Pastor DJay Martin teaches on Psalm 22, Mark 15:21-34 and, John 19:28 with the message entitled “Jesus in the Psalms: Suffering Messiah” as he continues the sermon series “Living in His Story: Jesus, the Author, Hero, Completer”.
“Is the universe a friendly place?” This, according to Albert Einstein, is the key question for humanity to ask when pondering the nature of life. I think it’s a very good question, though, as a Christ follower, I would probably frame it slightly differently. As Christians, our worldview – namely the way in which the hope and joy we have in Christ shape the way we view life – compels us to answer “Yes!” But, how then do we process the horrors of our fallen world with intellectual and emotional honesty? Things around us are often really bad, and to say otherwise would be completely disingenuous. How then do we still fiercely cling to the hope we have in the promises of God, while also not belittling the suffering and pain around us? Thank God for the Psalms. Here we find a balance of joy and grief, of celebration and mourning. Psalm 22 illustrates this richly. Psalm 22 was a song written by David in a time of deep grief. It was the Psalm quoted by Jesus on the cross and also quoted by both the gospel writers John and Mark when reflecting upon the Crucifixion. Psalm 22 is also illustrative of the types of things that you and I face as we journey through a broken world, experiencing real pain, while always holding fast to faith, hope, and the love of Christ.”