Psalm 51 and Easter
Psalm 51 is King David’s prayer of confession after being caught in the sin of adultery and murder. The Psalm is an excellent model of a prayer of confession that all people of faith can follow. And while it’s called a Psalm of repentance it doesn’t stop at just saying “I did this and I’m sorry” but it takes us through a journey from confession to renewal to mission.
As I have been reflecting on this Psalm during the season of Lent, a 40 day period of preparation for Easter, I have been struck about how the Psalm 51 journey takes us through the entire “Easter Festival”, my favorite term of the season of Lent through Easter and all the way to Holy Spirit Sunday1
Read the text of Psalm 51 here
I have divided the Psalm into 3 divisions that demonstrate the journey that King David went on.
I. MY Confession – Psalm 51:1-9
It begins with David’s confession: “Have mercy on me, O God . . . .”
David repeats over and over that he has sinned. He asks for Mercy, compassion, wash away, cleanse me, hide your face from my sins, blot out my sins. He refers to sin as transgressions, iniquity, sin, and calls them evil.
For 9 verses David focuses on his sin. He recognizes that it’s against God that he sinned and that God’s verdict is right and justified. There is no sense of David trying to make excuses or saying it was only a little sin. He even begins to wallow in his sense of guilt and his awareness of how deep his sin is in his whole life.
If the Psalm ended at verse 9 it would be only a Psalm of confession. But wallowing in sin and guilt is not a good place to be. Especially for a Christian who knows that Jesus died for their sin and that Jesus offers forgiveness for all who confess. (see 1 John 1:9)
Now let’s look at the Season of Easter. The season begins with Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent – a time of confession and contrition. Lent last for 40 days, (not including Sunday’s because Sunday is always a day we celebrate Jesus and Jesus’ resurrection and our redemption.) Many people do many things during this time such as fasting, special giving, extra prayer, sacrifice – all to help them focus on what Jesus did for them. It is spiritually healthy for Christians to take time to reflect on their lives and recognize and confess where they have fallen short.
So David’s prayer starts with confession just like Easter begins with a time of reflection and confession.
II. My renewal – Psalm 51:10-12
David does not let his contrition, his awareness of his own deep sin, end in sitting around and saying “Well I’ve sinned, that’s it for me”. David, a man with a heart of God, knows that God can forgive. So he moves from confession to a plea, a request: “Create in me a pure heart O God . . .”
David wants change. He wants to get back to what he once was and experience a relationship with God that he wants to return to, David wants to renew his relationship with God. Listen to his requests:
Create in me a pure heart
Renew a steadfast spirit in me
Do not cast me from your presence
Or take you Holy Spirit from me
Restore to me the Joy of your salvation
Grant me a willing Spirit to sustain me
All of this must be so concerning and worrisome for David. Before he was king he met the previous king – King Saul, who also sinned against God but the prophet declared to Saul that Saul is no longer King. And we learn that God’s Spirit was taken away from Saul (1 Samuel 16:14). This drove Saul to fits of craziness and that is when we learn about David’s connection to Saul. David was a musician before he was king and David was brought to Saul to play for him because the music would sooth Saul’s tortured soul. So David had seen firsthand what being caught in sin does to a king. As Nathan the Prophet called out David for his sin, David had to be thinking “this is the end of me”. Saul sinned and lost it all, now David has sinned. So David comes with confession and a request.
Now back to the Season of Easter. Jesus died on the cross so that all who believed in Him would have forgiveness. Not hope to have forgiveness. Not beg to have forgiveness. Jesus did it so all who believe in Him and who follow Him would have forgiveness. On Easter Sunday we dress up and celebrate because we know that we are forgiven and that Jesus has defeated death and condemnation and that Jesus offers life to everyone who chooses to follow. Easter is sinful people’s hope and a celebration of forgiveness and life.
We’ll come back to this but let’s move on it the next “My Statement”.
III. My Mission – Psalm 51:13-19
In Psalm 51 David does not stop at confession nor does he stop at a request for renewal. David moves on, or really moves back, to his mission. Part of the kings job is to lead his people spiritually. So he prays that he will return to leading and sharing what he has learned. Listen to him:
Then I will teach
So that sinners will turn back
My tongue will sing your righteousness
My mouth will declare your praise
David is finishing his journey of repentance. He has confessed, he as pleaded for renewal, and now he promises to get back to telling people of God’s goodness. He doesn’t wallow in guilt, he doesn’t plead for renewal and then walk away thinking about how lucky he is to have his joy restored. No – he then says I must tell the people. David says “I must share”.
Back to Easter. Before Jesus died on the cross he told His disciples to “But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” (Mark 14:28, also Matthew 26:32). And after he did rise on Easter Sunday Jesus met them in Galilee – (Matthew 28) and there Jesus gave what many call the Great Commission:
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-19
After King David repented and was renewed he moved moved on to his Mission. After Jesus died and rose again he gave His Mission to his disciples – Go and make Disciples of all nations! Jesus didn’t want His disciples to sit around Jerusalem feeling sad and defeated. He gave them a mission. The same mission that Jesus gives to all of His followers today: Go make disciples of all people, baptize them, teach them to obey. Jesus wants His disciples, His followers, to make more Followers. Don’t just sit there with knowledge. Go!
Back to Easter Festival. A student from Nigeria once told me of a celebration in his home church called “Galilee Day”. It took place the day after Easter and it was a day to remember the mission Jesus gives all of us. I have celebrated Galilee day ever since – why stop at Easter when we can tell everyone the point of Easter – that Jesus came for everyone! David had a mission to declare the praise of God, Jesus followers have a mission too.
But wait there is more! David in his prayer in Psalm 51 asks God to not take his Holy Spirit from him (Psalm 51:11). He was aware that God’s Spirit could be taken away from watching what happened to Saul.
Back to Easter Festival. The last day of Easter Festival is Holy Spirit Sunday. On that day in history God sent His Spirit into His followers to empower them to fulfill this mission with the power of the Holy Spirit (story in Acts 2). In fact Jesus, before he left earth, told his disciples to “Wait for the gift that my Father promised” (Acts 1:4) and then in Acts 1:8 Jesus said “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth.”
Jesus had told them already about the Holy Spirit, who He often called a Helper or Advocate, that was going to come to the disciples when Jesus left. (See John 14 and John 16). He said in John 16:13 “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.” And in Luke 12:12 “for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” David pleaded for God not to take the Holy Spirit from him. God has given His followers the gift of the Holy Spirit to empower us to be so much greater than we are.
So David in his prayer in Psalm 51 moves from Confession to Mission. Every year Jesus followers can remember that process through Easter Festival: confession to resurrection to mission to empowerment.
Repentance without Renewal means you are just going to do it again. Repentance and Renewal without Mission - Is just plain Selfish. What is your Mission?
KMS
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