Most people don’t know this, but Psalm 35 might’ve been in the heart of Jesus right before He went to the cross.
It’s not quoted as much as Psalm 22 or Isaiah 53, but when you read it slow, you start seeing the pain Jesus went through. David wrote this when he was being chased down and lied about. But the words match what Jesus faced so well, it’s hard not to see Him in it.
Let me show you what I mean.
False Witnesses – Psalm 35:11
“False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.”
That’s exactly what happened to Jesus in Matthew 26. The chief priests and the council were hunting for false witnesses. They couldn’t even get their stories straight. They just wanted something—anything—to make Him look guilty.
And through it all, Jesus stood there. Quiet. Innocent. Taking it.
Can you imagine Him remembering David’s words while false witnesses shouted lies in His face?
They Hated Him Without a Cause – Psalm 35:19
“Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.”
Jesus actually quoted this verse in John 15:25 when He said, “They hated me without a cause.”
Let that sink in. The King of kings. The one who healed the sick, fed the hungry, forgave sinners, and loved everyone… they hated Him.
And He hadn’t done one thing wrong.
That’s what makes this verse sting. It wasn’t just David’s hurt. It was Jesus’ hurt too.
Caring for His Enemies – Psalm 35:13-14
“But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting…”
David didn’t just pray for judgment. He actually loved his enemies. When they were sick, he fasted for them. He treated them like family.
That’s exactly what Jesus did. He wept over Jerusalem even though they rejected Him. He prayed for the very people who nailed Him to a cross.
“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” – Luke 23:34
Even when they hated Him, He still cared.
Rejoicing at His Hurt – Psalm 35:26
“Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt.”
You remember what the people did at the cross?
“And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself…” – Luke 23:35
They laughed at His pain. They mocked Him while He bled. They actually rejoiced when He was hurting.
David saw this kind of cruelty, but Jesus lived it out fully.
So What Does This Mean for Us?
Psalm 35 shows us how Jesus felt during those final hours before the cross. Not just the nails and the crown of thorns—but the betrayal, the lies, the mocking, and the heartbreak.
It reminds us that Jesus didn’t just die for us—He hurt for us. He was misunderstood, hated without cause, and treated unfairly… and He took it all so we could be saved.
Next time you feel like no one understands what you’re going through, remember Psalm 35. Jesus does understand. He lived it. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” — Hebrews 4:15
