Praying Psalm 22 for Lent
Nourishment for the Soul
Forsaken, Yet Not Forgotten
As we prepare to enter Holy Week and stand once more at the foot of the cross, there may be no more fitting psalm for meditation than Psalm 22. These ancient words, penned by David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, echo with stunning clarity the anguish and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. From the very first verse, our hearts are drawn into a mystery deeper than we can fully grasp: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (v. 1). These are the very words Jesus cries from the cross, recorded in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34. And they are not uttered lightly.
In David’s immediate context, Psalm 22 is a cry of great distress. He feels abandoned, unheard, encircled by enemies. But the prophetic dimension of this psalm comes into full focus at Calvary. Jesus, the greater Son of David, takes these words upon his lips - not in confusion, but in fulfillment. He’s the true Righteous Sufferer. In that moment, he bears the weight of our sin, feels the silence of heaven, and enters the deepest human sorrow so that we might never have to cry those words in eternal despair.
The Cry of the Righteous Sufferer
David’s lament gives voice to our own human cries: “O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest” (v. 2). In seasons of suffering, especially during Lent, we’re invited to enter into this kind of prayer - honest, raw, unfiltered. It sometimes feels the church today prefers a sanitized faith, but Scripture invites us into something much deeper: communion with God even in the valley of shadows.
Jesus shows us that it isn’t unfaithful to cry out. On the contrary, lament is a form of faith. It’s a refusal to give up on God even when his face seems hidden. As Oswald Chambers once wrote, “Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.” And so we bring our sorrows, our doubts, our sufferings, and lay them before the throne of grace.
The Shadows of the Cross
The parallels between Psalm 22 and the crucifixion are striking. “All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads” (v. 7) - this finds its echo in Matthew 27:39-43, where bystanders mock Jesus and say, “He trusts in God; let God deliver him now.” Verse 16 speaks of “dogs” surrounding the psalmist and “pierced hands and feet” - a line that Christians have long recognized as pointing forward to Roman crucifixion, though David wouldn’t have known that form of execution in his time.
“They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots” (v. 18) is fulfilled literally at the foot of the cross (John 19:23-24). These aren’t coincidences. The Spirit wove the hope of redemption into the tapestry of Scripture from the very beginning. And it all culminates at Calvary.
From Forsaken to Faithful
Psalm 22 doesn’t end in desolation. There’s a shift - a deep and unexpected turn - from lament to praise: “You who fear the Lord, praise him!... For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him” (vv. 23-24). This is the turning point not only of the psalm but of history.
Though Jesus cried out in seeming abandonment, the Father did not despise his affliction. The silence of Good Friday gave way to the thunder of Easter morning. As Hebrews 5:7 reminds us, “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications… and he was heard because of his reverence.” Resurrection was the Father’s answer to the Son’s cry. And it’s his answer to ours as well.
The Gospel According to Psalm 22
This psalm carries us through the fullness of the Gospel story - suffering, death, vindication, and praise. The final verses stretch out like the arms of the risen Christ, encompassing all nations and generations: “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord… they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it” (vv. 27, 31). That last phrase - “he has done it” - rings with Gospel resonance. It calls to mind Jesus’ final words on the cross: “It is finished” (John 19:30). The work is complete. The sacrifice accepted. Redemption accomplished.
Holy Week is an invitation to walk slowly, prayerfully, through the events of Christ’s passion. But we don’t walk alone. This psalm walks with us, giving us language to weep, and to worship. It reminds us that Jesus didn’t skip the sorrow to get to the joy. He went through it. And because he did, our suffering is never wasted, and our hope is never in vain.
The Suffering King and the Glorious Kingdom
As we move toward Palm Sunday and remember the crowds crying out “Hosanna,” we must not forget that their praise was short-lived. Within days, other voices cried “Crucify him.” And yet Jesus, knowing what awaited him, rode into Jerusalem anyway - not on a warhorse, but on a donkey. He came not to conquer Rome but to conquer sin and death. Psalm 22 reveals this deeper kingship, the kind that comes not through domination, but through self-giving love.
J.C. Ryle once said, “There is a morbid humility which goes far beyond the humility of the gospel. It forgets that Christ died for sinners, and seems to ignore the joy and peace in believing.” Psalm 22 keeps us grounded in Gospel humility - yes, the depth of sin and sorrow - but also in Gospel hope: “He has done it.”
Questions for Personal Reflection
When have you experienced the silence of God in suffering? How does Psalm 22 help give voice to those seasons?
What does it mean to you that Jesus chose to pray Psalm 22 from the cross?
How can the shift from lament to praise in this psalm reshape your perspective on Holy Week?
Walking Points
Meditate on Psalm 22 slowly this weekend. Pray through it in two parts: the first half (vv. 1-21) on Saturday, and the second half (vv. 22-31) on Sunday.
As you approach Holy Week, consider how you might intentionally walk with Christ through his suffering - through prayer, Scripture, and silence.
Thank you again for joining me today. My hope is that you were encouraged and blessed by reflecting on this topic with me. If you’d like to explore more devotionals, Bible studies, and spiritual resources, some of which are not shared via email, please click here: Walking Points.
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Grace and Peace
Excellent reading and meditation Dale, thank you.