Take Off Your Shoes for Psalm 22
Our In-depth Series Begins On Wednesday
You Will Be Changed
An in-depth study of this Psalm 22 will likely change you. Of that, I can be sure.
When I completed my book on Psalm 221 a few years ago, a very honest friend was among the first to read it. Without my knowledge or prompting, he wrote this review on Amazon:
The Psalm on the Cross took me by complete surprise, because from the opening pages it was fanning the flame of my faith deep within. … I was not prepared for the spiritual renewal that swept through me as I turned the pages.
I cannot take any credit for his sentiment. I wrote the book, but the Lord spoke into his heart. Why is this?
The Psalm Jesus Loved
It is the Lord’s Psalm. He knew them all—all 150 of the Psalms. But this Psalm is the one he carried TO the cross…he carried in ON the cross, carefully speaking it or singing it as we will see.
It was the Psalm he memorized and recited all of this life.
I am too bold in saying it, perhaps. But I will anyway: Psalm 22 was Jesus’s favorite Psalm. He loved them all, I am sure. But Psalm 22 was the one he loved the most.
And when you read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest this treasure, you will understand why.
The great preacher Charles Spurgeon wrote this about it:
Oh for grace to draw near and see this great sight! We should read reverently, putting off our shoes from off our feet, as Moses did at the burning bush, for if there be holy ground anywhere in Scripture it is in this psalm.
Come Closer
There are places in Scripture where we stand at a distance, observing, learning, considering. And then there are places where we are drawn in, where the words are too vivid, raw, and near to remain mere poetry on a page.
Psalm 22 is such a place.
It is not just a psalm of lament; it is THE psalm of the Cross. It is not only David’s song; it is Christ’s cry. And it is not merely a record of suffering—it is an invitation.
Psalm 22 gives us something no Gospel writer does: a window into the mind and heart of Jesus in His final hours.
The Gospel writers tell us what happened to Jesus; Psalm 22 tells us what He felt.
The Gospels describe the mockery, the piercing, the thirst, the casting of lots. But Psalm 22 places us in the moment, in the depth of His agony, letting us hear His own voice, His own thoughts, His own prayer.
Precision Descriptions
“My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?”
These words were not a random cry; they were the first line of a psalm that Jesus knew by heart. And in speaking them, He was not simply grasping for language—He was embracing the full weight of its meaning.
This psalm is startling in its precision. Written a thousand years before the Cross, it describes with uncanny detail the very things Jesus saw and endured:
“All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads.” (v.7)
“They have pierced my hands and my feet.” (v.16)
“They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” (v.18)
How could David, writing centuries before Roman crucifixion was even known, describe the very wounds of Christ? How could he see so clearly into this moment, into this suffering?
This is the miracle of the Bible. The miracle of prophecy. The miracle of inspiration. The miracle of Psalm 22.
Leading to Joy
But if this psalm only spoke of suffering, it would be unbearable to read. And yet, as we will see, it does not leave us there.
Psalm 22 is not just a psalm of pain—it is a psalm of triumph. It begins with forsakenness, but it does not end there. It moves from lament to proclamation, from suffering to vindication, from the silence of death to the declaration of victory.
“May your hearts live forever! “ (vs. 25)
“All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord.” (v.27)
“For He has done it.” (v.31)
This Lent, we will walk through this psalm together. We will step into its sorrow, wrestle with its mystery, and, in the end, stand in awe of its triumph.
Don’t miss a weekday.
“The Last Lament” begins this Wednesday.
We will begin on Wednesday at 6:12 AM (Central). If you want to join us, please be sure you are a paid subscriber.
Get ready with a Notebook, Pen, your Bible and you will enjoy having my book “The Psalm on the Cross” on Psalm 22 to deepen your reading.
David Roseberry
The Anglican ☩
Perhaps you can invite a friend, family member, or members of a Small Group to join you for the journey.
The Anglican is the Substack newsletter for LeaderWorks, where I share insights, encouragement, and practical tools for clergy and lay Christians. I’m also an author of over a dozen books available on Amazon.