Scripture

“He saved others,”  they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of the Jews, is he? Let Him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him!”

 Observation

The soldiers mock Jesus. They dress him up as a king, with a scarlet robe and a thorny crown. They mock Him and beat Him. Then they take him to Golgotha to be crucified.

They nail Jesus to the cross then gamble for his clothes. They sit around to guard him. A sign is hung above his head that says “Jesus, King of the Jews”

People passing by mock Him and demand He prove His identity by coming down from the cross. The leading priests and teachers of the law join in this mockery. Even the revolutionaries crucified with Jesus ridicule him.

Application

This would be the absolute lowest point for the Son of God. He is abandoned by his friends and mocked by everyone around him. He is treated like dirt at this point.

The Jewish leaders say,” He saved others, but He can’t save Himself.”  They even claim that if he gets off the cross, they will believe. But they have witnessed countless miracles and healings, even people raised from the dead, and it was not enough to convince them. Even when Jesus himself came back from the dead, they would not believe in him.

How hard of heart does a person have to be to reject all of this evidence?

This is a key to understanding people. It is not about signs and wonders, but about the heart. There are people who have experienced miracles, but remain indifferent to the Lord. Others just take a few words of explanation and they receive the Lord with passion and excitement. To those who refuse to believe, nothing will ever be enough proof.

So the Lord laid down His life for all who will receive His grace – even though it seemed a majority would reject Him.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for enduring the suffering, torment, and abuse of the cross. Thank you that you love me so much! Amen.