God's Friday

I know that today is typically known as Good Friday, but the etymology of the word points moreso toward God's Friday, hence the title of this blog. Also, I am aware that it is not usual of me to blog twice in one day, let alone four times in a week, but the need has arisen. Instead of painting a vision of the crucifixion with my own words, I will let the Word speak for itself, with prophecy given about 1000 years before the birth of Christ.

Psalm 22
To the Chief Musician. Set to "The Deer of the Dawn." A Psalm of David.

1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?
2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
5 They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

6 But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
7 All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 "He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!"

9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother’s womb
You have been My God.
11 Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.

12 Many bulls have surrounded Me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.
13 They gape at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted within Me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death.

16 For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced My hands and My feet;
17 I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
18 They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.

19 But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!
20 Deliver Me from the sword,
My precious life from the power of the dog.
21 Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!

You have answered Me.

22 I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23 You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.

25 My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.
Let your heart live forever!

27 All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
28 For the kingdom is the LORD’s,
And He rules over the nations.

29 All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.

30 A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
31 They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.

The prophecy in these verses are clear enough. However, what some people do not know is that Jesus pointed those around him to this psalm. In Matthew 27:46 or Mark 15:34, while dying on the cross, Jesus lets out: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?," the first line of the psalm. It is not far-fetched to realize that, due to the low literacy rate of the day, most scripture was memorized. Further, it was not known by "Psalm 22" as we Westerners know it today, but by the first line of text. Hence, Jesus was showing his captors that they helped to fulfill prophecy!!! Those around him would be reminded that, "The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me./ They pierced My hands and My feet;/ I can count all My bones./ They look and stare at Me./ They divide My garments among them,/ And for My clothing they cast lots.
This is not to say that Jesus did not feel a wrenching of the heart at the separation of the Trinity... I can't even begin to imagine the pain of God being outside of His one-ness, but I do see how Jesus pointing those to scripture in His final hours makes perfect sense. He gloried, as we should, in bringing glory to our Great Father.

I don't know how to end this blog, so again, I will let the Word speak in my place:

Luke 24:49-51 (New King James Version)

49 "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."
50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.