March 25, 2016

"When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there.  Above his head they placed the written charge against him:    this is jesus, the king of the jews.  Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.   Those who passed by hurled insults at him,  shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”  Matthew 27:35-40

Few places in the Scriptures will you find more irony than in this encounter between the Master and the mockers. It is a sharp contrast between His holy nature and their haughty hatred toward Him.

When you take note of their accusations and slander you are exposed to the nature of evil at its core. 

First, 

the very fact that they are slandering the sinless Son of God gives evidence of a corrupted heart. Why would you do that otherwise?

Let's look at their verbal assaults directed His way.

"You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days" 

- in saying this they are implying that Jesus is either a liar or a lunatic for suggesting such a thing. Also, they are effectively calling Him a failure at the most vulnerable times of His life. For what purpose? To what end?

For the record, Jesus was referring to His Body not a building. 

And He did indeed rebuild it when He walked out of the tomb on Easter Sunday!

"if you are the Son of God!” 

- again, here are these evil men casting doubt on the claims of Christ. If you will remember, this phrase strangely similar to other attacks by Satan the Accuser at various times in Scripture. While the devil is extremely evil he is also entirely unoriginal.

God is under no obligation to prove Himself to Satan or anyone else! 

If the grandeur of creation and the countless miracles He has wrought from the beginning up to the moment of these mockeries haven't proved the true nature of Christ nothing He would do then could convince them!

"save yourself! Come down from the cross" 

- this shows either incredible evil on their part or even more incredible ignorance. Jesus didn't go to the cross to save Himself He went to the cross to save them! In trying to coax Him off the cross they were unwittingly attempting to seal their own fate.

Here again is the ugly, futile and arrogant nature of sin. The very notion that you can "save your self is the essence of sin! It is the lie that brought down Lucifer and Adam.

In conclusion I call your attention once more to the irony that they very thing they were doing was the very reason Jesus was on the cross dying!

What a blessing for them He ignored their taunts and remained on the cross!

What a blessing for you and me as well!