As you know, we’ve been working through the book of Psalms as a church in our series, Pour Out Your Heart to Him.

As Ryan said on Sunday, in God’s good providence, our series has brought us to a set of three psalms that, together, are an especially good fit for Christmas. Psalm 22, 23, and 24 aren’t specifically about Jesus’ incarnation, but they are famous for pointing God’s people forward to Christ. The arrival of Christ in the world inaugurated the fulfillment of each of these Psalms.

• Psalm 22 points forward to Jesus’ death (The cross)
• Psalm 23 points forward to Christ, who is the promised Good Shepherd (The shepherd’s crook)
• Psalms 24 is about the coming King of Glory, who is Jesus (The crown)

So, we’re calling these three messages, The Cross, The Crook, The Crown.

There are some psalms we do well to know well. These are three of them. And each of these psalms and, therefore, each of these sermons will be a good opportunity for bringing a friend or family member to church. For some suggestions on how to take advantage of this season for sharing the gospel, read last week’s post, “Who is Jesus? A Good Time for an Important Question.” And don’t forget to pick up some Invitation Cards for this year’s Christmas weekend services.

In his sermon on Psalm 23, “Has God Forsaken Me?,” Ryan closed his message with a nice summary of what the psalm meant in its original context, how it pointed to and was fulfilled in the event of Christ’s death, and how it can be applied to us:

David felt forsaken by God amidst terrible suffering. He fought against his doubt and despair by recounting God’s ways and faithfulness in the past. He also kept asking God for help. Eventually God answered. But in God’s orchestration David also pointed ahead 1000 years to the coming of the one who would bring the true victory, the final hope, the sure help, and the deepest deliverance. This Jesus, the true Son of David and Righteous King, took on suffering and death by bearing sin. His suffering wasn’t symbolic or hyperbole; it was true and real. He didn’t just feel forsaken by God, but he was forsaken by God because he was bearing sin. But God rescued him; on the third day he rose and now lives forever and ever. Therefore his “gospel” is trustworthy. He did what he came to do, and he did it to the full.

Jesus came to die in our place. He died so that we might live. He was beaten so that we might have peace. He was bloodied so that we might be healed. He was rejected so that we might be accepted. He was despised so that we might be loved. He was forsaken so that we might be received. He suffered so that we might be comforted. He took on judgment so that we might be declared righteous.

He welcomes us to come to him, be saved, be reconciled, to join in worship, and to join him in his plan for spreading his glory in this world. So now when we feel forsaken, when we feel like he doesn’t hear us, we can trust him. He answers prayer, even if in His timing. His timing is perfect. His plan is sure. And one day all suffering and doubt and despair will be wiped away completely, for those who are His. It’s not done yet, so we still grope after Him; we still fight away our doubt and despair. We do that by learning from David’s model in Psalm 22, but also by seeing the fullest reality of Psalm 22 in the cross of Christ.

Reading through the Psalms, you might ask yourself this question from time to time.

For example, several weeks ago in his sermon, “The Lord is My Rock,” Ryan preached from Psalm 18, where David writes:

The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt. So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. – Psalm 18:20-24

Twice here David says he is righteous, and that his hands are clean. Once is already one too many times for those who accept the biblical doctrine of sin. We aren’t righteous. We don’t have clean hands.

So, what’s going on here?

If we were to sit down with David and ask him to explain what he meant, what would he say?

One way to get an answer to that is to look at the other things he has said.

First, as Ryan pointed out, David knows he is a great sinner.

There are plenty of places where David confesses great sin. Psalm 14, 32, and 51, for example, reveal the depth of David’s self-understanding as a rebel in God’s world. In Psalm 143:2, he says clearly, “no one living is righteous before you.” With that clarification, a clear takeaway from David’s reflection in Psalm 18 is to say that God loves and, indeed, God rewards obedience. Inasmuch as David was obedient, God was pleased to reward David, even if this isn’t all there is to say about David or God’s dealings with him or us.

But there is more to see from David’s own writing.

Second, David knows where any human goodness or greatness comes from: God!

This comes out beautifully in his prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:10-14:

Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.”

