Objective

In this study, we’ll see that Christ is the great theme of the Psalms.

Key Verse

Psalm 2:7: I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father.”

Introduction

The book of Psalms holds a special place in the New Testament. Writers of the New Testament quoted from the Psalms 116 times—more than from any other Old Testament book. This tells us something remarkable about how important the Psalms are for understanding God’s plan of salvation.

When Jesus hung on the cross in His darkest hour, He quoted from Psalm 22. When He wanted to teach His disciples about His mission, He pointed them to the Psalms. The apostle Peter built his first sermon at Pentecost around passages from the Psalms. Stephen quoted the Psalms when he faced death for his faith. Paul regularly turned to the Psalms when he preached the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles.

Why did these New Testament believers find the Psalms so valuable for explaining the gospel? The answer lies in understanding that David, the main author of the Psalms, was a type of Christ. This means that David’s experiences as a king, a shepherd, and a man after God’s own heart pointed forward to the greater King who would come from his family line. Because David was a type of Christ, Christ is the true voice behind the Psalms. Even when David was writing about his own experiences, the Holy Spirit was speaking through him about the Messiah who would fulfill everything David represented.

In this lesson, we will examine specific psalms that speak directly about Christ. We will see how these ancient songs of worship reveal detailed prophecies about the Messiah’s birth, life, death, resurrection, and eternal reign. Through our study, we will discover that the Psalms are not just beautiful poetry about God—they are a roadmap pointing us directly to Jesus Christ.

Our study will focus on these key themes:

• How the Psalms reveal Christ as the eternal Son of God
• What the Psalms teach us about Christ’s incarnation and earthly ministry
• How the Psalms prophesy Christ’s suffering and death
• What the Psalms reveal about Christ’s resurrection and eternal reign

The Messiah as the Eternal Son of God

We begin our study with Psalm 2, one of the most important messianic psalms in the entire Bible. This psalm speaks directly about the Messiah as the Son of God, giving us crucial insight into who Jesus really is.

Psalm 2:7: I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father.”

When we read these words, we might wonder what they mean. Some false Bible teachers have used this verse to claim that Jesus had a beginning—that there was a time when He was not the Son of God. But this interpretation completely misses what the psalm is actually teaching us.

The New Testament makes it clear that Psalm 2:7 is referring to Christ’s resurrection, not to some moment when He became God’s Son. The apostle Paul explained this truth when he preached in Antioch:

Acts 13:30-33: But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people. We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: ‘You are my son; today I have become your father.’

Paul shows us that the “today” in Psalm 2:7 refers to the day of Christ’s resurrection. This was when God publicly declared and demonstrated that Jesus is His Son with power. The resurrection proved to the world that Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be.

Paul makes this same point in his letter to the Romans:

Romans 1:3-4: regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

Notice that Paul does not say Jesus became the Son of God at His resurrection. Rather, He was “appointed” or “declared” to be the Son of God “in power” through His resurrection. The resurrection was God’s public announcement to the world that Jesus is His eternal Son.

Psalm 45 gives us another powerful declaration of Christ’s eternal deity. This psalm describes a royal wedding, but it contains language that can only apply to God Himself:

Psalm 45:6: Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

The writer of Hebrews quotes this verse and applies it directly to Christ:

Hebrews 1:8: But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.”

This is one of the clearest statements of Christ’s deity in the entire Bible. The psalm calls the Messiah “God” and says His throne will last forever. When the writer of Hebrews applies this to Jesus, he is making a powerful declaration about who Jesus really is—He is God the Son, ruling with divine authority for all eternity.

Christ’s Incarnation and Earthly Ministry

Psalm 8 gives us a beautiful picture of Christ’s incarnation, showing us both His humiliation and His exaltation. David begins this psalm by expressing amazement at God’s greatness and wondering why God would care about human beings:

Psalm 8:4-6: what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet.

In this expression of worship, we find a powerful prophecy about Christ. David is amazed that God would think about human beings when He is so great. But hidden in these words is a prophecy about the One who would become human for our sake.

The writer of Hebrews helps us understand how this psalm speaks about Jesus:

Hebrews 2:9: But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Christ is the One who came down to our level. He was “made lower than the angels for a little while” when He took on human flesh and lived among us. This was not a punishment or a limitation—it was the greatest act of love in history. The eternal Son of God willingly became a man so that He could die for our sins.

But the psalm does not end with humiliation. It also speaks of exaltation and glory. Christ was “crowned with glory and honor” because of His perfect sacrifice. Paul explains this truth in one of the most beautiful passages in the New Testament:

Philippians 2:5-11: In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This is the pattern we see throughout the Psalms—humiliation followed by exaltation, suffering followed by glory, death followed by resurrection and eternal reign. (Notebook Moment: How does understanding that Psalm 2:7 refers to the resurrection help you appreciate the power and significance of Easter morning?)

