This evening. Our study this
evening is taken from Psalm 88. I want to look at this psalm
in the light of the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified. So
I'm entitling this message, Another Psalm of the Cross. Another Psalm
of the Cross. Now we've already studied in
this series of messages that we have been bringing for the
last year or so, We have already considered Psalm 22, recognized
by everyone as the psalm of the cross. Some of the old commentators
think that the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary's tree quoted the
whole psalm, Psalm 22, more than just verse one. My God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me? It could very well be, I don't
know. But if he did, that's all right, isn't it? He certainly
fulfilled everything that was written there in Psalm 22. We also so far have studied Psalm
69, also recognized by all the commentators down through history
as another Psalm of the cross, where the Lord says, the zeal
of his house has eaten me up. The Lord went about his work
with a zealous, fury in his heart, didn't he, to accomplish God's
purpose in our salvation. So those two Psalms, Psalm 22
and Psalm 69, are Psalms that are commonly known and received
as Psalms of the cross, or Messianic Psalms, concerning the Lord Jesus
Christ and Him crucified. But as I slowly read Psalm 88,
and then backed up and read it again, And when I look at a message
and try to prepare a message from a portion of Scripture,
look at a portion of Scripture, I read it, reread it, and read
it again, and then consider each and every word and punctuation
and everything that's involved in it. because it all has a glorious
message. As I read this psalm and looked
at this psalm, I couldn't help but think that this psalm, as
well as Psalm 22 and Psalm 69, is the psalm of the cross, the
psalm concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And truly, it is so.
All of the psalms are about Him. You remember he said that in
Luke 24 when he began to preach the gospel unto his disciples,
beginning up Moses, and all the prophets, and in the Psalms,
the things written concerning him." So we're on safe ground. Brother Mahan used to teach us
young little preachers when we thought we knew something. He
said, take your text and ski-daddle to the cross. And camp right
there. Take your text and ski-daddle
to the cross. And camp right there because
all scripture is relative to Christ, the Lord Jesus, His person,
His work. All scripture is relative to
who He is, His person and His work. Others who have studied
this psalm, Others that I read after, John Gill, Robert Hawker,
and others. Others that I read after, they
also agreed, they agreed with me. This is a Psalm of the cross. This too is a Psalm of the cross. But notice in the introduction
of Psalm 88 there, it says this is a Psalm for the sons of Korah. Now I told you before that Korah
means a sinner stripped. This psalm is for sinners. This
psalm is for sinners. And you know, when we expand
that out, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is for sinners,
is it not? The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is only good news for sinners. For the Lord Jesus Christ
died for somebody. Are you one of those somebodies
for whom he died? How do I know if I'm one of those somebodies
for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died? In Romans chapter five,
it says that in due time, the Lord Jesus Christ died for the
ungodly. Now, has that described you?
Well, it could be that the Lord Jesus Christ died for your sin,
if he has taught you who you are, for the sin of his covenant
people. Korah means sinner stripped guilty
before God. The Lord Jesus Christ is a faithful
saying. He came to save sinners. Paul
said, I'm the chief one. Who but for redemption and the
price, the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. But for
Christ and Him crucified, we must forever suffer under the
just penalty of God and His wrath against our sin. But seeing the
Lord Jesus Christ took God's judgment, as He took the sin
of God's elect unto Himself, and stood in a sinner's stead
and room, Except the Lord Jesus Christ come and do that for us.
We must forever perish justly Except he stand as our substitute
except he stand as our surety to put away our sin Thank God
for substitution Thank God for satisfaction. Thank God for the
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, our substitute, who made full
and complete satisfaction. And then he did this, says Paul
right to the Thessalonians, he delivered us from the wrath to
come, because he took all that wrath due our sin and completely
satisfied God's holy law. Now it says here also in the
introduction that this is a psalm known as an instruction. Maskel
means instruction. It's the instruction of this
man that is known as Heman, the Ezraite. Now, I don't know a
thing about him, but I do know this. The foundation of God's
stand is sure, the Lord knows him, and the Lord used him to
pen these words for us that we're reading right now. Him and the
Ezraite, like Paul the apostle, determined to know nothing among
you but Jesus Christ and him crucified. That's the very instruction
that God gave him. As we read a moment ago, Christ
crucified unto the Jews is what? Foolishness. Unto the Greeks
it's foolishness. Unto the Jews require a sign. And they don't think much of
that. And we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews, a stumbling block.
