The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
Both thieves crucified with Jesus joined the passersby and the chief priests with the scribes and elders in mocking, reviling and insulting Him, taunting Him as One who saved others but could not save Himself and challenging Him if He were the King of Israel and the Son of God who trusted in God to come down from the cross and let God deliver Him. He endured this derision and cruelty while hanging with nails through His hands and feet in dreadful agony as the innocent Son of God and Lamb of Calvary bearing humanity's sins and dying like a criminal. His being mocked and derided while suffering on the cross was part of the sacrifice He made and the life He gave so that humanity might be saved, to show the way and provide the divine help needed for salvation. Even the men crucified with Him who cast these taunts in His teeth could have been forgiven if they had repented. His sufferings in this humiliation were greater than any suffering from mockery and false reports His followers will face, so believers should keep their eyes fastened on Him, refuse to give up to discouragement, and know they have a Christ who will uphold and sustain them at every step.
Mocking at the Cross
Both thieves crucified with Jesus joined in mocking, taunting, reviling and insulting Him on the cross. They cast the same mockery in His teeth as the passersby and the chief priests with the scribes and elders. They taunted Him as One who saved others but could not save Himself, and challenged Him if He were the King of Israel and the Son of God who trusted in God to come down from the cross, save Himself, prove He was the Son of God, and let God deliver Him. Their words, like the other mockers' words, were inspired by Satan and voiced by people under demonic influence.
He endured this while bearing humanity's sins as the innocent Son of God, the Lamb of Calvary, hanging with nails through His hands and feet and suffering and dying like a criminal and malefactor. The mockery belonged to derision, cruelty, insult and suffering on the way to the cross and on Calvary. There He was delivered into murderous hands, led away pale, weak and fainting, crowned with thorns, and stretched upon the wooden cross in dreadful hours of agony. Angels veiled their faces from the scene, the sun refused to behold and hid its light, and the angels were not permitted to answer the taunt nor commanded to rescue Him.
His suffering so greatly in humiliation exceeded what any human being could suffer more. The criminals' scorn and insults stood in stark contrast to the sympathy and comfort shown to those who die among friends and to mourners.
The disciples watched this agonizing death as bitter disappointment, laid Him in the tomb and grieved because their hopes were not realized. They had believed He would reign as king and deliver Israel, and seeing Him die in this way killed their hopes and caused terrible agony. After He rose and appeared to them their hope revived.
Salvation and Call to Follow
Mocked and derided while suffering on the cross, He was making the sacrifice and giving His own life so that humanity might be saved. He endured this to show the way of salvation and to provide the divine help needed to walk in it. As the Lamb of Calvary He hung with nails driven through His hands and feet, giving Himself while under scorn.
He died and passed through the tomb so that death can be faced with joy and with hope of meeting loved ones again. This stands in contrast to His own dying, for the thieves crucified with Him joined in mocking Him in His agony, and their scorn stood against the sympathy and comfort shown to those who die among friends and to mourners. Yet even the men crucified with Him who taunted Him could have been forgiven if they had repented.
He was delivered into murderous hands and led away pale, weak and fainting to crucifixion, stretched upon the wooden cross with nails driven through His tender hands and feet, and hanging those dreadful hours in agony while angels veiled their faces from the horrid scene and the sun refused to behold and hid its light. In giving up all for salvation He puts anything called self-denial in the shade and proves the narrow way is not too strait. What is demanded is all, with undivided affections, separation from the world and from dead heartless professors, and transformation by the renewing of the mind.
His sufferings are greater than any suffering from mockery and false reports His followers will face. Believers are therefore to keep their eyes fastened on Him, walk in humility and harmony, help and pray for one another, refuse to stop their work to listen to reports made against them, and refuse to give up to discouragement, knowing they have a heaven to win and a Christ who will uphold and sustain them at every step. His history of suffering and agony on the cross teaches self-sacrifice, patience under affliction, and solemn consecration to God as lessons for those preparing for sacred work.