In his helpful article, “Who Owns Greatness?,” our friend, Fred Zaspel, helps us to see the significance of David’s words in this passage and on this subject. I’ll quote a large portion of the article here, though the whole piece is worth reading:

The gist of David’s praise is clear enough — God rules over all in greatness, power, glory, victory, and unrivaled majesty. But notice that David’s thinking goes much deeper than just that. He does not say that God is great. He says that greatness belongs to God. He does not say that God is majestic. He says that majesty belongs to God. “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power,” and so on. It is one thing to say that God is great, but it is quite another step to acknowledge that greatness itself — all greatness — is his. That is to say, whatever greatness we see in this world is a borrowed greatness, on loan from God. Whatever power there is, it is a power that comes from God. It is all his. And whatever measure of greatness we have — physical, moral, political, societal, financial — we have it because God has condescended to share it with us. “Both riches and honor come from you,” David says, because it is all his to begin with.

We need to learn this well. It is a massively humbling truth: the more we do for God the more we are indebted to God for the honor of it. I can take no credit for any measure of greatness or goodness I may possess, for it is all a gift from God.

Having recognized all this David takes the inevitable next step of worship. He prays that God will continue to show this favor to his people, and keep their hearts for himself. “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you. Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made provision” (1 Chronicles 29:18-19).

So, God does reward obedience. But at the end of the day, our obedience and, thus, God’s favor is not a credit to our own greatness, but to the God of all greatness. David gets that. God is great in Himself and is the source of any greatness we find in the world, or any greatness that we ourselves possess.

Finally, David knows that God will provide a son who will eclipse him in greatness and wholehearted obedient to God.

He wouldn’t have been able to speak about Christ with the kind of clarity that we have from our position. Indeed, Peter tells us that the prophets “searched and inquired carefully” to understand where exactly all of God’s promises were pointing (1 Peter 1:10). David was in that boat.

But threaded through David’s prayers is the expectation of a messiah to come. Sometimes that expectation is pronounced and glowing. Sometimes it shows up in confessions of what God requires that show us David’s desire, but also his own inadequacy as God’s king. He is not God’s ultimate solution. In Hebrews 10:5-10 the author of Hebrews made this connection when he quoted David from Psalm 40, writing about Christ:

When Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” . . .then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

As Christians, we can thank God that He rewards obedience, and we can thank Him for providing the obedience He requires of us in Christ.

Jesus is our obedient King. He was obedient to his Father’s will in everything, unlike us. And he was obedient to his Father’s will in everything for us, “to the point of death, even death on a cross,” (Philippians 2:8). In Christ, we inherit the reward for the obedience that Christ performed.

As we read the Psalms and learn to pray them together, it’s good to know who we’re listening to and to know who these writers think they are. David knows he’s a sinner, that his greatness is from God, and that God’s promise to save His people rests on God’s own faithfulness to fulfill His Word.

With Christmas in mind, it’s good to know who we’re celebrating and what we’re proclaiming: the one with clean hands and a righteous life, who gives to those who believe in him the reward for both.

If there is a month in the year that invites this question, December is it.

We want a clear answer to that question for ourselves, of course. But we want to be able to answer that question clearly for others, and especially those who are asking that question seriously for the first time.

Here are some suggestions for how to bring Christ to our family, friends, and neighbors during Christmas:

First, get clear on what the Scripture says about Christ and what He came to do.

One place get a quick and helpful summary of Jesus’ person and work is our new “Who is Jesus?” page, recently added with the refresh of the website. This was written primarily with the curious unbeliever in mind, but being clear on the identity and work of Jesus Christ is certainly important for our daily Christian life, and for our communication of the gospel. Print it out. Mark it up. Look up verses. Meditate. And pray for a chance to answer the question Who is Jesus?

Second, pray for God to provide a door for the gospel and an ask others to join you in praying for the same. 

In Paul’s letters we find this kind of “prayer request” a regular thing. Paul asked the Colossian church, “pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ” (4:3). And in his letter to the church at Ephesus, he wrote, “[pray] for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” So, pray for a door for the gospel, for the spiritual alertness to see it, and the boldness to walk through it.

Third, pick up a Christmas Servies Invitation Card, and invite a friend to church.

This year Christmas falls on a Sunday. That means we have a full Christmas weekend coming up. Our Christmas Eve services will be at 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM on Saturday night, December 24. Our Sunday services will be at the regular times. And, of course, that Christmas is on a Sunday is a treat for those who know why it is that Jesus was born: the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It’s also a time where people are more open to visiting a church than at other times of the year. So, pick up or download our Christmas Services Invitation Card and email or pass it along.

Fourth, pick up a copy of Bringing the Gospel Home, by Randy Newman.

