“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, are you far from my salvation, the words of my groaning?” Psalm 22:1

The first verses of a psalm often introduce its theme, as in Psalm 22, which focuses our attention on the fact that the Lord Jesus was forsaken by his God during the three hours of darkness on the cross.

Of course, we also find here the suffering inflicted on the Lord by people. But this should first show the circumstances under which God turned His face away from Him: In the hours of His greatest need He forsook Him.

Not a word is mentioned here about the judgment of His enemies, which takes up a great deal of space in other psalms. The reason for this is that Psalm 22 is particularly concerned with what God has done. He struck his son. No one will be punished for this. Rather, this is the basis of all blessing.

The last verses of this psalm show the glorious and far-reaching results of his work. A mighty stream of blessing flows out: It reaches those He calls His brethren, the great assembly of Israel and the nations in the kingdom (vv. 22.25.27). This stream does not dry up, but continues into the distant future (v. 32). The floodgates of grace have also been opened for us today through Golgotha. This may also lead us to praise God today.