“You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
According to Matthew, Jesus, while dying on the cross, was mocked from all directions: those passing by, the chief priests and their cronies, and those crucified beside Jesus.* Imagine being Jesus, enduring the shame of the abandonment of His disciples, the shame of nakedness on the cross (as was the custom), the shame of mockery while being beaten before even carrying the cross, and now this. At the pinnacle of the possibility of human pain, Christ felt no comfort; indeed, He found emotional pain as an accompaniment to His physical pain.
Furthermore, according to tradition, some believe that the hill of Golgotha (where Jesus was crucified) was along the road between Damascus and Jerusalem. This road just out of the city served as the location of public punishment. It’s purpose was to remind all who traveled to and from these busy cities of the penalties the Romans made available to those who dissented. Such a public display served as a dissuasion to dissent and as a powerful control agent. This means that while Scripture refers to a criminal on the right and left of Christ, there may have been a whole row of people suffering crucifixion.
This is significant because while Jesus endured this horrible shame and pain, he was lost in an obscurity that would have allowed those passing by to think He was just another rebel. Though Jesus had “King of the Jews” posted above Him on the cross, each person crucified had their crime posted above their head.* Though those who passed Jesus by mocked Him, this special treatment was by no way an honor or special attention that would bring any form of comfort.
In this moment of extreme duress, Christ did something remarkable: He refused comfort.* The bitter drink Jesus refused came as an offer of comfort to dull His senses. Research indicates (collaborated with Proverbs 31:6) that this common practice would dull senses to endure the ending pain of death on a cross.*
In the middle of this pain, Jesus did not run to comfort. Why?
Perhaps He knew that the cup that His Father had for Him needed to be received sober. Maybe He understood that the pain He was going through was for a purpose and He didn’t want to miss it. Whatever the reason, His response to suffering in this moment starkly contrasts that of our culture.
In our culture, we are trained to run from pain and to run to comfort. The closest thing to welcoming pain for a purpose may exist in the sporting world. Athletes endure all sorts of pain for the prize. The problem for Jesus, though His prize was “the joy set before Him,” it did not look like winning to many.
For Jesus, the greatest moment of defeat was actually the greatest win. The mocking of the chief priests was almost prophetic.* Surely, Jesus could not come off the cross for the very reason that He was the Son of God. Surely, He could not save Himself because He was saving everyone else.*
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to see the difficulty of your season through His eyes. Perhaps He wants you to see that the things that look like failure in your life are actually victories. Maybe He wants you to trust Him in the pain that salvation is coming. Maybe He wants you to hear Him when He says that you aren’t forsaken. Perhaps He wants you to feel His acceptance though mockery surrounds you.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.
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*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 710–726), and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt Mt 27:27–54).) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).