Psalm 22 and the Crucifixion of Jesus: A Theological Key to Understanding the Mystery of Redemptive Suffering

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Introduction

On the heights of Golgotha, amid a silence torn by agony, Jesus utters words that resound with unsettling power:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34).
These words, far from being an expression of despair, are in fact the opening line of Psalm 22, an ancient song that reveals the heart of the suffering Messiah. This psalm not only astonishingly foreshadows the Passion of Christ, but also offers us a spiritual compass to navigate our own moments of trial, darkness, and abandonment.

This article will take you on a deep journey through Psalm 22—its history, its fulfillment on the cross, and its spiritual and theological significance. We will explore it as a practical guide for daily life, from a traditional Catholic perspective, while maintaining the closeness, pedagogy, and pastoral inspiration needed for any reader, at any stage of faith, to find in these lines a wellspring of comfort and meaning.

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I. Psalm 22: Context and History

Psalm 22 was composed by King David about a thousand years before the birth of Christ. It is a psalm of lament, from a man who feels completely abandoned by God in the midst of terrible suffering. Yet this lament is not faithless—it is deeply trusting. The psalmist cries out from anguish, but he does so knowing that God hears.

From the earliest centuries of Christianity, the Church Fathers saw in this psalm a direct Messianic prophecy. St. Augustine, for instance, said that “David wrote as if he himself were Christ,” while St. Jerome called it “the Gospel of the Passion in the form of a poem.”

Let us look at some key lines from the psalm that echo in Christ’s Passion:

• “All who see me mock me” (Psalm 22:7) → Cf. Matthew 27:39
• “They have pierced my hands and my feet” (Psalm 22:16) → Cf. John 20:25
• “They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing” (Psalm 22:18) → Cf. John 19:23–24

This level of literal fulfillment makes Psalm 22 a direct bridge between the Old and New Testaments, between the Messianic hope and its realization in Christ.

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II. Theological Relevance: The Mystery of Abandonment

1. Did God truly abandon His Son?

Jesus’ cry from the cross has been a source of perplexity and scandal. Can God abandon God? Catholic theology firmly responds: No.

What Jesus expresses is not an actual rupture in the Trinity, but rather the human experience of abandonment, just as so many righteous figures in Scripture experienced it. Jesus, true God and true man, enters fully into human suffering, even the feeling of divine silence, to redeem it from within.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:

“Jesus did not experience rejection by the Father. He expresses it in human terms, from the depths of his human soul.” (cf. CCC §603)

This cry from the cross is a prayerful invocation, not a blasphemy or reproach. It is a way of embracing the entire Psalm 22, from sorrow to hope, from lament to praise.

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III. Spiritual Structure of the Psalm: From Lament to Praise

One of the wonders of Psalm 22 is its arch-like structure. It begins in the depths of suffering, but ends in an explosion of trust and praise:

• Verses 1–21: Human pain, loneliness, injustice.
• Verses 22–31: God’s triumph, universal hope, worship by all nations.

This inner movement shows us that faith does not consist in avoiding suffering but in journeying through it with meaning, until we reach the glory revealed in the Resurrection.

On the cross, Jesus not only proclaims the beginning of the Psalm: He lives it in full. His death is not the final word. The “why?” becomes “I will declare your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you” (Psalm 22:22). This is the same dynamic we find in the liturgy of the Easter Triduum, where Good Friday prepares the way for the Easter Vigil.

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IV. Pastoral and Spiritual Guide: How to Apply Psalm 22 in Daily Life

1. Pray from the darkness without fear

Many believers feel guilty for experiencing doubt, dryness, or the sense that God is silent. Psalm 22 teaches us that it is legitimate to pray from pain, even when we feel nothing. Jesus did it. So can you.

🕯 Practical tip: When you feel abandoned, pray Psalm 22 out loud. Don’t just read it—make it your personal prayer. Join your voice to Christ’s.

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2. Rediscover trust amid suffering

Every line of the psalm is infused with trust, even amid abandonment:

“You are He who brought me out of the womb; You made me trust while on my mother’s breasts” (Psalm 22:9)

God never ceases to be Father, even when you don’t feel it. Trust, even when your soul is broken.

🕯 Practical tip: Keep a spiritual journal where you write down your own “verses of abandonment,” followed by your “verses of hope.” Imitating the structure of the psalm helps you transition from sorrow to trust.

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3. Offer your suffering united to the Cross

Psalm 22 teaches that suffering offered up has redemptive power. We are not called to seek pain, but to give it meaning in Christ.

🕯 Practical tip: When you experience physical or emotional pain, say in your heart: “Jesus, I unite myself to your cross as in Psalm 22. Receive this wound as prayer.”

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4. Accompany those who suffer with honest words

This psalm is a powerful pastoral resource for accompanying the sick, the depressed, or those in mourning. It is not about giving quick answers, but being present with them as Jesus was in Gethsemane.

🕯 Practical tip: When visiting someone who is suffering, bring a printed copy of Psalm 22. Read it with them, pausing at the verses that move them most. The Word will do its work.

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5. Celebrate the triumph of hope

The psalm ends on a note of victory:

“For the kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth shall eat and worship” (Psalm 22:28–29)

Suffering is not the end. It is the path to eternal glory. Just as the psalm ends in praise, so our lives are meant to.

🕯 Practical tip: End each day by repeating the last verse of the psalm:
“They will come and declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born, that He has done this.” (Psalm 22:31)
It is a way of living in praise—even after tears.

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Conclusion: Psalm 22 as a Map of Our Own Passion

Psalm 22 is not a distant text nor only for theologians. It is a song for every human heart that has known pain, injustice, mockery, or darkness—and that, nonetheless, chooses to trust.

By quoting it on the cross, Jesus not only showed us how He suffered, but how we should live our own crosses: with faith, with hope, and with the certainty that the Father never abandons His children.

In a world wounded by suffering, confusion, and meaninglessness, Psalm 22 remains a shining guide that awakens faith, strengthens hope, and renews love. May it be for you a constant prayer, a living catechesis, and a key to enter the mystery of the Cross—not as failure, but as the path to eternal life.

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“They will come and declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born, that He has done this.”
(Psalm 22:31)
And you—have you begun to proclaim it?