SERMON SPOTLIGHT * 6/8/25
If Jesus is what we need most, and according to Jesus, the Psalms are about him, then we need to know where to find Jesus in the Psalms. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.
SERIES: Summer in the Psalms, Vol. 3
TEXT: Luke 24:44
TITLE: Seeing Jesus in the Psalms
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
POINTS:
I. Jesus is the Righteous Sufferer in the Psalms
II. Jesus is “the Lord” of the Psalms
III. Jesus is the Ultimate King in the Psalms
SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.
ILLUSTRATION: Where’s Waldo search path optimization
“Whether you’re a Where’s Waldo fan or not, I have good news this morning. You don’t need to create a search path optimization to find Jesus. Jesus tells you right where he can be found. In a critical moment of sorrow, doubt, and confusion, Jesus brought clarity by showing [the disciples] himself in the Psalms. In essence, Jesus is saying—the Psalms are about me.”
“Today, minus the algorithms and big data, I want to show how we find Jesus in the Psalms. The Psalms are about Jesus. And if Jesus is what we need most, and according to Jesus, the Psalms are about him, then we need to know where to find Jesus in the Psalms.”
“A constant theme in Psalms is suffering. Psalm after psalm, we hear the voice of suffering. It’s a big reason we are drawn to the Psalms. We can all relate to suffering.”
“Most of the time, that voice belongs to David. But whoever the voice belongs to, there are a handful of commonalities:
In contrast to their enemies, they are seen as righteous
As dark as their prayers get, they are filled with unshakeable hope
Their prayers reveal a faith-filled expectation, a confidence that God will vindicate them in the end”
“These are the prayers of those who suffer as sinners should suffer, but in their suffering, they look to God as a righteous person should.”
“But there is only one truly righteous person. There is only one person whose suffering is truly unjust. There is only one person whose confidence in God is unshakeable. Jesus Christ is the Righteous sufferer in the Psalms, not because of or for himself, but for us.”
“Example 1: Acts 2:25-31—When Peter explained the resurrection and vindication of Jesus in his great sermon in Acts 2:25-28, he quoted the hopeful words of the suffering king in Psalm 16 to show that David was not referring to himself but to Jesus.”
“Example 2: Nowhere is Jesus as the righteous sufferer of the Psalms more clear than in Psalm 22, which starts—My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Not only are the incomprehensible horrors of God’s wrath poured out on Jesus at the cross revealed, but Christ’s vindication through his resurrection is revealed in 22 when Hebrews 2:11-13 says the words—I will tell of your name to my brothers, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you, words spoken by Jesus—are a fulfillment of a to a victorious Jesus.”
“We could go on and on—Psalm 6, Psalm 69, Psalm 18, Psalm 31—over and over, the Psalms prophetically point us to Christ as the ultimate Righteous Sufferer.”
“Over and over, the Psalms say something of God that the NT attributes to Jesus, particularly as the one who rules and judges the world. It’s paradoxical. The one who in his full humanity had to learn the Psalms as a boy is, in his eternal divine nature, “the Lord” of the Psalms appointed to be the Judge of all as King of kings and Lord of Lords.”
“Psalm 94:1 describes the Lord as the God of vengeance who will one day give his enemies what they deserve. When Paul impresses the importance of sanctification and the pursuit of holiness in 1 Thessalonians 4, he says in 6 that Jesus himself is the Great Avenger of all things.”
“Psalm 7:9 and 26:2 talk about God as the one who tests the minds and hearts of people and judges their works. Of course, John wrote in Revelation 2:23 that the risen Jesus declared to the church in Thyatira that HE is the one who searches the mind and heart and judges them by their works.”
“The clearest passage that reveals Jesus is the Lord of the Psalms is in Hebrews 1, where the author quotes Psalm 102—read 102:24-27.”
