The Book of Psalms is the diary of Jesus Christ, written in advance of His becoming a man. Here we find the gospel of Christ presented as definitely as in any other book of the Bible. It is all of Christ.
The various writers of the psalms recorded the common experiences of humanity. Of the experiences of mankind written in the Psalms, Christ’s are paramount. The psalms mean Christ. Christ as God. Christ as man. Christ in His sufferings, His death, resurrection and ascension. The psalms deal with the truth about Jesus—the truth about Christ for us, with us, and as us. This truth is presented more clearly in the psalms than anywhere else in the Bible. Christ is the theme of the psalms.
In the psalms we see a picture of the mind and emotions of Jesus. They describe the inner workings of His thinking; what went on in His mind while He was tested and tried in various situations, especially while He was on the cross. Christ and the cross comprised the battlefield where the great controversy between right and wrong raged; where agape (God’s unconditional love) and selfishness stood face-to-face in mortal combat.
The cross demonstrates that agape is greater than selfishness, that justification is greater than condemnation. That what Adam did to us was frightful, but Christ reversed both the condemnation and the direction in which the race was headed because of Adam’s sin. Adam and consequently the human race within himself was headed straight for hell; but in Himself, Christ turned the entire race around and headed it toward heaven. Because of Christ, one must get off the pathway in order to not arrive in heaven.
The term “the cross” refers to Christ’s entire life—it epitomizes the giving of Himself for the benefit of others. He demonstrated that righteousness is greater than transgression and that the Spirit is mightier than the flesh.
Paul took up this theme in the book of Galatians, and in Romans he wrote that grace is greater than sin. Wherever sin resides or “abounds,” grace does “much more” abound in that very place (Romans 5:20). Grace and sin met at the cross, and grace was victor. Even though Christ was made to be sin, and died the equivalent of the second death, grace is still greater than sin. And faith—the faith of Jesus—is greater than unbelief.
The psalms present the battle as it was hammered out, and there we are shown several truths about the cross and what it means to us:
- The cross was considered the curse of God, but out of that curse came blessing—blessing to the human race.
- In the cross Christ was made to be sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
- The cross was nothing but condemnation to the human race. But Christ took that condemnation so that we might be justified.
- In the cross we find eternal life—the opposite of the second death. Out of that death came life for the human race, especially for those who believe. Whatever Satan did to us through sin, God did something much more, as demonstrated by the cross of Christ.
When Jesus met with His disciples after the resurrection, He explained the Old Testament Scriptures to them. He studied specifically the psalms concerning His sufferings, death and resurrection (Luke 24:44-46). Earlier in His ministry He stated that the Old Testament testified of Him (John 5:39). The Old Testament is to be studied in the light of the life of Christ. If one refuses to believe that the Old Testament testifies of Christ, then he cannot believe the New Testament (John 5:46, 47).
When Christ was on the cross, He spoke what are known as the seven last words. The first three concern Christ’s relationship with others, the last four are about His union with His heavenly Father. These are listed here for consideration:
- “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).
- “Assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).
- “Woman, behold you son!” and to John: “Behold you mother!” (John 19:26, 27).
- “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me!” (Matthew 27:46).
- “I thirst” (John 19:28).
- “It is finished” (John 19:30).
- “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46).
Christ’s first word from the cross was a prayer for forgiveness: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). This was in behalf of those who placed Him on the cross driving the nails through His hands and feet. That prayer was not merely for Roman soldiers. We too were there. Unknowingly, corporate humanity crucified Jesus. Our sins shot the sharper pain into His heart. His prayer includes us.
This prayer must have affected the thief on the cross, for in the attitude of Christ he saw the love of God. He may have heard of Christ earlier in life, but he turned away through the influence of associates. Now, on his cross, he had nothing left and finally cried out, “Lord remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” Jesus replied: “I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:40-43).
The first part of the day, Christ’s mother Mary was taken away. She was weakened to see her Son suffer that way. We don’t know if she realized that this was a fulfillment of what the prophet Simeon had said, that a sword would pierce through her own soul (Luke 2:34, 35).
John was always in the background. He recognized the telltale signs of death. Death was coming more rapidly than usual. (Crucifixions were designed to cause excruciating pain for several days before the crucified one finally gave up and died.) John recognized that Jesus was dying, so he brought Mary back to the cross. When Jesus saw her standing with John at the foot of the cross, He first spoke to Mary, “Woman, behold your son!” And then to John, “Behold your mother!” [“This is your mother now, take care of her.”] (John 19:26, 27). This was a sacred blessing that came to John in those closing hours of the life of the Savior of the world, to be able to have Mary spend the rest of her life under his care.