Unto the Greeks it's foolishness. But unto us, which are called,
who are called, Christ, the power of God. And Christ, the very
wisdom of God. Can't you say with the Apostle
Paul, God forbid I should glory save in the cross of the blessed
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't this the instruction that
we need? We can't ever get enough of it. God's book, His instruction
concerning the person and work of Christ. Again, we are instructed
by God the Holy Spirit to behold the Lamb of God that takes away
our sin, behold the Lamb of God crucified for us, buried, and
risen again from the dead because he justified us. by His blood,
justified us by His grace. Now let's consider under several
heads in this Psalm 88 verses 1 through 3, I want to consider
the Lord Jesus Christ, not only as a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief, but he was a man of constant prayer unto his father,
looking unto God his father to sustain him, to strengthen him,
to finish his redemptive work. Let's read the first three verses.
Oh Lord, God of my salvation, I have cried, I have cried day
and night, before thee. He was a man of prayer. We're
going to read here in a moment. We'll see again. Let my prayer
come before thee. Incline thine ear unto my cry,
for my soul is full of troubles. My life draws near unto the grave. The Lord Jesus Christ was known
as a man of prayer. Again in this same psalm, look
at verse 9. And mine eye mourneth by reason
of affliction. Lord, I have called daily upon
thee. I've stretched out my hands unto
thee. Again in verse nine. But unto
thee have I cried, O Lord. And in the morning shall my prayer
prevent thee or precede thee? Not at all. Now this is mentioned
several times in this Psalm. The Lord Jesus Christ indeed
was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. But as the God-man
mediator, he was a man of prayer, crying unto his Father for help. Just across the page here in
Psalm 89. In Psalm 89, look at verse 19. Then thou spakest in vision to
the Holy One, and said, I've laid help upon one that is mighty. I've exalted one chosen out of
the people. And again, that is referring
to God Almighty laying help upon the God-man mediator to accomplish
our salvation. Turn to Isaiah 50. The Lord was
constantly looking unto His Father to sustain Him, to bless Him,
to strengthen Him, that He might indeed accomplish all righteousness
for us, establish an everlasting righteousness, and put away our
sin. In Isaiah 50, look at verse 7. For the Lord God will help
me. Therefore shall I not be confounded. Therefore have I set my face
like a flint. I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifies me. Who will contend with me? Let
us stand together. Who is my adversary? Let him
come near. Verse nine, behold, the Lord
God will help me. Who is he that shall condemn
me? Lo, they shall all wax old as a garment. The moth shall
eat them up. We see the resolve in his heart
to accomplish our salvation. But he cries unto the Lord God
to sustain him and to strengthen him. And isn't that exactly what
happened? Now think with me. Let me give
you some examples. In Matthew chapter 4, when the
Lord Jesus Christ was tempted of Satan 40 days in the wilderness,
where he fasted 40 days and Satan came and tempted him and hounded
him and tried to destroy him and tried to ruin him. Did God
sustain him in blessing? Well, in Matthew 4, verse 11,
it says, the angels of God came and ministered unto him, strengthened
him, helped him. Remember now, as God Almighty,
He possesses all power. But never forget that He is the
God-Man Mediator. He is a real man. Bone of our bone and flesh of
our flesh. Again in his agony in the garden. where he cried unto his father,
Lord, if it's possible, let this cup pass from me. And yet he
come to this resolve, nevertheless, not my will, but thy will be
done. He prays in such agony, such
earnestness, such zeal that I know nothing about. I don't know anything
about that kind of prayer. I would like to, I would like
to be so involved and so earnest and in such an agony that my
sweat became great drops of blood. That the pores of my skin just
oozed out with blood. That's exactly what the Lord
Jesus Christ was going through in that agony as our sin was
beginning to be made known unto Him and revealed unto Him and
exposed unto Him the weight of that sin, the guilt of that sin
upon the Holy One. It was a horrible thing. for
Him to consider. And yet in that agony, we read
that He was strengthened there. Turn over here to Luke 22. Let's
see if we can... Luke 22, it might be a good...
Luke 22, 43. He said, Father, verse 42, Luke
22, If Thou be willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless,
not my will, but thy will be done. And there appeared an angel
unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony, he prayed
more earnestly, and his sweat was, as it were, great drops
of blood falling to the ground. I tell you, that's earnestness
in prayer. That's agony in prayer. One more
verse. The point I'm trying to make
here is the Lord Jesus Christ as the God-man mediator. Turn
to Hebrew chapter five. Accomplishing our salvation. Such a tremendous, tremendous
endeavor. The work that God gave him to
do was such a vital, necessary, and important matter for our
very salvation. And yet he looks not to his disciples,
not to the Pharisees, not to anyone but unto his Father to
strengthen him. And he cries day and night. In Hebrews chapter 5, look at
verse 7. Hebrews 5 verse 7, who in the
days of his flesh, when he'd offered up prayers and supplication
with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save
him from death, and was heard in that he feared, though he
were a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he sought,
and being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation
unto all them that obey him. Called of God, high priest forever. Not like Aaron, but like Melchizedek,
an unchanging, unchanging priesthood. Now look back at the text again.
