January 13
“But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God. Be not far from Me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help,” Psalm 22:9-11.
After the promised Messiah expressed how horribly He would be mocked and ridiculed, He speaks of the hope and trust in God of which He was sure even from His mother’s womb. Although at the beginning of this psalm, the Messiah cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me?” there was still a trust and faith in God which had been present from His human beginning.
Recall the words of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary: “‘You will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’ Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’ And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God,” Luke 1:31-35.
Could anyone doubt that Mary certainly spoke to Jesus about the angel Gabriel’s visit, through which she was informed that her Son would also be the Son of God who would rule in an everlasting kingdom? Jesus had an unexpressed trust even from His mother’s womb and days of infancy. The promised Messiah speaks of this with the words, “I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God.”
Think of how often Jesus spoke of His heavenly Father. For example, read the Gospel of John, chapter 17, in which, as Jesus looks forward to His suffering and death, He begins with the words, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent,” John 17:1-3.
Speaking of the nearness of His suffering and death, the promised Messiah pleads, “Be not far from Me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help.” There was no other human being who could or would help Him. The only one to whom He could turn was His heavenly Father, who was a God near at hand and not a God afar off. The Son of God would not give up His hope and trust in God, even though God for a time had forsaken Him.
On the subject of being forsaken, God speaks to us through the prophet Isaiah: “‘For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath, I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,’ says the Lord, your Redeemer,” Isaiah 54:7-8.
When you are tempted to ask, “Where is God?” then rest assured that He forsook His Son at Calvary so that you and I need never be forsaken eternally. Through faith in the Lord Jesus as God’s Son and the only Savior, we have His promise, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved,” Mark 16:16.
“My burden in Thy Passion,
Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression
Which bro’t this woe on Thee.
I cast me down before Thee;
Wrath were my rightful lot.
Have mercy, I implore Thee;
Redeemer, spurn me not!” Amen.