Christian Reflection and Prayer

Read Psalm 69.

TEXT: But I am a worm and not a man (see Psalm 22:6).

Psalm 22 is a fascinating prayer. Our Lord Jesus Christ
keeps going back and forth in His prayer. First, He's
sharing His troubles with God; then He's listening as God
speak to Him through His word, the Bible. First, Jesus
spoke about being forsaken and God not listening; then
He recalled the times God faithfully delivered the people
of Israel who called upon Him in their need. Now Jesus
goes back to sharing His pain and sufferings with His God.

In these verses we see the incredible accuracy of this
psalm as detail after detail of Jesus' crucifixion unfolds,
beginning with Jesus calling Himself a worm and not a man.
If you were to stand and watch a person hanging from a
cross you would be reminded of a worm wriggling and
writhing in pain. The crucified victim twists and turns His
body seeking some relief from the excruciating agony.

Yet the prophecy goes far deeper than Jesus' physical
sufferings. It speaks how His enemies think of Him. They
refuse to treat Him with the common decency and dignity
any human deserves, treating Him instead as though He
was a contemptible worm to be crushed underfoot.
 
When the mighty Son of God became man He was already
taking an incredible step down. But when He surrendered
Himself to arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, He stepped
even lower-exposing Himself to mockery, scorn, torment,
torture, even crucifixion itself.
 
He humbled Himself in loving obedience to His Father's will,
and in an undying concern for your salvation.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, You are Lord and God of all. Yet, You
humbled Yourself as though You were a worm, not even a
man. Receive my humble gratitude and praise. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

Read Psalm 106.

TEXT: To You they cried and were rescued; in You they
trusted and were not put to shame (Psalm 22:5).

The overwhelming wrath of God for our sins has fallen on
Jesus as He hangs on the cross. Though His Father has
forsaken Him, the writer to the Hebrews reminds us,
"Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud
 cries and tears, to the One who was able to save Him
from death. And He was heard because of His reverence"
(see Hebrews 5:7). Jesus firmly clings to His Father,
trusting Him to rescue and deliver Him from death and hell.

But when all He sees is the Father's wrath, how can He
still cling to this trust? He thinks back to the experience of
His Jewish ancestors. Time and time again they fell into
great distress and trouble because of their sins. Then as
they were suffering they recognized their sins, turned to
God, and cried out to Him. And time and time again, God
heard their prayers, had mercy on them, forgave them, and
faithfully rescued them. They trusted in God's deliverance,
and that trust was not put to shame; God came through
and delivered them.

Though Jesus committed no sins, He is in sore distress
because He carries all of ours. But He knows His Father.
Once this payment has been made in full Jesus will give up
His spirit and God will give Him rest and peace in His
presence.
 
When we face times of sore distress we can call upon our
Heavenly Father for Jesus' sake. We can then rest in the
sure confidence our trust in our Heavenly Father will not be
put to shame either.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, help me cling to You in faith, just as You
clung to Your Father in Your time of sore distress. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

Read Psalm 105.

TEXT: In You our fathers trusted; they trusted, and You
delivered them (Psalm 22:4).

In the midst of incredible injustice and suffering horribly
for sins He never committed, Jesus acknowledges the
holiness of God His Father and the justice of His verdict.
Jesus knows it is only through His sufferings that God can
forgive our sins and our rebellion. Jesus willingly took this
burden on Himself so that through His suffering God's
holiness could be satisfied, that in His love and mercy He
could save unworthy sinners like us.

Now, beset with the pangs of hell Jesus recalls His
Father's faithfulness. Throughout the Old Testament, God's
people Israel found themselves in dire situations. They
knew they could not put their trust in their own strength,
nor in their friends, nor in their possessions, nor in their
military might-only God could save them. Only He could
deliver them. They cried out to Him day and night, trusting
in His deliverance, and God came through for them time
and time again.

Jesus seeks that deliverance too. He yearns for God's
wrath to be spent, His rage stilled, for the pangs of hell to
be finished. Like His fathers before Him, Jesus trusts His
God to deliver Him, to bring Him home to Paradise.

What can you do when you are at your wit's end? When
everything looks as though God has abandoned and
forsaken you? Remember Jesus Christ. Trust that His
sacrifice was sufficient, perfectly satisfying God's wrath at
your sins, and winning His full and free forgiveness. Put
your trust in your Father's love and mercy, knowing He will
never let you down.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, give me firm confidence in Your care
and protection, and Your deliverance from all my troubles.
Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)