1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
    the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it on the seas
    and established it on the waters.

3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not trust in an idol
    or swear by a false god.

5 They will receive blessing from the Lord
    and vindication from God their Saviour.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek your face, God of Jacob.

7 Lift up your heads, you gates;
    be lifted up, you ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord strong and mighty,
    the Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, you gates;
    lift them up, you ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
    The Lord Almighty –
    he is the King of glory. NIVUK

‘The Cross, the Crook, the Crown’.

‘Psalm 22 points to our Lord’s grace in dying for us, and Psalm 23 explains His goodness in caring for us. This psalm reveals His glory in coming for us.’ Warren Wiersbe. He goes on to say about verses 7-10: ‘These verses may originally have celebrated David’s return to Jerusalem from a great victory, but they speak to us of our King of glory. When He rode into Jerusalem, Jesus came in humility and tears (Luke 19:29-44); but when He comes again, it will be in power and great glory (Matt.24:29ff). Your Shepherd is the King of glory!’

But we must not miss the challenge of holiness we find at the heart of the psalm (vv.3-6). Jesus taught: ”Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” Mt.5:8. Of course, Jesus is the only Person in history who perfectly fits the picture of the holy individual in verse 4. Only He has the right to be in the Father’s holy presence. But the wonderful, miraculous doctrine of justification by faith teaches us that when we trust in Christ for salvation, Jesus’s righteousness is imputed to us. God no longer sees us in our sin, but in His Son. He sees us as Holy as His Son So in Jesus we have freedom of access to the Father (see e.g. Eph.2:18). Furthermore, He puts His Holy Spirit inside us, and by His presence and power we are increasingly transformed into the likeness of Jesus. We gradually, progressively, become (practically) what we are (positionally). Through Jesus’ sacrifice we become a part of ”the generation” who seek God’s face (vv.5,6).

How do these thoughts fit together? Well, throughout the New Testament, the truth that the King is coming is proclaimed with a call to practical holiness. As someone put it, the doctrine of Christ’s second coming is meant to be a ‘sanctifying edge’ in our experience.

Here is just one example of this New Testament call:

”See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. NIV