"Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt. Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha." —Psalm 70:1-2
If we use our wonderful gift of imagination, we may be able to put ourselves at the foot of "the old rugged cross" and recreate the scene that could well have given rise to the words of our text on the lips of our Savior. Above Him, nailed to His cross, a hand printed poster scornfully proclaims, "This is the King of the Jews!" much like those some display at our athletic games today. And beneath the cross, enjoying the entertainment with a raucous crowd, some of the religious leadership scornfully deride Him, "saying, He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He be the Christ, the chosen of God." And nearby out of the duty squad of Roman soldiers one emerges with a vinegar soaked sponge on the end of a reed, shoving it in His face and crying, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!"(Lk 23:36) Then, off to one side, in misery and bitterness we hear one of two thieves crucified with Him growl, "If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us." (Cf Luke 23:34-39)
Nearby some of the soldiers, bored and distracted, are divvying up his clothing and casting lots to see who will win the seamless cloak He was wearing when they stripped Him for His public humiliation. Finally the murmur begins to circulate among the watchers that He has expired. The religious element turn and petition Pilate, who has watched it all with detachment, "Break His legs and take Him away!" As the soldiers begin their cruel duty on the two thieves, someone affirms that Jesus is dead already. One of the soldiers, "just to make sure,"shoving a spear into His side confirms His death. The entertainment over, we watch the crowd break up and wander off to prepare for their Sabbath worship! (Cf. John 19:19-37)
Consider Who it is that is thus mocked, maltreated and murdered. It is, in fact, not the king of the Jews, but the King of kings, the Lord of Glory! It is the almighty Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the Commander in chief of the armies of heaven, for Whom during it all no fewer than one hundred and forty four thousand angels stood at the ready, waiting only a word from Him to scatter His abusers beyond the farthest horizon. (See Mat. 26:53) How well He might have cried, "Let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt."
The most astonishing thing is that He did not then so speak. Rather, He prayed for His accusers and abusers, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do [Luke 23:34]." Even the waiting angels must have been astonished at such incredible restraint! And we are taken back in mind to His remarks to Philip and Andrew, "…The hour is come, that the Son of Man should be glorified…Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father save me from this hour: but for this cause came unto this hour." And then He prayed, "Father, glorify Thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again [John 12:23-28]."
There and then, despite the efforts of His detractors to the contrary, Christ was glorified in grace, being made sin for us to the end that we might have our sins forgiven through His sacrifice. There is a day coming when He will be glorified in judgment, and the words of our text will be upon His lips for those who have scorned His grace and salvation. Of that day we read, "…the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, [will hide] themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And [say] to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
In the meantime, let those who have been saved by His grace heed the exhortation of the psalmist, and the Savior from Whom these words originate, "Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified [Ps. 70:4]."
And let those who hesitate take heed—before it is eternally too late!
For His glory and our good,
"Pastor" Frasier
If we use our wonderful gift of imagination, we may be able to put ourselves at the foot of "the old rugged cross" and recreate the scene that could well have given rise to the words of our text on the lips of our Savior. Above Him, nailed to His cross, a hand printed poster scornfully proclaims, "This is the King of the Jews!" much like those some display at our athletic games today. And beneath the cross, enjoying the entertainment with a raucous crowd, some of the religious leadership scornfully deride Him, "saying, He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He be the Christ, the chosen of God." And nearby out of the duty squad of Roman soldiers one emerges with a vinegar soaked sponge on the end of a reed, shoving it in His face and crying, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!"(Lk 23:36) Then, off to one side, in misery and bitterness we hear one of two thieves crucified with Him growl, "If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us." (Cf Luke 23:34-39)
Nearby some of the soldiers, bored and distracted, are divvying up his clothing and casting lots to see who will win the seamless cloak He was wearing when they stripped Him for His public humiliation. Finally the murmur begins to circulate among the watchers that He has expired. The religious element turn and petition Pilate, who has watched it all with detachment, "Break His legs and take Him away!" As the soldiers begin their cruel duty on the two thieves, someone affirms that Jesus is dead already. One of the soldiers, "just to make sure,"shoving a spear into His side confirms His death. The entertainment over, we watch the crowd break up and wander off to prepare for their Sabbath worship! (Cf. John 19:19-37)
Consider Who it is that is thus mocked, maltreated and murdered. It is, in fact, not the king of the Jews, but the King of kings, the Lord of Glory! It is the almighty Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the Commander in chief of the armies of heaven, for Whom during it all no fewer than one hundred and forty four thousand angels stood at the ready, waiting only a word from Him to scatter His abusers beyond the farthest horizon. (See Mat. 26:53) How well He might have cried, "Let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt."
The most astonishing thing is that He did not then so speak. Rather, He prayed for His accusers and abusers, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do [Luke 23:34]." Even the waiting angels must have been astonished at such incredible restraint! And we are taken back in mind to His remarks to Philip and Andrew, "…The hour is come, that the Son of Man should be glorified…Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father save me from this hour: but for this cause came unto this hour." And then He prayed, "Father, glorify Thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again [John 12:23-28]."
There and then, despite the efforts of His detractors to the contrary, Christ was glorified in grace, being made sin for us to the end that we might have our sins forgiven through His sacrifice. There is a day coming when He will be glorified in judgment, and the words of our text will be upon His lips for those who have scorned His grace and salvation. Of that day we read, "…the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, [will hide] themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And [say] to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
In the meantime, let those who have been saved by His grace heed the exhortation of the psalmist, and the Savior from Whom these words originate, "Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified [Ps. 70:4]."
And let those who hesitate take heed—before it is eternally too late!
For His glory and our good,
"Pastor" Frasier
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