03-28-2021 - The Enemy of Suffering and Death

“Sixth Sunday of Lent:  The Enemy of Suffering and Death” 
Psalm 31:9-16
Of all the enemies the believer must face, none is more challenging than suffering and death.  The text we are looking at today is one of the most unique passages in the Bible because it tells of the suffering of man and God.  At the same time, few texts in the Bible give us more hope that we will be victorious over these two most formidable of all our enemies than the passage we are looking at today.                     

I Those churches who cannot or do not gather on Good Friday use this Sunday to teach about the death of Jesus, and they call it P_______________ S_________________.

A. How do we get Passion Sunday from the book of Psalms?  The only Bible the early Christians had was the _________ ______________________ and they found in it everything they needed to know about Jesus and his mission.

B. Psalm 31 is about suffering and death, not just the suffering and death __________ experienced, but also the suffering and death ___________ must face.

II First, we see what suffering and death can do to h_________________ l___________.

A. First, David’s p________________________ (31:9-13). 

1. Some are disappointed that David does not tell us s___________________ what is wrong.

2. This Psalm is o_________________ enough in its description of David’s trouble so that a______________ of us can see ourselves in it.

3. In verses 11-13 we find out that there is a p_________________ dimension to his problem.

B. Second, David’s p_____________________ (31:14-15).

1. There is a huge c________________________________ that comes in verses 14-15.

2. But how can David trust when his life is so overwhelmed with heartache?  It is because David had been through many difficult t______________ with God. 

C. Finally, David’s p_________________________ (31:16).

 -Verse 16 concludes our text with __________ petitions:

 1. “Let your face s_______________ on me.”

 2. He asks God to rescue him with his u___________________________ love.  

III Second, we see what suffering and death did to ______________________.  This Psalm is a lament by David, but the authors of the Gospels also saw it as a m___________________ i_______________ of what Jesus endured.
 
A. First the p_____________ of Jesus (31:9-13).

1. Verses 9-10, which speak of David’s distress, anguish, and groaning, clearly anticipate the experience of Jesus on the __________________. 

2. What David says about h______________ in verse 13, Luke says about ________________ in Luke 19:47.

B. Second, the p____________ of Jesus (31:14-15).

 -At the height of his suffering Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” but his last words on the cross are the words of t_______ p___________, “Father into your hands I commit my spirit.” 

C. Finally, the p_____________ of Jesus (31:16).

1. There is a c________________ d___________________ between the prayer of David and the prayer of Jesus.

2. Jesus did not ask God to take the evil of his enemies and turn it back on t_____________; Jesus asked to take the evil on h________________ and transform it into the grace that saves rather than damns.

IV What do we see in Psalm 31?

A. We see that __________________ chose to express his suffering with the same words _________________________ used to express his suffering.

B. What does that mean?

 1. First, it means that God h__________ and a__________________ our lament.

2. Second, if Jesus lamented what happened to him, that means he really f_______________ it.

3. Third, it means Jesus f____________ his whole self with every fear, pain, and sorrow the human race has ever known, and he took these things into himself so that he could be v_________________ over them all, and so that people, through their faith and trust in Jesus, could a_________ be victorious.