Holy WeekDay 6
Forsaken
Good Friday · Psalm 22: My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?
For today
Jesus prayed the first line of this psalm from the cross. Read it slowly; do not hurry to the end, because today the Church stays with him in the dark.
Begin with these verses
verse 1My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning? verse 2I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest.
verse 14I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax; it melts away within me. verse 15My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me in the dust of death. verse 16For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet. verse 17I can count all my bones; they stare and gloat over me. verse 18They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.
In Christ
How this psalm points to Jesus
The New Testament quotes this psalm · verse 1
From the cross Jesus cried out the first words of this psalm, taking its forsakenness into himself. The Gospels saw more of it there too: the mocking crowd and the soldiers casting lots for his clothes.
verse 39And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads verse 40and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” verse 41In the same way, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him, saying, verse 42“He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. verse 43He trusts in God. Let God deliver Him now if He wants Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” verse 44In the same way, even the robbers who were crucified with Him berated Him. verse 45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. verse 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
verse 23When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided His garments into four parts, one for each soldier, with the tunic remaining. It was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. verse 24So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it. Instead, let us cast lots to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My garments among them, and cast lots for My clothing.” So that is what the soldiers did.
Optional. Kept only on this device, and never counted.