As the subtitle helpfully describes, this book is about “Witnessing to Family Members, Close Friends, and Others Who Know You Well.” This book is available at the Resource Center, and is offered now as a free download from Crossway Books. We posted a blog with a video about this book a number of months ago, so if this recommendation peaks your interested, revisit that post.

Fifth, browse our titles at the Resource Center for possible gifts.

Last week we posted a list of resources being featured at the Resource Center this month. Some may be a match for someone you know. Review the list or stop by during the week or on a Sunday.

In December, we are highlighting a number of titles at the Resource Center and offering wild and crazy discounts on a few of them.

Two books we have available tuned specifically for Christmas are from Nancy Guthrie. Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room: Daily Family Devotions for Advent, is a series of Christward advent reflections. And, Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas, edited by Nancy Guthrie, is a compilation of twenty fine essays related to Christmas by Christian pastors and scholars, such as John Piper, Charles Spurgeon, Randy Alcorn, and Tim Keller.

Then, of course, there are a number of books that we regularly carry that would make for a great Christmas gift. Here are a few of them:

• Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Wayne Grudem
• Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist, John Piper
• King’s Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus, Timothy Keller
• The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name, Sally Lloyd-Jones
• Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God, Bruce Ware
• Disciplines of a Godly Man, Kent Hughes
• Feminine Appeal: Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother, Carolyn Mahaney
• The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God’s Story, D.A. Carson
• Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know, Wayne Grudem

In addition, we’re offering 50% off a number of titles from previous guest speakers, including books from Wayne Grudem, Carl Trueman, and G.K. Beale, and a number of other books are on sale for $3.00.

Finally, you can pick up a bundle of three DSC CD’s, discounted together for $12.00, including Cause for Praise, Psalterium, Vol. 1, and The Growing Place (a children’s CD).

Stop by the Resource Center this month for resources that center our lives on the One who has life in Himself, Jesus Christ.

Also, if you’re looking for a book to buy for a friend or family member but don’t find a good match at the Resource Center, you can always browse our Resource Page for a thorough list of recommendations organized by topic.

In Sunday’s sermon, “God’s Words–Better than Gold,” Ryan unpacked the second half of Psalm 19, which is something like a love song about God’s Word. God’s Word, says David, is perfect, sure, right, pure, and clean. It revives the soul, makes wise the simple, rejoices the heart, endures forever. It’s better than much fine gold and sweeter than honey. All of this is true because it is true of the One who gave it to us. The Bible is the “Word of the Lord.”

If the Bible is true and it really is the Word of God, then what it says about itself must be true. It also does what it says it does. The Bible is, as Ryan said on Sunday, self-authenticating. It proves itself true. C.H. Spurgeon put it this way: “Scripture is like a caged lion. I defend the truthfulness of the Bible the same that I would defend a caged lion. I don’t need to defend the lion to prove to others that he is a lion. I simply need to let the lion out of his cage.”

If you’re interested in learning more about what the Bible is and how the Bible works, there are several resources worth checking out. First, a few years ago Ryan conducted a four part Saturday Seminar, The Reliability of the Bible, and the audio is available online.

Additionally, there are now two books at the Resource Center at a super cheap price that are worth picking up:

• Reverberation: How God’s Word Brings Light, Freedom, and Action to His People, Jonathan Leeman
• One-to-One Bible Study: A Simple Guide for Every Christian, David Helm

Finally, if you missed Clarus this past April, the theme of the conference was, Scripture: God Speaks. In the course of his talks, G.K. Beale mentioned three things that discourage us from reading our Bibles: 1) Media immersion, 2) Busyness, and 3) Expecting the sensational. These conference talks are full of helpful reflections like this. Here are links to the talks from this year’s conference:

• “The Effects of Meditating on God’s Word,” G.K. Beale
• “The Prophetic Word: What Preaching Is and Is Not,” Carl Trueman
• “How to Guard the Good Deposit of Scripture,” G.K. Beale
• “Scripture’s Authority: An Ancient Doctrine,” Carl Trueman
• “The Centrality of Scripture in Marriage,” G.K. Beale
• “A Clear and Present Word: Luther and the Clarity of Scripture,” Carl Trueman
• “Receiving and Resounding God’s Word,” G.K. Beale
• “Like Sheep without a Shepherd,” Carl Trueman

The Law of the Lord is perfect, and it is perfect because the Lord is perfect. Therefore, it is good for us to make a big deal out of it, to read it, to hear it, to memorize it, and to speak it. It’s also right for us to respond as David did with the kind of prayer David prayed: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).