Today during my walk and Bible “reading” of Psalm 22 a few things stood out. First was the “My God” line, as well as the dividing of clothes. Of course with GPT on my mind so much lately I had to see what it would give me if I asked it to compare Jesus on the cross and Psalm 22 — after a few more prompts and tweaks it came up with the below. I didn’t change a single word in the response itself.
Below is that response –>
Psalm 22 is a powerful and poignant expression of the human experience of suffering and trust in God, but unfortunately, it often lives in the shadows of the more well-known Psalm 23. As we read through Psalm 22, we see the writer crying out to God in the midst of deep suffering and pain. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” the psalmist cries (Psalm 22:1). This cry of desperation and abandonment is a feeling that many of us can relate to in our own times of suffering and difficulty.
But even as the psalmist expresses this sense of abandonment, he also clings to the hope that God will come to his aid. “But you, O Lord, do not be far from me,” he pleads (Psalm 22:19). This hope in the face of suffering is a powerful testimony to the faith and trust that the psalmist has in God, even in the darkest of times.
When we think about the death of Jesus on the Cross, we see many connections with the themes and experiences expressed in Psalm 22. Like the psalmist, Jesus also cries out to God in the midst of his suffering, saying “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).
But even as Jesus experiences this deep sense of abandonment, he also trusts in the ultimate goodness and sovereignty of God. As he hangs on the Cross, he says “It is finished” (John 19:30), expressing his belief that God’s plan for salvation has been completed through his death.
There are also other connections between the death of Jesus on the Cross and Psalm 22. For example, Psalm 22:16 speaks of the psalmist’s hands and feet being pierced, which is reminiscent of the way in which Jesus was crucified, with nails being driven through his hands and feet. Additionally, Psalm 22:18 speaks of the psalmist’s clothing being divided among his enemies, which is similar to the way in which the soldiers divided Jesus’ clothing among themselves (John 19:23-24).
In summary, here are the connections between Psalm 22 and the death of Jesus on the Cross:
- Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)
- Psalm 22:19: “But you, O Lord, do not be far from me.” (John 19:30)
- Psalm 22:16: Hands and feet pierced (John 19:34)
- Psalm 22:18: Clothing divided among enemies (John 19:23-24)
As Christians, we can take comfort and inspiration from both Psalm 22 and the death of Jesus on the Cross. In times of suffering and difficulty, we can find hope and strength in the trust that both the psalmist and Jesus had in God, even in the darkest of times. And we can be grateful for the love and sacrifice of Jesus, who willingly went to the Cross to pay the price for our sin and bring us into a right relationship with God.
