December 17th - Cameron Willis

What’s up fellas, todays devo is written by Cameron Willis, I’m a sophomore at BCM that serves  on Evangelism team, and I also Co-lead a family group with Jackson Moon. Today we’ll be going through  what many call “From Suffering to Praise”, a Davidic Psalm which prophecies the Crucifixion of Christ,  and how Jesus fulfilled said prophecy.  

Before we dive straight in, I just wanted to say that this story really focuses on the magnitude of  the cross, which is something that I DEFINITELY forget about. Just take a minute to think about what the  cross was before Jesus’s death on it. Remember that this symbol of gratitude, praise, and ultimate  sacrifice as we see it today was the absolute opposite of what anyone wanted to come into contact with.  It carried with it shame, humiliation, and horror. I remind you to think of that as we read about and  recognize the parallels between this Davidic Psalm and the writings of Matthew.  

Let’s ride. We start with Psalm 22. David is in distress. He groans out to God, searching to be  filled, but feels he has no response. In this time, the Holy Spirit works through David, unbeknownst to  him, to spit out some FIRE prophecy that Christ fulfills. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”,  said by David in Psalm 22 and by Jesus in Matthew 27, reveals that Christ identified with us in our  suffering and that the Forsaken One has a relationship with God. What good news to hear. But David  remembers God’s character in verse 3. “But you are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers  trusted in You; They Trusted, and You delivered them.” The next 4 verses are where you start to see  parallels in Christ being considered “the forsaken”, as David alludes to the Forsaken being mocked, just as  Jesus was. The same can be said for verses 14-18. However, the tone shifts until the end of the chapter. I  wish I could just copy/paste the rest of this chapter because it is just too good. “My strength, don’t be  far away”(19), “You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen.”(21), “All the families of the  nations will bow down before You, for kingship belongs to the Lord, He rules over nations.”(28). Now,  what is the importance of these parallels? Well, we see for David that his distress is followed by willful  prayer and reliance on God’s faithfulness. Feeling far from God can be a frequent struggle for believers,  as there is a yearning for deeper relationship. 

When we look at Psalm 22 and try to apply it to Matthew 27, it is paramount to see the  transition between suffering to praise in both passages. Christ was brutally offered as a payment for our  sin, but now reigns supreme. During this Christmas season, reflect on how we often downplay how much  we should glorify Christ daily. 

Discussion Questions: 

1. What is one way to keep Christ and the magnitude of his sacrifice at the forefront of your mind? 2. What does Christ fulfilling this prophecy tell you about his character? 

3. Next semester, how do you put into motion the action of “suffering to praise”