Both thieves crucified with Jesus joined the passersby and the chief priests with the scribes and elders in mocking, reviling and insulting Him, taunting Him as One who saved others but could not save Himself and challenging Him if He were the King of Israel and the Son of God who trusted in God to come down from the cross and let God deliver Him. He endured this derision and cruelty while hanging with nails through His hands and feet in dreadful agony as the innocent Son of God and Lamb of Calvary bearing humanity's sins and dying like a criminal. His being mocked and derided while suffering on the cross was part of the sacrifice He made and the life He gave so that humanity might be saved, to show the way and provide the divine help needed for salvation. Even the men crucified with Him who cast these taunts in His teeth could have been forgiven if they had repented. His sufferings in this humiliation were greater than any suffering from mockery and false reports His followers will face, so believers should keep their eyes fastened on Him, refuse to give up to discouragement, and know they have a Christ who will uphold and sustain them at every step.
Mocking at the Cross
Both thieves crucified with Jesus joined in mocking, taunting, reviling and insulting Him on the cross. They cast the same mockery in His teeth as the passersby and the chief priests with the scribes and elders. They taunted Him as One who saved others but could not save Himself, and challenged Him if He were the King of Israel and the Son of God who trusted in God to come down from the cross, save Himself, prove He was the Son of God, and let God deliver Him. Their words, like the other mockers' words, were inspired by Satan and voiced by people under demonic influence.
He endured this while bearing humanity's sins as the innocent Son of God, the Lamb of Calvary, hanging with nails through His hands and feet and suffering and dying like a criminal and malefactor. The mockery belonged to derision, cruelty, insult and suffering on the way to the cross and on Calvary. There He was delivered into murderous hands, led away pale, weak and fainting, crowned with thorns, and stretched upon the wooden cross in dreadful hours of agony. Angels veiled their faces from the scene, the sun refused to behold and hid its light, and the angels were not permitted to answer the taunt nor commanded to rescue Him.
His suffering so greatly in humiliation exceeded what any human being could suffer more. The criminals' scorn and insults stood in stark contrast to the sympathy and comfort shown to those who die among friends and to mourners.
The disciples watched this agonizing death as bitter disappointment, laid Him in the tomb and grieved because their hopes were not realized. They had believed He would reign as king and deliver Israel, and seeing Him die in this way killed their hopes and caused terrible agony. After He rose and appeared to them their hope revived.
Salvation and Call to Follow
Mocked and derided while suffering on the cross, He was making the sacrifice and giving His own life so that humanity might be saved. He endured this to show the way of salvation and to provide the divine help needed to walk in it. As the Lamb of Calvary He hung with nails driven through His hands and feet, giving Himself while under scorn.
He died and passed through the tomb so that death can be faced with joy and with hope of meeting loved ones again. This stands in contrast to His own dying, for the thieves crucified with Him joined in mocking Him in His agony, and their scorn stood against the sympathy and comfort shown to those who die among friends and to mourners. Yet even the men crucified with Him who taunted Him could have been forgiven if they had repented.
He was delivered into murderous hands and led away pale, weak and fainting to crucifixion, stretched upon the wooden cross with nails driven through His tender hands and feet, and hanging those dreadful hours in agony while angels veiled their faces from the horrid scene and the sun refused to behold and hid its light. In giving up all for salvation He puts anything called self-denial in the shade and proves the narrow way is not too strait. What is demanded is all, with undivided affections, separation from the world and from dead heartless professors, and transformation by the renewing of the mind.
His sufferings are greater than any suffering from mockery and false reports His followers will face. Believers are therefore to keep their eyes fastened on Him, walk in humility and harmony, help and pray for one another, refuse to stop their work to listen to reports made against them, and refuse to give up to discouragement, knowing they have a heaven to win and a Christ who will uphold and sustain them at every step. His history of suffering and agony on the cross teaches self-sacrifice, patience under affliction, and solemn consecration to God as lessons for those preparing for sacred work.