So the first point is this, the Lord Jesus Christ, man of sorrows,
acquainted with grief, but he was a man of prayer. looking
unto God his Father to strengthen him to accomplish our very salvation. The second thing I'm gonna look
at in verse 8. In verse 18, the Lord Jesus Christ
was forsaken of his family, his friends, his disciples, and his
own followers. They forsook him and fled. Read verse 8. Thou hast put away
mine acquaintance, far from me. Thou hast made me an abomination
unto them. He came unto his own people,
his own nation. I tell you what, they hated him.
This is Beelzebub. He's a winebibber. He's a gluttonous
man. Away with him. We have no king
but Caesar. This Jesus, we don't want him
to reign over us. He was made an abomination unto
them. I'm shut up. I cannot come forth. Look at verse 18. Lover and friend, hast thou put far from me mine
acquaintance into darkness. You think of the betrayal. The
selling out, first of all. Think of the selling out of Judas.
Betrayed him with a kiss. Hail, master. And then Peter, Lord, Peter said,
I'll never deny you. These other fellas, John, James,
they're kind of weak. Not me, I'll never deny you. Our Lord said, is that right?
Before that rooster crows three times, you're gonna deny me.
You're gonna deny me. I don't know the man. Why so? Why so? Why was he forsaken of
all men? Let's see what the Scriptures
teach us here. Turn to Matthew 26. Matthew 26. Matthew 26 at verse 52, the Lord tells Peter,
put up your sword. For all they that take the sword
will perish with it. Thinkest thou that I cannot now
pray to the Father, and he shall presently give me more than 12
legions of angels? This small little army that came
to arrest him, that was no problem for him to pray to his father
and send 12 legions of angels. Matthew 26, but look at verse
54. But how then shall the scripture be fulfilled? That thus it must
be in that same hour, said Jesus to the multitude. Are you come
out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I
sat daily with you in the temple teaching. And no man laid hold
on me, but all this was done, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook
him and fled." They fled away. The Scripture might be fulfilled. The Lord Jesus Christ died for
our sin according to the Scriptures, how He died for our sin according
to the Scripture. Now, we've seen something of
this before back in the book of Psalms. Turn back there to
Psalm 38.11. Psalm 38.11. Psalm 38, 11. Again, all this
was done that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Psalm 38, 11. My lovers and friends, and my
friends stood aloof from me, from my soul. My kinsmen stood
afar off from me. Look at Psalm 41, verse 9. Yea,
he said, My own familiar friend, Judas, and whom I trusted, which
did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel. to kick me in the
teeth against me. Again in Psalm 69 verse 8, turn
over there, Psalm 69 verse 8. I am become a stranger unto my
brethren, an alien unto my mother's children. For the zeal of thine
house hath eaten me up, and reproaches of them that reproach thee are
fallen upon me. When I wept and chastened my
soul with fasting, that was to my reproach. I made a sackcloth
also of garment. I become a proverb to them. They
that sit in the gate speak against me. I was a song of a drunkard's. Despised and rejected of men,
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. The Lord Jesus Christ
was forsaken, the family, friends, his disciples, his followers,
his own nation. The Pharisees, the religious
leaders hated him. But all this was done that the
scripture might be fulfilled. But this is also true. This is
also true. All this was done, not only to
fulfill the scripture, but all this was done to show us in a
most clear way that salvation was accomplished by the Lord
Jesus Christ alone. Alone. Now I want you to turn
and read this with me. This will be a blessing to you.
Find Isaiah 63. Isaiah 63. I actually brought a message
from Isaiah 63 this morning. They're impactful. This is a
tremendous scripture. Isaiah 63. It shows here that
the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished salvation by Himself, with Himself,
for His own glory. Who is this? Look at verse 1.
Who is this that cometh from Eden, with dyed garments from
Basra? Now Edom was the camp of the
enemy and Basra was the chief city of the Edomites. He come from the camp of the
enemy, this that is glorious in his apparel, traveling in
the greatness of his strength. Who is this one? The answer,
I that speak in righteousness mighty to save. He's mighty to
save based upon righteousness being fulfilled. He's mighty
to save in that he has all power in heaven and earth. Question
number two, wherefore art thou red in thine apparel and thy
garments like him that treadeth the wine fat? Verse three, I
have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was none
with me. I will tread them in my anger,
and trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled
upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. Look down at verse 5, Isaiah
63. And I looked, and there was none
to help. And I wondered, for this is an
amazing fact, there was none to uphold me, not among men. Therefore my own arm brought
salvation, and my zeal, my fury, it upheld me." Now the point
I'm making is this, that salvation was accomplished by the Lord
Jesus Christ alone. Do you remember on the Day of
Atonement, when Aaron was instructed to go into the Holy of Holies?
