A Journey with Jesus to the Cross and Beyond
by Tricia McCary Rhodes
DAY TWENTY-FIVE -- Mocked
And age by age the Lord Christ is crucified. And we too have crowded eagerly to Calvary and nailed Him to His cross, and laughed up into His face, and watched Him die, and gone our way well pleased and much relieved that we have hustled Him out of the way -- yes, even we.
Arthur John Gossip
Reflect
Step back from the Cross for a few minutes and think of Jesus as the eternal One who once proclaimed: Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth. (Psalm 46:10). Worship the exalted Lord, and rest in the quiet of His presence.
Scripture speaks of Jesus as one rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God (1 Peter 2:4). Have you ever considered how very precious Jesus was to God the Father? The love they share has always been and always will be. The God who exists outside of time and space, watches men mock Christ for this brief second of eternity, but to Him the beauty of His Son burns ever brighter. Let this reality soak in as you read of this scene today.
Read
And those who were passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying,. . . If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.
Matthew 27:39-40
For all practical purposes today is just another day to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Pilgrims prepare food for the Sabbath. The smell of unleavened bread wafts through the air as children play in the streets. From home to home, the conversation at times touches on the carpenter convicted of treason, who now hangs on Golgotha's hill. Some brag of having seen him do miracles. Others scoff at such nonsense.
The sun beats heavily on those condemned to die. Jesus now sweats profusely, his body rapidly dehydrating. Overcome by chills, he begins to shake from head to toe. Throbbing wrists pound out his pulse, until it beats like a drum inside his head.
He tries to lift himself and breathe, but this time his calves knot up immediately. He falls, wrenching his arms, dislocating one of his shoulders. His eyes fly open and he almost passes out at the torturous pain.
Soon the rumble of conversation around the crosses is interrupted by a raucous group of travelers making their way up the hill. "Aha! There he is. Just look at him."
Shaking their heads in contempt, they take turns mocking Jesus. "Hey -- you up there! You -- you who said you could destroy the temple and build it in three days! Save yourself then!"
Laughter breaks out among them. Surely this isn't the man who roared through the temple just yesterday! Where is his pious power now? What a disappointment to those who hope for some messianic magic. Christ hangs in silence before the taunting crowd.
If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!
What does this suffering servant think as they flaunt his impotence in his face? Does the failing condition of his body make him oblivious to their jeers? Or does he hear their scorn like a distant chant and long for a touch of kindness from someone, somewhere?
If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!
Others watch in dismay. Why won't Jesus do something? Is he really going to die? Was every miracle a sham, every word of wisdom a pretense? Flickering flames of hope are slowly extinguished in those who thought it would be different. The would-be messiah will not come down.
Some turn to leave. There will be no miracles, and the gruesome moment of death on a Roman cross is not worth waiting for. Others continue to sneer, jabbing at Jesus like jesters of the macabre. And the only one who could change things now, fights for every agonizing breath. The Son of Man still has much to suffer.
Respond
The physical torture of Jesus is immense, but we now move to psychological torture. Consider the kind of atmosphere surrounding the cross as Jesus suffers so. Hear the loud, jeering voices challenging him to prove himself. Imagine the intensity of emotions the people feel -- contempt, disgust, disappointment, hopelessness, anger, insecurity or others. See their words like arrows piercing the heart of the One who dies even now for them. Imagine you are one of them -- ridiculing Him, rejecting Him, dismissing His claims to Deity.
Confess to Him the times you have taken His suffering lightly, have held it at a distance, never seeing yourself in the abuse he suffered.
Hebrews 2:10 says: For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. Meditate on the words: It was fitting as you contemplate all Jesus has endured on Calvary so far. Offer Him your love, adoration and worship. Write a prayer of thanksgiving based on this verse.
A Prayer
Oh Lord, how little they understood why you hung there on Calvary. They created you in their own image and when you didn't perform to their expectations, they had no more use for you. They just didn't know did they? So many times I too have demanded you do as I ask, dismissing your claim on my life when you don't. I stand here with the mockers, passersby who missed completely the eternal significance of your impending death. And in my selfishness I too miss it day after day. Forgive me dying Savior, for actions that speak louder than words.
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