Thoughts from Psalm 22 inspired by the sermons on Sunday

Psalm 22:27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. Psalm 22:28 For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations. Jn 13:1 Rev 1:5 HEb 12:2

“The joy that was set before Him” was in Psalm 22:27 Jesus paid it all for particular salvation of individuals and for the “nations” to have their eyes opened to the need of real communion with God. These concepts were shrouded in mystical lies and fierce superstitions. God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world.

I have to say that to myself. What about this or that suffering that is observable in the world? What about that? How can you say that is not condemnation? Redemptive suffering? Suffering that is redemptive knows that it cannot save itself. No amount of suffering endured can cleanse from sin, intrinsically. Christ’s suffering was the only suffering that can save even one soul. It is the only suffering out of all of the sufferings of the world added up that has access to God in it. None of the other sufferings have any weight in and of themselves.

Paul the apostle started us all thinking about “The fellowship of His sufferings” , in the New Testament era. What a knife to cut through the lie of self flagellation and of superstitions of gentiles of varied forms and fashions; which is the essence of the idolatry of gentile pagan faith. We are dead in sin, blind by birth and blind by cultural mores. NO inheritance of faith and life to lighten our path. Jesus saw the depth of blindness that was outside of even the sphere of His earthly ministry. Nations remote need to have access to the Father, Lord! That was in Psalm 22 and Jesus was suffering this and praying for us on the cross. Amazing Grace!

We are a part of the condemnation, in our sin and Christ covers that sin with His perfect life and cleanses and brings the dead soul to life and had us in His mind in Psalm 22 that it would be thus. “There are barbarians in the uttermost, Lord" was in that prayer; “ They can’t see unless I go to the cross.” The Father and the Son were in eternal fellowship in those sufferings. Prayer on our behalf begun by our "advocate with the Father"

God stuck Psalm 22, as it were, into the “Nevertheless” of "not my will but thine be done." in the Garden of Gethsemane, Prayer of our Lord. Let me show You the reality of what you are doing, Psalm 22 was the walk through of the nations coming to Christ through the suffering. He despised the cross and endured the pain that now in Christ our sufferings can and should allow us to see the greatness of the love that He had. Sanctified by faith.

When we are struggling with a persistent and “darling” or coddled sin {sins that we excuse and make provisions for and cover in ourselves, that’s not what we are supposed to do}, we are supposed to see Christ cleansing it. We are supposed to see Christ’s sacrifice and healing for us, bought and purchased at eternal costs. We are supposed to know victory over some sins in this flesh and struggle with some of them until we get to Heaven casting our burdens and griefs upon Him at the victories and the losses. That is the power of the Cross.

Thank you Lord, for redemption and healing for the nations, bought by the blood of Jesus! Amen.