“What a tremendous celebration of the eternal nature and purposes of God. Creation is wearing out and fleeting, but He stands unchanged by time, the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Behold your God!—Now turn to Hebrews 1:10-12.”
“In a letter meant to show the supremacy of Jesus in and over all things, the author identifies Jesus as the Lord of Psalm 102, who created all things and one day will roll all things up like a garment as the unchanging Lord of the universe.”
“In a world filled with injustice, this truth applies every day. We must remember we’re not in heaven yet. We can and must trust the Lord with people and situations that seem unfair or unjust, knowing the Lord of the Psalms will return one day, and when he does, he will bring ultimate and final judgment, making all things right.”
“David, the loudest human voice in the Psalms, was God’s chosen King for His people. But when we read the Psalms we find another king, a future king, a greater king.”
“Psalm 110, Tom’s text next week, is one of the foremost messianic texts in the OT. It is also the most quoted psalm in the NT. The LORD says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool…(5) The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. Jesus quoted these verses In Matthew 22, Mark 12, and Luke 20 to show the Pharisees the authority, greatness, and ultimate kingship of the messiah, even over David.”
“In each of those gospels, just a few chapters later, Jesus quoted Psalm 110 as an indirect affirmation to the high priest’s question—Are you the Christ, the Son of God? In Acts 2:34-35, Peter connects Psalm 110 to the gospel. Four times, the writer of Hebrews connects Psalm 110 to show Jesus as the supreme prophet, priest, and king. Paul repeatedly alluded to Psalm 110 in places like Romans 8:34, 1 Corinthians 15:25, Ephesians 1:20, and Colossians 3:1 to show that Jesus is seated at God's right hand. Simply put—Psalm 110 is about Jesus as the ultimate king in the position of cosmic power at the right hand of God.”
“This is why we should love the Psalms. Not because they are relatable but because they are redemptive. Not because they are poetic but because they are prophetic, pointing us to our living and lasting hope in the King of kings, Jesus Christ.”
“Kings make decrees. Jesus, the King of kings, Lord of lords, the innocent suffering one, has said the Psalms are about me. Look for me in Psalms.”
“If you want maximum benefit and fruit from the Psalms this summer, we all do—look for Jesus. You don’t need a search path optimization chart to find him. He’s there on every page as the Righteous Sufferer, the Ultimate King, and The Lord. Not because of original language or the NT writers say so, but according to his own words—These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled—Luke 24:44”
QUOTES:
Hans-Joakim Kraus- “If the prayer language of Israel expresses the collective troubles, the sufferings of those forsaken by God, which far transcend the specific destiny of an individual, then, according to the testimony of the early church, it is Jesus alone who fulfills this claim. He not only identifies himself with all the suffering that finds expression in the Psalms uttered in the presence of God, but also he alone is the servant of God, in whose life and death are fulfilled all the sufferings of all those who cry out in prayer. He alone is able to take upon himself the indescribable totality of what it means to be forsaken by God and to be far from his presence.”
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Hebrews 12:2-4
Psalm 2
Acts 13
APPLICATION:
Don’t settle for David’s suffering. Everyone suffers. Suffering is an inescapable reality of living in a fallen world. One way we deal with suffering is by finding comfort and hope in the examples of others who have suffered (2 Corinthians 1:4). But human experience is not the ultimate answer, even a man like David who suffered well because he always allowed his suffering to lead him to God. But we cannot settle for David’s suffering as our hope. Be it your own suffering or the suffering of others, look to the One who suffered beyond what you will ever suffer for you.
Take time this summer to study NT quotes and allusions to the Psalms. As a pastor, I love a good commentary. But the Analogy of Faith says Scripture best interprets Scripture. The NT is the best commentary on the Psalms. Make it easy. Start with the footnotes in Bible. There are four or five just on Hebrews 1 alone.
SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Come Thou Fount
My Redeemers Love
The Wonderful Cross
God Of Every Grace
Glorious Christ
NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Psalm 110
THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:
