William Hemsworth's Blog, page 88

Socialist: Can A Faithful Catholic Be One?

Over the last few months I have seen a lot of chatter on Twitter about socialism and Catholicism. Can this economic system be a viable option for a Catholic? Is it compatible with church teaching? In March I had the honor of interviewing two great people on the subject. I asked the question, can a catholic be a socialist?

Background On The Socialist Debate

The two people I interviewed in March are Sam Rocha and Trent Horn. They had a fascinating debate on this subject back in June that I recommend everyone watch.

Sam says it is possible and Trent says it is not. When interviewing them I wanted to have a great conversation and not rehash the debate. I hope I accomplished my goal. Below are my conversations with each.

Sam Rocha: A Catholic Can Be A Socialist

Sam says that it is possible It was an informing conversation for me and Sam discusses some papal documents and the work of saints. I really enjoyed this conversation with Sam. It was engaging, lot of fun, and I learned quite a bit. Sam is an accomplished author, musician, and a professor at the University of British Columbia. Enjoy!

Trent Horn: A Catholic Cannot Be A Socialist

Trent Horn is an accomplished author, an apologist at Catholic Answers, and a profess or apologetics at Holy Apostles College. I really enjoyed my conversation with Trent and learned a lot in the process. I’m sure you will as well. Enjoy!

Sign up for my weekly newsletter for my top content from across the web. God Bless!

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5 (more) Youtube Channels To Check Out

I love Youtube. I admit that I watch videos on Youtube more than Hulu, Netflix, or any other streaming platform. About a month I ago I posted about five channels that you should check out. That was over on Patheos, and since I am no longer writing over there here is the addendum. These Youtube channels will help you grow in your faith. After each channel mentioned will be a video for you to preview.  The channels listed are done so in no particular order.

1. A Catholic Wife Youtube Channel

This channel is great! Deena (the owner of the channel) has highly engaging content about the sacraments, living a virtuous life, and even some apologetics. The following is from the about section of the channel:

My name is Deena. I am a traditional (cradle) Catholic, happily married, full-time homemaker, & mother of four daughters. Striving for an extraordinary life My channel will be a place where I will share content covering my passions for sacramental marriage, Traditional Catholicism, & homemaking.

Her recent video on confession is listed below.

2. Virgin Most Powerful Radio

I have a confession. When I’m writing throughout the day this channel is on in the background. The channel has live content Monday through Friday from 9am-1pm. The channel will challenge you to stand up for the faith in your daily life, help you with apologetics, and strengthen your prayer life.

This channel has a great lineup of shows that feature Jesse Romero, Terry Barber, and Gary Michuta among others. Below is a link to today’s broadcast.

3. The Coming Home Network Youtube Channel

The Coming Home Network has a special place in my heart. As a Protestant seminarian they assisted me with the answers and materials I needed. If you like conversion stories then this is the channel for you. They are the producers of the popular EWTN program The Journey Home.

Though they are known for this program there is so much more. They also have great programs such as On The Journey and Deep In History.

4. David L. Gray

David is a straight shooter and tells it like it is. His videos are hard hitting and full of truth. In addition to the Youtube channel, David is a radio show host with a show on Guadalupe Radio every Wednesday at 4pm CST.

David uploads clips from his radio show, news items, videos about freemasonry, and how to live a more virtuous life. David is a convert to Catholicism by the way of Agnosticism and Protestantism. He is also a former Freemason. He currently resides in the Greater Saint Louis, Missouri area and is the President and Publisher of Saint Dominic’s Media Inc.

5. William Albrecht

William is a theologians theologian. The videos that he makes are packed with tons of great information. If you fail to learn anything from his videos then you are at fault. You just weren’t paying attention.

He delves deeply into the church fathers, Marian doctrines, trinitarian theology, and Christology. His channel is like a seminary on Youtube.

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Eucharist: 10 Early Church Quotes

I am a convert to the Catholic Faith. In my evangelical days I read scripture passages such as John chapters 6 and concluded that they were symbolic. This view is still predominant in most Protestant denominations. There came a point when I had to take a deep dive into history to see if the early church was indeed the Catholic Church.

The Early Church And The Eucharist

This journey is one that changed my life. By studying the writings of the early Church Fathers one can see distinctly Catholic beliefs. Their teaching on what the Eucharist is was one that was an eye opener for me. Those in the earliest days of Christendom saw it as the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and not just a spiritual reality.

Quotes About The Eucharist

1. “Take care, then, to use one Eucharist, so that whatever you do, you do according to God: for there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup in the union of his blood; one altar, as there is one bishop with the presbytery.” — St Ignatius of Antioch

2. For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nourished, is the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus Christ. — St. Justin Martyr.

3. “When, therefore, the mixed cup and the baked bread receives the Word of God and becomes the Eucharist, the Body of Christ, and from these the substance of our flesh is increased and supported, how can they say that the flesh is not capable of receiving the gift of God, which is eternal life—flesh which is nourished BY the body and blood of the Lord . . . receiving the Word of God, becomes the Eucharist which is the body and blood of Christ.” — St. Irenaeus.

4. “He himself warns us, saying, “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.” Therefore do we ask that our bread, which is Christ, be given to us daily, so that we who abide and live in Christ may not withdraw from His sanctification and from His Body.” — St. Cyprian of Carthage

5. “After having spoken thus ‘This is My body . . . This is My blood’, the Lord rose up from the place where he had made the Passover and had given his body as food and his blood as drink, and he went with his disciples to the place where he was to be arrested. But he ate of his own body and drank of his own blood, while he was pondering on the dead. With his own hands the Lord presented his own body to be eaten, and before he was crucified he gave his blood as drink.” — Aaphrates the Persian Sage

6. “For just as the bread and the wine of the Eucharist before the holy invocation of the adorable Trinity were simple bread and wine, but the invocation having been made, the bread becomes the Body of Christ and the wine the Blood of Christ.” — St. Cyril of Jerusalem

7. “To communicate each day and to partake of the holy body and blood of Christ is good and beneficial; for he says quite plainly: “He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” Who can doubt that to share continually in life is the same thing as having life abundantly? We ourselves communicate four times each week . . . and on other days if there is a commemoration of any saint.” — St. Basil The Great

8. “The bread again is at first common bread; but when the mystery sanctifies it, it is called and actually becomes the Body of Christ. So too the mystical oil, so too the wine; if they are things of little worth before the blessing, after their sanctification by the Spirit each of them has its own superior operation. This same power of the word also makes the priest venerable and honorable, separated from the generality of men by the new blessing bestowed upon him.” — St. Gregory of Nyssa

9. “We see that the Savior took in his hands, as it is in the Gospel, when he was reclining at the Supper; and he took this, and giving thanks, he said: “This is really me.” And he gave to his disciples and said: “This is really me.” And we see that it is not equal nor similar, not to the incarnate image, not to the invisible divinity, not to the outline of his limbs. For It is round of shape, and devoid of feeling. As to Its power, he means to say even of Its grace, “This is really me”; and none disbelieves his word. For anyone who does not believe the truth in what he says is deprived of grace and of Savior.” — St. Epiphanius

10. “After the type had been fulfilled by the passover celebration and he had eaten the flesh of the lamb with his Apostles, he takes bread which strengthens the heart of man, and goes on to the true sacrament of the passover, so that just as Melchizedech, the priest of the Most High God, in prefiguring him, made bread and wine an offering, he too makes himself manifest in the reality of his own body and blood.” – St. Jerome

Attribution

The contents of this article first appeared in a contribution I had on Epicpew.com.

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Why I Stopped Posting On Patheos

I have thought long and hard about this. It is something I didn’t take lightly and sought the Lord’s guidance on. In January 2020 I was honored to be brought on to blog at the Catholic channel over at Patheos. I was excited because it was a much bigger platform. With this move came some warnings from others who had previously blogged at Patheos Catholic.

My Experience At Patheos

This post is not a hit piece on the platform. My experience was good. Patheos is unique in that there is a channel manager, but not an editor. Each blogger is free to post whatever they wish. My blog at Patheos was titled The Pursuit of Holiness, and I did a mix of apologetics, evangelism, and devotional topics.

Since there is not editor there is a mix of voices. There are conservative bloggers such as the great apologist Dave Armstrong and other great bloggers such as Rene Albert. It was great being exposed to a variety of perspectives. The channel itself it pretty liberal and liberal talking points are quite prominent. Though I didn’t agree with some of the rhetoric, the writers were great to work with.

Why The Farewell?

There were some changes made and the catholic channel is now without a manager. I don’t believe I am at liberty to go into details, but I thought it was time to bring my writing back home to this page. Without an editor there were times when bloggers came dangerously close, if they did not break the line, in writing some heretical stuff. Some have outright questioned church teaching and said it was wrong. For that reason, though we are free to write what we want there, it was time to depart.

Though they are free to write what they want there were times when I became associated by default simply by my presence on the platform. Overall, I am thankful for the opportunity to write at Patheos. I hold no hard feelings. Why would I? I am thankful for the opportunity. Everyone there is an independent blogger and we each do what we feel is best for our audience. For me, it was time to focus my writing here, on my Catholic Stand Column, and my monthly offering on EpicPew.

If you are interested I have started a weekly newsletter that will be emailed every Friday. This newsletter will have my top articles from all platforms, top podcast episodes of the week, and my top Youtube video of the week. You can sign up for the newsletter here.

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The Resurrection: It Really Happened

Every Easter we celebrate the resurrection of Christ.  It is the foundation of our faith, and without the resurrection are faith is futile (1 Corinthians 15:14).  Beyond proving that Jesus is the Christ, what does the resurrection prove?  The resurrection is about much more than the eyewitness accounts of the Apostles seeing the risen Jesus.  It is also about the new life that is present in every believer throughout time.

Resurrection Brings Transformation

We have finite minds, and it is hard for us to grasp the miracle that is the resurrection.  Jesus is a divine being, and as a divine being he resurrected from the dead to prove who he was.  Though theologically true, this view leads to a somewhat simplistic understanding of the event.

The resurrection can also be seen in the transformation of the believer.  It is about the new life in Christ and not what the ocular vision of the disciples has perceived.  Saint Paul also echo this sentiment in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:  everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new” (NRSV).

As Believers We Share In It

The resurrection is a religious experience of one who has come to faith in Christ, and is much more than something that happened to those who physically encountered the risen Christ.  According to Scholars such as Luke Johnson this is a common theme in the Pauline Corpus.

Regarding this Dr. Johnson writes,

“The resurrection experience, in Paul’s letters, is not something that happens to Jesus alone” (Johnson 25). 

Every Christian with a genuine faith in Christ experiences the resurrection in a special way through baptism.  Through the sacrament of baptism original sin is wiped away, and we are raised in the newness of life.

People Don’t Die For Something They Don’t Really Believe

Within the context of introducing the resurrection to Christian audience there are a couple of things to keep in mind.  From an apologetics standpoint, it is important to know the reasoning as to why the resurrection is the foundation of the faith.  One can go into the martyrdom of the early church because they were attesting to the resurrection.  People do not die for a lie.

Along those lines it is important to understand that the resurrection actually happened.  It has become popular in some circles, both Christians and skeptics, to say that the resurrection account was a times of altered state of consciousness. 

It Really Happened And Was Not An Altered State

If this were one person then perhaps, but in a way Saint Paul challenges this.  In 1 Corinthians 15 he challenges people to go and ask some of the 500 witnesses to the resurrection to whether it happened or not.  The resurrection happened, it is real, and is the foundation of Christianity.  No literal bodily resurrection means Christianity was founded on a lie, but there is no body.  Regarding the literalness of the resurrection Fr. Kenneth Baker writes,

“This is indeed a shocking statement. It signifies something that we have never experienced but must accept solely on faith because of the testimony of the Apostles, for the Apostles were the chief witnesses of the Resurrection”.

This description of the resurrection is quite different from what an altered state describes.  Merriam-Webster defines it as,

“any of various states of awareness (as dreaming sleep, a drug-induced hallucinogenic state, or a trance) that deviate from and are usually clearly demarcated from ordinary waking consciousness”.

Describing the resurrection as something the disciples experienced in an altered state is a slippery slope.  St. Paul states that the reality of the resurrection is what our faith rests on.  Without it we are still dead in sin.

The Resurrection Is Also Personal

Secondly, it is more important to assist the audience in learning to relate to the resurrection in a deeper way.  A way that is more personal, and something that they can share.  Everyone has something deep in the recesses of their mind that they are ashamed of.  It may be an addiction, adultery, or a gambling problem.  These things are destructive, but when one comes to faith those things are in the past.  They still may struggle, but through Christ they are resurrected and forgiven for those things that they have done.  Those types of experiences are the modern-day equivalent of the disciples physically seeing the resurrected Jesus.  Our former selves are dead and gone, but we were resurrected spiritually into a new creation.  The disciples’ experience of Jesus raised and exalted is the difference between their faith in the gospel.

We can be confident that this event really happened. Furthermore, it is something that must be proclaimed. Jesus is alive and rose from the dead!

Saint Quotes

“[W]hoever perverts the sayings of the Lord for his own desires, and says that there is neither resurrection nor judgment, such a one is the firstborn of Satan. Let us, therefore, leave the foolishness and the false-teaching of the crowd and turn back to the word which was delivered to us in the beginning” (Letter to the Philippians 7:1–2 [A.D. 135]).-St. Polycarp“But He who descended into the regions beneath the earth came up again; and Jesus, who was buried, truly rose again the third day. And if the Jews ever worry thee, meet them at once by asking thus: Did Jonah come forth from the whale on the third day, and hath not Christ then risen from the earth on the third day? Is a dead man raised to life on touching the bones of Elisha, and is it not much easier for the Maker of mankind to be raised by the power of the Father? Well then, He truly rose, and after He had risen was seen again of the disciples; and twelve disciples were witnesses of His Resurrection, who bare witness not in pleasing words, but contended even unto torture and death for the truth of the Resurrection. What then, shall every word be established at the mouth of two of three witnesses, according to the Scripture, and, though twelve bear witness to the Resurrection of Christ, art thou still incredulous in regard to His Resurrection?”-St. Cyril of Jerusalem

Works Cited

Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version

Johnson, Luke Timothy. “How Jesus Became God” Commonweal. 2/3/2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.

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Mary In Typology: Keys To Understanding

I recently had the opportunity to interview author and speaker Steve Ray. We discuss a few titles for Mary such as the New Eve, Burning Bush, and The Daughter of Zion. Steve discusses how these titles have their beginnings in the Old Testament. It is an enlightening conversation. Be sure to visit Steve’s website at www.catholicconvert.com.

Mary In Typology

In our discussion Steve takes us through the Old Testament to better understand Mary in the New. He also discusses what the early church believed on the subject. Regarding Mary, Steve looks to the writings of St. Irenaeus, Tertullian, and many others.

This interview will give you a better understanding on what the church teaches on Mary. Steve gives us the arguments from scriptures and the early church.

The InterviewAbout Steve Ray

Stephen K. Ray was raised in a devout and loving Baptist family. His father was a deacon and Bible teacher, and Stephen was very involved in the Baptist Church as a teacher of Biblical studies. After an in-depth study of the writings of the Church Fathers, both Steve and his wife Janet converted to the Catholic Church. He is the host of the popular, award-winning film series on salvation history, The Footprints of God. Steve is also the author of the best-selling books Crossing the Tiber, and St. John’s Gospel.

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The Resurrection And Us

Easter is the greatest time of the liturgical year. Though Christmas it wonderful, Easter is like our Super Bowl as Catholic Christians. Not only are we celebrating new people joining the church, but we are celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The resurrection is so important that St. Paul tells us that if it did not happen that we are still dead in sin (1 Corinthians 15:17). Sometimes there is some apprehension when the resurrection is discussed because we feel a burden of proof, but the evidence for it is out there. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are some proofs for the resurrection of Christ.

After the Resurrection Jesus appeared first to a woman

To the modern reader this fact is not a big deal, but in the ancient world it was total scandal! Women were like second class citizens, and could not be called on to be witnesses in a case of any kind. Women in that time were expected to walk six steps behind men, and if they showed their hair in public, they were called a harlot. To start a false movement on this premise would have been disastrous. Yet in Mark 16:9 we read that Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene after the resurrection.

If the resurrection were a lie and concocted as a ploy to spread a false message about Jesus then someone forgot to tell the Apostles. The Gospel of John tells it a little differently, but the people who Jesus appeared to first were women. They saw Christ, then ran back to tell the disciples. The Gospel writers could have easily left out this fact in an effort for the to validate the claims of Jesus, but they did just the opposite. The resurrection account of Jesus flourished though it was widely known that women were the first witnesses.

The Newfound Courage of the Apostles

During the passion, death, and just prior to the Resurrection, the gospels reveal the human weakness of the disciples. The only one of them that was at the foot of the cross was St. John. The others ran away and hid in fear. What’s more telling is that after the crucifixion they hid in locked homes out of fear (John 20:19). Yet after the Resurrection there was a radical change in their conviction and courage. After seeing the risen Lord they traveled the known world to preach the Gospel. They left their families, professions, and homes to take the message to foreign lands. All but St. John died a martyrs death, and even he died in exile on the island of Patmos.

They received this courage by what they witnessed, and Jesus appeared to them at different times. It is not uncommon for one person to die for something that he thinks is a lie, but it is impossible for a whole group to die for something they know is a lie. That is because the resurrection really happened and it changed the course of history as the disciples spread the news everywhere they could. They would not stay quiet about it even in the face of death.

This courage of the disciples carried on into those whom they taught. Great saints like St. Ignatius of Antioch, St. Polycarp, and St. Clement of Rome all died the death of a martyr. In fact, the more Christians that the Roman empire killed the fast Christianity spread. This courage lives on today in the Christians that are being killed every week just to attend Mass.

The change in our lives

The Resurrection is a religious experience of one who has come to faith in Christ, and is much more than something that happened to those who physically encountered the risen Christ. Every Christian with a genuine faith in Christ experiences the Resurrection in a special way through baptism.  Through the Sacrament of Baptism, the effects of Original Sin are wiped away, and we are raised in the newness of life. Everyone has something deep in the recesses of their mind that they are ashamed of.  It may be an addiction, adultery, or a gambling problem.

These things are destructive, but when one comes to faith those things are in the past.  They still may struggle, but through Christ they are resurrected and forgiven for those things that they have done.  Those types of experiences are the modern-day equivalent of the disciples physically seeing the resurrected Jesus.  Our former selves are dead and gone, but we were resurrected spiritually into a new creation.

Happy Easter to you and your family! He is Risen!

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Trinity: Absolute Knowledge And Knowability

The Trinity is a mystery that is dogma and must be believed for one to call themselves a Christian.  This is a leap of faith, because though we know it is true, we are not able to understand everything about it.  Do we need to understand everything about it in order to believe?  Some would say that to believe we must have absolute knowledge of the subject.  To not have this knowability is a contradiction in the eyes of many.

Trinity And Absolute Knowledge

There are many things that we have knowledge of, but we do not know absolutely.  The medical field is constantly changing and filled with new advances, but just a few decades ago the damage of cigarettes on the human body was not well known.  Is this a contradiction in the medical field?  Do we not adhere to the advice of our doctor because we do not have an absolute knowledge of his field?  To have that line of thinking borders on insanity.

Knowability Of The Trinity

There is no tension between the Trinity and its knowability.  The Trinity was revealed very slowly in scripture because to reveal it right away would lead Israel into Tritheism.

They simply would not have understood it.  The members of the Trinity were together at one time at the baptism of Christ, and Christ mentioned all three.  For those who have issues believing the Trinity, St. Augustine asks a very interesting question.

Do you believe Jesus rose from the dead though you have never seen anyone else do the same (Augustine 7.5)?  We love the Lord Jesus though we have never seen him, and we love the other members of the Trinity as well.  We see the handiwork of the Trinity all around us.  The Trinity is one God with three persons, and we love them because they are God.  It does take an element of faith like most things in life.  That illumination that faith assists in understanding it a bit more.  If we fully understand everything there is to know about God, then he ceases being God.

Saint Quotes

Since, also, there is but one unbegotten Being, God, even the Father; and one only-begotten Son, God, the Word and man; and one Comforter, the Spirit of truth; and also one preaching, and one faith, and one baptism.-St. Ignatius of Antioch

For, in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, they then receive the washing with water.-St. Justin Martyr

For with Him were always present the Word and Wisdom, the Son and the Spirit, by whom and in whom, freely and spontaneously, He made all things, to whom also He speaks, saying, “Let Us make man after Our image and likeness;” He taking from Himself the substance of the creatures [formed], and the pattern of things made, and the type of all the adornments in the world.-St. Irenaeus

O mystic marvel! The universal Father is one, and one the universal Word; and the Holy Spirit is one and the same everywhere.-St. Clement of Alexandria

Works Cited

Augustine of Hippo. Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1887.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/130101.htm&gt;, accessed February 24, 2021.

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Freemasonry: Can A Catholic Be A Member?

I was once a freemason.  Freemasonry was something I became interested in when I wasn’t taking my faith seriously.  It offered something I had been looking for such as friendship, a social life, and of course the teachings were interesting.  However, when I started taking the faith seriously, I realized that freemasonry just is not compatible with the Catholic faith.

Freemasonry has Always Been Banned by the Church

The first known grand lodge was established in England in 1717. Since 1738 the church has made 53 pronouncements against it. 

Shortly thereafter, in 1738, Pope Clement XII wrote the papal bull In Eminenti.  This bull banned Catholics from joining the masonic organization under pain of excommunication.  Pope clement the XII wrote,

“but they must stay completely clear of such Societies, Companies, Assemblies, Meetings, Congregations or Conventicles, under pain of excommunication for all the above mentioned people, which is incurred by the very deed without any declaration being required, and from which no one can obtain the benefit of absolution, other than at the hour of death, except through Ourselves or the Roman Pontiff of the time”.

This is serious stuff.

Didn’t the Church Change its Standing

This is a common misconception.  In fact, I met a former Grand Knight in the Knights of Columbus who is very involved in various masonic orders.  He stated that he took advantage of the change of opinion in 1983 to join the order.  Section 2335 of the 1917 Code of Canon law states,

“Those who join a Masonic sect or other societies of the same sort, which plot against the Church or against legitimate civil authority, incur ipso facto an excommunication simply reserved to the Holy See.”

Pretty clear.  In the 1983 code the penalty of excommunication remains, but freemasonry is removed.  This is the misunderstanding.  A more general theme of joining an order that conspired against the church was inserted.  To clarify the stance of the church Cardinal Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, wrote this when head of the Congregation For The Doctrine Of Faith,

“Therefore the Church’s negative judgment in regard to Masonic association remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden. The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.”

Catholics Cannot be Freemasons

The position of the church remains unchanged.  Furthermore, in the Scottish rite degrees, the 30th degree is called the Knight of Kadosh.  In that degree a papal tiara is stomped on and declared to be a sign of tyranny and despotism.

In the interview below I interview theologian and historian David L. Gray about Freemasonry and why it is against church teaching.

Be sure to visit David’s website at http://www.davidlgray.info and listen to his great radio show on Guadalupe radio every Wednesday at 4pm CST.

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The Psalms And Good Friday

The Psalms have been read and sung since the days of antiquity.  When we read the Psalms, we can feel the anguish, joy, peace, and comfort from the writer.  When it comes to the Messiah there is no shortage of material that can be extracted from the Psalms.  The concept of redemption is a very prominent theme, and one must have a redeemer in order to have redemption.  In the Psalms we not only see the redeemer, but we see the death of the Messiah, and as king.  It is known for its anticipation of the coming Messiah.

Messiah and Divine Sonship In Psalms

The Messiah is brought up as early as chapter two.  In this chapter the Messiah is in the figure of a king.  Psalm 2:6 states, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”  Verse 7 depicts a reassurance of divine sonship, and it is this sonship of the king that is referenced in Hebrews 1:5.  This was done to remind the reads that Christ was superior to the angels.

Messiah and the Crucifixion In Psalms

Psalm 22 is a Psalm that has very clear parallels to Christ’s death in Matthew 27:26 and Mark 15:34. Psalm 22:1 states, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Christ cried out these same words in Mark 15:34. Psalm 22:18 describes evildoers casting lots for the clothing.  This was fulfilled by Christ in John 19:23-24.  In verse 16 the psalmist also writes about the Messiah’s hands and feet being pierced.  This Psalm is anticipatory, as it awaits the suffering of Christ, and his victory.

Psalm 45 is also considered a Messianic Psalm because whole sections are used in the epistle to the Hebrews.  The author of the Epistle uses Psalm 45:6-7 to establish the superiority of Christ.  In this passage He is described as the king forever, and thus his superiority is established.

Make Your Enemies Your Footstool

Perhaps one of the greatest examples one could give of the Messiah in the Psalms is Psalm 110.  This is seen in verse one which states, “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”  This very passage is quoted in Mark 12:36-37, and Christ says that it is David who was speaking about Him.

This Psalm also makes an appearance in the book of Acts and is quoted by Peter in his sermon on Pentecost.  This Psalm also refers to Christ as being a priest in the order of Melchizadek (Psalm 110:4).  This parallels with Hebrew 5:6, as the author utilizes this Psalm describe Christ as high priest.

These are only some of the passages in Psalms that speak of the Messiah.  There are several more such as chapters 18, 61, 72, 89, 132, and 144.  In addition, there are several more Psalms that were quotes directly by Christ to describe various things in man’s life.

Good Friday

Psalm 22 has a very special correlation to Good Friday as Jesus repeats those words in his final breathes.  There is much going on in the world, and there may be temptation to ask where God is.  God is still with you though it may not seem like it.  In Christ we see the image of his ultimate love for us.  The act on the cross was prophesied in many places in the Old Testament.  The Psalms, especially Psalm 22, almost give a first person account of one who experienced such torment.

I urge you to mediate today on the events that took place those many years ago.  Fast and pray for the events unfolding in the world.  It is only Jesus that will bring about healing.  On the first Good Friday he took the first step by dying for the redemption of all men. Reflect on what Jesus did for you on the cross.

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