“. . . my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption” (Psalm 16:9,10).

The disciples on the road to Emmaus were perplexed. They had heard reports, following the crucifixion, that the Lord “was alive” (Luke 24:23) but were still disheartened. In meeting their needs, the Lord Jesus directed them to Old Testament passages predicting His suffering. There are many such.

Psalm 16, written by David a thousand years prior to Christ’s suffering, also predicted the Lord’s resurrection. It was not just His spirit that was committed to the Father (Luke 23:46; cf. Psalm 31:5), but His “flesh also” rested in hope. Jesus would not experience “corruption.”

This psalm of David, pointing ahead to the Messiah’s triumph over death (Acts 2:23–32), must have been of great comfort to Jesus, who even as a young lad was an avid student of the Scriptures (Luke 2:46–52). He increased, we are told, in wisdom, and He also knew that the Old Testament Scriptures were about Him (Luke 24:27,44).

Psalm 16 should also comfort every follower of Christ. It speaks of His delight and affection for “the saints that are in the earth” (v.3). Jesus prayed, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am” (John 17:24).

His resurrection also connects with His followers in that He is “the firstfruits” (I Corinthians 15:20); eventually all who belong to Christ will be raised bodily (I Corinthians 15:23).

The Lord Jesus Christ, Creator of heaven and earth, is ultimately the only reason for any hope and joy in this world. In fact, it is hard even to appreciate beauty in this life without hope in the face of death. Jesus knows now the “fullness of joy” in His Father’s presence and wants His followers to share in His “pleasures for ever more” (Psalm 16:11). PGH