Sinclair Ferguson, one of my favorite modern Christian authors, comments on Psalm 51:
In asking for “mercy,” David, you are asking that God will show it to you, but withdraw it from Jesus.
In asking to experience God’s “unfailing love,” you are asking that Jesus will feel it has been removed.
In asking to taste God’s “great compassion,” you are asking him to refuse it to Jesus as he dies on the cross.
In asking God to “blot out” your transgressions, you are asking that they will be obliterated by the blood of Jesus.
In asking to be washed, you are asking that the filth of your sin will overwhelm Jesus like a flood.
In asking to know the joy of salvation, you are asking that Jesus will be a Man of Sorrows, familiar with grief.
In asking to be saved from bloodguilt, you are asking that in your place Jesus will be treated as though he were guilty.
In asking that your lips will be opened in praise, you are asking that Jesus will be silenced, as a sheep before her shearers is dumb.
In asking that the sacrifice of a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart be acceptable, you are asking that Jesus’ heart and spirit will be broken.
In asking that God will hide his face from your sins, you are asking that he will hide his face from Jesus.
In asking that you will not be cast out of God’s presence, you are asking that Jesus will be cast out into outer darkness instead.
(Taken from his book, Deserted by God?.)
One Comment
Also, check out this interview with Sinclair Ferguson re: his newly minted book, In Christ Alone (which I recently picked up myself). It was definitely edifying for me to read.