On the Day of Atonement, that on that particular day no man
was allowed in that tabernacle anywhere but the high priest
alone. with the blood under the veil
to sprinkle it on the mercy seat. And again, that is a picture
of the Lord Jesus Christ accomplishing salvation by Himself. When He had by Himself purged
our sin, He sat down on the right hand of the throne of God. He
appeared once in the end of the age. These scriptures, that one
I just quoted from Hebrews 1, 3, and this one from Hebrews
9, 26. He appeared once in the end of
the age to put away sin, to put away sin by the sacrifice of
Himself. My friend, He didn't fail in
His purpose to accomplish all of our salvation in doing so,
and He did it by Himself. Alone. Alone. Sacrifice unto God. That was a sweet-smelling savor,
it says in Ephesians chapter 5. Now here's the third point.
We also see, again, that the Lord Jesus Christ, as He hangs
there on Calvary's tree, appointed of God, son of God. This is God's lamb. This is God's appointed, anointed
sacrifice for sin. As he hangs upon Calvary's tree, being sent by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, he suffers the wrath of
God and the affliction of God. on account of our sin being put
on Him. Did you notice that back in our
text? Turn back over there. Psalm 88, look at verse 7. It says, Thy wrath lieth hard upon me. Thou hast afflicted me with all
thy waves. Look at verse 9. My eye mourneth
by reason of affliction. Affliction. Down in verse 14. Lord, why castest thou off my
soul? Why hidest thou thy face from
me? Again, verse 15, he says, I'm
afflicted. I'm afflicted, ready to die for
my youth up while I suffer thy terrors. Oh, distraction. Again, verse 16, thy fierce wrath
goeth over me. Thy terrors, the holy terror
of God's holy justice flies over his soul. Thy terrors have cut
me off. Verse 17, they came round about
me daily like water. They compassed me together. You see something of the soul
agony of the blessed Savior as he dies in our room and in our
stead. These afflictions of God. Turn
to Isaiah 53. You remember this scripture here,
Isaiah 53. And while you're turning to Isaiah
53, I go back, while you're turning to Isaiah 53, I'm gonna read
a portion from Isaiah 63 verse nine. In all their affliction,
he was afflicted. And then in Isaiah 53, you familiar
with this very passage? Scripture, verse 4, Surely he
hath borne our griefs, carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem
him smitten of God, smitten of God, and afflicted. Now those men, those soldiers,
and those Pharisees, you remember that one scripture, Matthew 27,
where it says, Sitting down they watched him there, They nailed
him to the tree, and then them old religious, self-righteous
Pharisees, they sat down and watched him die. They saw the
blood, the agony. They heard what he said, but
what they did not see was the invisible, almighty hand of God
afflicting him for us. You remember that scripture in
Lamentation? Is it nothing to you, all you
that pass by? Behold and see what sorrow, behold
what sorrow that I have, a man of sorrow, a queen of grief,
wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his He speaks from heaven. And he said, this is my beloved
son in whom I'm well pleased. And yet we see him baptized in
the wrath of God's holy anger. There's just one answer to that.
There's just one answer to that. When it pleased God to make His
soul an offering for sin, God made Him sin for us who knew
no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. What a marvel! What a wonder!
He bare our sin in His own body on the tree. The just suffering
for the unjust that He might bring us unto God. What a marvel. I never get over it. He cries
from the cross, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? You
remember, look back at Psalm 22. Psalm 22. Psalm 22, verse
1. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping
me from the words of my roaring? Oh, my God, I cry in the daytime,
but thou hearest not in the night season. I'm not silent, but thou
art holy. I tell the psalm why he is forsaken. Oh, thou that inhabitest the
praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee,
they trusted, now this deliver them. They cried unto thee and were
delivered. They trusted in thee and were not confounded, but
I am a worm. And no man, a reproach of men
and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me
to scorn. They shoot out the lip. They shake their head. If
ye be the Christ, come down, we'll believe you. Why was he forsaken? Why does
he cry out? My friend, our sin was charged
to him. He calls our sin, we studied
in Psalm 40, He calls our sin charged on Him, He calls them
my iniquity. He takes my iniquity to His bosom
and presses it to His heart, so much so that it's one with
Him. I can't explain that, but it's
so. And He suffers the wrath of God.
