Good Friday - Psalm 22:1-2 Now Available by Jess Fox

Psalm 22:1-2 is now available on all streaming platforms!

THE VERSE

[1] My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

[2] O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,

and by night, but I find no rest.

Psalm 22:1-2

The words above were penned by King David and then repeated by Jesus a thousand years later while hanging bloody and naked from a Roman cross. This gut wrenching prayer gives voice to a pain and loneliness experienced that’s hard to express. The honesty that the psalmist opens up with is almost uncomfortable to read, like we accidentally stumbled upon someone’s prayer diary. Is it even ok to talk like this to God? While we’re unsure of the exact situation David found himself in, these are the words of someone who is experiencing a deep sense of abandonment and distance and silence from God. Restless and unheard. While there’s so much to gain from these verses, we want to make two observations this Good Friday about the passage:

First, like Jesus we must learn to allow the Scriptures to speak on our behalf when we’re in times of suffering or feeling so beaten down we lack the words to pray to God! In “The Songs of Jesus,” Tim Keller comments:

“Jesus answered every one of Satan’s assaults with passages from Deuteronomy. As he was carrying the cross he cited the prophet Hosea, and as he was dying in agony he quoted both Psalm 22:1 and Psalm 31:5. Jesus was so saturated in the Word of God that it spontaneously came to his mind, enabling him to interpret and face every challenge. There are modern imitations of what Jesus had—relaxation techniques, stress management, positive thinking, mystical forms of contemplation. But nothing can duplicate it. God’s Word was what sustained God’s incarnate Word when he lived and when he died. Accept no substitutes.”

The Bible and its prayers are a wonderful resource for us as we want to learn to engage God! Allow it to form and expand your prayer vocabulary. How might we too become so saturated in His Word that it spills out of us so effortlessly and spontaneously too?

Second, in Psalm 22 Jesus is not only quoting Scripture but also fulfilling it… On the cross, Jesus was being forsaken in our place. In Romans 5:6–7, Paul says, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” Who were the weak and ungodly? You. Me. All of us! The religious and irreligious alike. Each of us were ultimately the ones who deserved to be crucified on that tree, not Jesus! In the words of Isaiah 53:6, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

We were the ones who deserved to be forsaken and cast aside, not the perfect Son of God… Jesus prayed, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” so that we could pray instead, “My God, my God, why have you received me?” Through Jesus, we are not forsaken but received. We are not far, but near. We are not ignored, but heard. This is why Good Friday is so good. May our eyes and hearts be wide open today to this staggering but beautiful reality that took place at Calvary.

THE SONG & THE ARTIST

This song was written by Jessica Fox, and in turn recorded with Paul Zach (acoustic and vocals) and Orlando Palmer (piano and vocals). Keiko Ying also joined them on cello. It was mixed by Brian Eichelberger and mastered by Connor Hedge. We asked Jessica what her experience was working on and recording this song, and here were some of her thoughts:

One of the things that I always appreciate about this passage is that there is no immediate resolution. There is no pretty bow to tie it all up at the end of the verse. Jesus is left to sit in His grief and despair. I find it comforting to know that He understands how that feels.

The writing process for this one was actually very natural. Since the lyrics were already there, the melody came pretty quickly without feeling forced. Singing "why are You so far from saving me" was the immediate first thing that came to me.

This is such an exciting project and I'm hopeful that people will feel a connection to it!

You can find Jess Fox on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jessfox.official/) or here (https://jessfoxofficial.com).

You can find Orlando Palmer on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/iamsonmusic).

You can find Paul Zach on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/paulzachmusic/) or here (www.paulzachmusic.com).

Song credits: 

Written by Jessica Fox

Vocals by Jessica Fox, Paul Zach, and Orlando Palmer

Acoustic guitar by Paul Zach

Piano by Orlando Palmer

Cello by Keiko Ying

Mixed by Brian Eichelberger

Mastered by Connor Hedge

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