The last four sayings of Christ came directly from the Psalms. Unlike the first three, these four are not concerned about others. Christ was now entering into His time of extreme agony, as He began to feel the separation between Himself and His Father. We read in Psalm 22:1, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” The New Testament presents it as, “Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani?” (Mark 15:34).
Later Christ said, “I thirst” (John 19:28). This is based on Psalm 69:21, which states that He would be given gall for food and vinegar to drink.
The next statement of Jesus is recorded in John 19:30 where He says, “It is finished!” This is from Psalm 22:31, meaning that He has done or accomplished the work He was sent to do.
In Psalm 22 we observe the agony of separation that occurred between Christ and His heavenly Father. Then He died with these words on His lips, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commend My spirit’” (Luke 23:46), a quotation from Psalm 31:5. During the entire closing hours on the cross, Christ quoted from the Psalms. He must have lived by the Psalms, and then died by them.
Psalm 22 shows Christ living by faith from His birth.
“You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust when I was on My mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God” (verses 9, 10). From the time of His birth until He died, Christ lived by faith in the power of God’s keeping care. Just as we learn by faith (Hebrews 11:3), so did Christ learn by faith.
He was sanctified by faith through the truth as we must be sanctified by it. John 17:19 records this concerning Jesus, “I sanctify Myself, that they [the disciples] also may be sanctified by the truth.” Sanctification is always connected with faith (Acts 26:18). There is only one thing Jesus did not do by faith, and that was to die. He did however die in faith, just as it is recorded of others in the book of Hebrews (11:13) who are said to have died in faith.
The Father made promises to the Son that He would keep Him from falling. These are from the everlasting covenant and are recorded in Isaiah and in the Psalms (Isaiah 49:8, 9; 50:4-7; Psalm 22:9, 10). The testimony of Jesus is that He, the Son, could do nothing of Himself: “The Father who dwells in Me does the works” (John 14:10). In the Psalms, in Luke, and in Hebrews, we learn that needed grace was given to Christ (Psalm 45:2; Luke 2:40, 52). According to Hebrews 2:9, it was by grace that He tasted death for everyone.
Our guiding principle in the study of the psalms.
It must be this: to see that they are the revelation of Jesus Christ. David who wrote most of the psalms was not only the father–ancestor of Christ’s humanity, but he was also a type of Christ. The psalms were given for the supreme purpose of revealing Christ and His salvation. The Spirit of God, in the New Testament, applied many of the psalms to Christ so there can be no question that they refer to Him. When we read these we know we are reading of Christ. He was made to be sin for us. All the sins and guilt and condemnation of mankind were laid upon Him. Of this the psalms speak.
Psalm 2 is the first that specifically speaks about Jesus. It is prophetic of Him. Here we learn about the opposition of the ungodly against Christ. A battle for freedom that is opposed to God is recorded here. Warnings and entreaties are given. A triumphant Christ is here predicted. It is also a song in which people deride God and His Messiah. Here also we observe a literary device in which David reveals God mocking the people, even as they mock Him.
The psalm begins, “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?” This is quoted in Acts 4:25 by the Apostles concerning Christ’s crucifixion. The psalm continues:
“The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: ‘Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord has said to Me, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”’ Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry …”
The term “kiss the Son” refers to an act of homage, respect, and worship. Psalm 2 also points to Christ’s connection with David in rulership. When David was anointed king, he did not assume the kingship immediately. He always believed that Saul was “the anointed of the Lord.” David had at least two opportunities to end Saul’s life, but he refused to do so. Even when David cut off a piece of Saul’s garment on one occasion, he was conscience-smitten and apologized for what he had done.
When Saul died, David even then did not fully take over the rulership of Judah—not until the people asked him to rule over them. That is the way it is with the Lord Jesus Christ. He waits for us to ask Him to rule over us individually and as a corporate body of believers. Christ’s rulership will be because His people want Him, not because He forces Himself upon them. He then will rule with His “shepherd’s rod.” Most of the time the shepherd’s rod was used for protection, but it was also used for discipline when needed. The rulership of Jesus will be very much like that of His ancestor David; there will be discipline, but also protection.
“I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession’” (verses 7, 8).
Paul quoting verse 7 applies this begetting of Christ to the good news of His resurrection from the dead: “And we declare to you the glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second psalm: ‘You are My son, today I have begotten You’” (Acts 13:32, 33).
Paul here also quotes Psalm 16:10: “You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” Because Christ underwent no decay in the grave, but rather was raised from the dead, Paul concluded: “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things” (Acts 13:38, 39). Earlier Peter had quoted Psalm 16 in his sermon at Pentecost, which is a promise from God to Christ concerning His resurrection (Acts 2:25-31). We will consider further this psalm later.
Let’s now turn to a trilogy of psalms, three literary works, related in subject and theme of tragedy and triumph.