in my stead, in my room. You remember I've told you before,
it's not what men did at Calvary, that's our hope. It's what God
was doing at the cross, that's our hope. You see those Pharisees,
they sat down and watched him die, but they didn't see the
hand of God afflicting him. charging Him with our sin. In our stead. Now here's the
last. The Lord Jesus Christ not only
suffered our sin, but on account of our sin being laid upon Him,
what does sin demand? Death. He really died. He really died. Look at verse,
you see that in verse 4, 5, and 6. I'm counted with them that
go down to the pit. I'm a man that hath no strength. Dried up like a potsherd, Psalm
22. Free among the dead, or counted
and considered as a dead man. Like the slain that lie in the
grave, whom thou rememberest no more. They're cut off. by
the hand of God. Cut off by the hand of God. See
my friend, the law of God demands that those guilty of sin must
be punished. And the punishment of sin is
death. Death. The wages of sin is death. The Lord Jesus Christ actually
died on account of sin. They took his dead, lifeless
body down from that tree and put it in a grave. That's what
sin demands, death. And he really did die. He redeemed us from the curse
of the law being made a curse for us. Now, what would happen? On that third day, our Lord said,
you destroy this tabernacle, this body, and in three days,
I'll raise it up again. The third day, he came forth
from the tomb, didn't he? What would be the implications?
If there be no resurrection, if Christ be not raised again
from the dead, we see the good news of the gospel. Yes, he did
die. You delivered for our sins, According
to the Scriptures, He would deliver it. Look at the text here. Look at the verse.
Shall the dead rise and praise Thee? Oh yes, yes they will.
Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave, for thy
faithfulness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in
the dark, and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
I cried unto thee, O Lord, in the morning, and in the night,
and I prayed unto thee. And when the morning said to me, Why do
you think that I live in the morning dead, and am not dead?
He is risen. How important, then, is a resurrection, glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ did not
come forth from the tomb. He's an imposter. We have no
time. We better start getting some
lambs and start making, and find us a high priest. The Lord Jesus
Christ is not that great high priest and that lamb of God.
If he didn't come forth from the tomb in that resurrection
glory, we have no hope of salvation. And he's an imposter, as Brother
Mahan used to say, your soul's in hell. If he's not risen and
exalted and enthroned and enclosed. In closing, let us consider this.
Turn to 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15. Oh, the resurrection glory of
the Lord Jesus Christ. If there be no resurrection of
the dead, then is Christ not risen? 1 Corinthians 15, verse
13. Yea, he said that if Christ be
not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also
vain. If Christ be not raised up from
the dead. Yea, and we are found false witnesses
of God. Because we testified of God that
He was raised, that He raised up Christ, whom He raised not
up, if so be that the dead rise not. And if the dead rise not,
then is not Christ raised. And if Christ be not raised,
your faith is in vain, and you're yet in your sin. You see the
implication? Then they also which are fallen
asleep in Christ are perished. You see, because the Lord Jesus
Christ, as a representative man, when He lived, we lived in Him.
When He died, we died in Him. When He was buried, we were buried
in Him. When He arose again, we were
raised in Him. When He was seated in glory,
we were seated in Him. He's a representative man. He's our representative. If in
this life only we have hope in Christ, we're of all men most
miserable. Look, verse 20, but now is. But now is Christ raised
from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death,
by man came also the resurrection of the dead. As in Adam all died,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order,
Christ the firstfruits. the day that our Christ hath
his coming. I love this scripture. It's found
over in Revelation 1, 18. He said, I am he that liveth
and was dead. Behold, I'm alive forevermore,
and I have the keys of hell and death. Our Lord, parting words
to his disciples before Calvary's tree, he said, because I live,
you shall live also. What a blessed gospel message
we have to declare. It's the good news of the gospel.
Turn to Acts chapter three. You read through the preaching
in the book of Acts. Every sermon has this thing. God raised him up. God raised
him up. God raised him up. showing that
he's a victorious Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts chapter
3, we'll just read one verse or two here. Verse 13, Acts 3. The God of Abraham Isaac and
of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his son Jesus,
whom you delivered up, denied him in the presence of Pilate
when he was determined to let him go. You denied the Holy One
and the just and desired a murderer to be granted unto you. And you killed the prince of
life, whom God raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses. We are witnesses. What a blessed
gospel we have. He put away our sin. And he ever lives to intercede
for us. And he's coming back. He said,
I go away to prepare a place for you. If I go away, I'll come
again and receive you.