Him for life and breath and all things. He knew their hearts, they did not need to speak for Him to understand their thoughts, so that those who despised Him in silence were also known to Him. Of the many bitter taunts that were hurled at the Christ that day, perhaps the one that caused Him most grief was the use of Psalm 22 by the chief priests, scribes and elders of Israel when they said, "He trusteth on God; let Him deliver Him now, if He desireth Him" (Mat. 27:43). It was and always will be true that God delights in His blessed Son. The men who uttered the challenge

were leaders of the people that God had acknowledged as His own. Truly, "they that were His own received Him not". We cannot appreciate how acute was the suffering caused by this emphasis of God's purpose not to spare His only begotten Son.

He died broken-hearted. The causeless hatred of men and their rejection of Him constituted a crushing burden of reproach that broke His heart. "They that hate Me without a cause are more than the hairs of Mine head". The history of mankind is a history of rejection of God. It began with Adam's choice to disregard the command of God. The rejection acquired a new dimension at Babel when that first kingdom of men established its aims and purpose without reference to the Lord. He was given no place in their affairs. Later, when God established a kingdom of His own, the nation of Israel whom He had chosen repeatedly failed to honour Him, and rejected His pleading and His messengers. Finally God sent His son, and men rejected Him. Even those who had been so highly favoured as the people of God would not receive the Son. For the Messiah this was a deep and piercing sorrow. "I am become a stranger unto My brethren, and an alien unto My mother's children. For the zeal of Thine house hath eaten Me up". Desire for the house and kingdom of God was a consuming passion with the Son, but those who should have been the builders rejected the Corner Stone (Mat. 21A2,43). He died without pity or comfort In His incomparable anguish

He was entirely alone.

THE ANGUISH OF DEITY (Ps. 22:1; 69:1-2, 1-15, 26):

In our review, of the anguish of the Crucified we come now to depths of

horror that we shall never plumb. We believe that the deepest anguish of Calvary concerned the bearing of sin, the experience of death and what God did to His only Son. "Him who knew no sin He made to be sin on our behalf' (2 Cor. 5:21). The abhorrence of sin by Deity was invoked to the ultimate in the experience of the Saviour at Calvary. The anguish to Him of bearing our sins in His body on the tree lies far beyond our comprehension.

His anguish at the experience of death is indicated in the appeal, "Let not the pit shut her mouth upon Me". The Prince of Life, who gave and sustains the life of all flesh, was to die Himself. There was no other way. The Anointed One must be cut off. He became obedient "even unto death, yea, the death of the Cross". David was able to say, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me", but David's Lord traversed that dark valley alone, without protector or companion.

Lastly, we contemplate the deep mystery of God's dealings with His Son on the Cross. We hear the cry of chilling intensity from Deity to Deity, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" It tells of desolation beyond measure. The One who cried is the One of whom it is written "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). On the night before Calvary He spoke to God His Father about "the glory which I had with Thee before the world was" (John 17:5). Calvary is the only point in eternity where this forsaking takes place. But more even than this is found in Psalm 69, following the passage which speaks of the lack of comforters and the activities of His persecutors. "For they persecute Him whom Thou hast smitten". The prophecy of Zechariah also speaks of this awaking of the sword of divine judgement to find its deadly mark in the One who is all God's pleasure. Again, we struggle to

comprehend the mystery of Deity punishing Deity, and what it must have meant for the blessed One who was so smitten.

In all the accumulated anguish we have considered, we hear the language of His soul, "I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow Me", and "deliver Me out of the mire, and let Me not sink". The One who upholds all things by the Word of His power finds no protection and has nowhere to stand. "Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Thy cataracts: all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over Me" (Ps. 42:7 RVM). For ever blessed be His name.

J.W. Archibald, Wembley, England | Oct 1992
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