The Suffering Messiah

Perhaps no psalm speaks more clearly about Christ’s suffering than Psalm 22. This psalm contains such detailed descriptions of crucifixion that it reads like an eyewitness account of Jesus’ death, even though it was written hundreds of years before crucifixion was invented as a method of execution.

Jesus Himself quoted the opening verse of this psalm when He was on the cross:

Matthew 27:45-46: From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

Psalm 22:1: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?

But Psalm 22 contains much more than just this opening cry. It also prophesies how the Messiah would be mocked and despised during His suffering:

Psalm 22:6-8: But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”

These words were fulfilled exactly when Jesus hung on the cross. The religious leaders mocked Him with almost the same words that David had written centuries earlier. (Notebook Moment: Why do you think Jesus chose to quote Psalm 22:1 when He was suffering on the cross? What does this teach us about how He understood His mission?)

Prophecies of Christ’s Resurrection

Several psalms contain clear prophecies about Christ’s resurrection. Psalm 16 is particularly important because Peter quoted it directly in his sermon on the day of Pentecost.

Psalm 16:10: because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

This verse puzzled many people for centuries. How could David say that God would not let His faithful one see decay when David himself died and was buried? Peter solved this puzzle by explaining that David was not speaking about himself, but about the Messiah who would come from his family line:

Acts 2:25-32: David said about him: ‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’ Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.

Peter makes it clear that Psalm 16:10 is a prophecy about Christ’s resurrection. David was speaking as a prophet, looking forward to the Messiah who would conquer death itself. When Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, this ancient prophecy was perfectly fulfilled.

Christ as Priest and King

Psalm 110 reveals another crucial aspect of Christ’s ministry. This psalm speaks of the Messiah’s exaltation and righteous reign:

Psalm 110:1-4: The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of your enemies!” Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

Peter quoted from this psalm in his Pentecost sermon to prove that Jesus is the Messiah:

Acts 2:34-36: For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”‘ Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.

The psalm describes the Messiah as both king and priest. This was a unique combination because in the Old Testament, kings came from the tribe of Judah and priests came from the tribe of Levi. But the Messiah would be a priest “in the order of Melchizedek”—a different kind of priesthood that did not depend on family heritage.

The writer of Hebrews explains how this prophecy is fulfilled in Christ:

Hebrews 7:17: For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

Jesus serves as both our King and our High Priest. As King, He has all authority in heaven and on earth. As High Priest, He intercedes for us before the Father and provides the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

The Rejected Stone Becomes the Cornerstone

Psalm 118 contains another important prophecy about the Messiah. This psalm speaks of a stone that would be rejected by the builders but would become the cornerstone of God’s work:

Psalm 118:22: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

Jesus quoted this verse when He was confronted by the religious leaders who rejected His authority:

Matthew 21:42: Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

Peter also used this prophecy to explain why the religious leaders rejected Jesus:

Acts 4:11: Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’

The “builders” in this prophecy represent the religious leaders of Israel. They rejected Jesus as the Messiah, thinking He was worthless for their purposes. But God made this “rejected stone” the most important stone in the entire building. Christ became the cornerstone of God’s plan of salvation, and everyone who believes in Him becomes part of God’s spiritual building:

Ephesians 2:20: Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

1 Peter 2:4-6: As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Conclusion

Our study of Christ in the Psalms has revealed something wonderful: these ancient songs of worship are filled with detailed prophecies about our Savior. Beyond the major psalms we have examined, the Psalms contain many more prophecies that were perfectly fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He would be accused by false witnesses (Psalm 35:11), betrayed by a close friend (Psalm 41:9), given vinegar and gall to drink (Psalm 69:21), suffer without any broken bones (Psalm 34:20), and ascend into heaven (Psalm 68:18). These prophecies are so specific that they read like a detailed description of Christ’s life and death written centuries before He was born.

This remarkable fulfillment proves that Jesus is indeed the Messiah whom God promised to send. Every major aspect of Christ’s ministry is foretold in these songs: His eternal divine nature, His incarnation and earthly ministry, His suffering and death, His resurrection, and His eternal reign as both King and Priest. The Psalms show us that God’s plan of salvation was not an afterthought—it was determined from the very beginning and carefully revealed through His faithful servants.

When we read the Psalms knowing that they point to Christ, our worship becomes deeper and more meaningful. We are not just reading beautiful poetry about God—we are discovering the eternal plan of salvation that connects every age of God’s people. The Psalms must always be understood in relation to the rest of Scripture, for we cannot properly understand what David wrote without seeing how it points forward to Christ, nor can we fully appreciate what Christ accomplished without understanding how it fulfills these ancient prophecies.

As we continue our study of the Old Testament, let us remember what we have learned about Christ in the Psalms. Every time we read these ancient songs, we should ask ourselves: How does this point to Jesus? What does this teach me about my Savior? How should this change the way I worship and live? The Psalms are living words that speak to us today about the One who loved us and gave Himself for us, inviting us to join with David and all the people of God throughout history in praising our great King and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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