Saving Us

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

SAVING US

Matt 27:41-44

41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" 44 In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

NIV

All that passed by the cross, as in a parade of people were hurling insults at him, and as we already noted the scene included the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders. These are the ones who held the shame of a trial, determining that Jesus was worthy of death. They are the same ones who insighted the crowd to yell, “Crucify him”, and now they are gloating in their supposed victory, thinking they have won. It is interesting they confessed that Jesus had saved others, even in their mocking that he could not save himself. Then Matthew tells us that they also confessed that if Jesus did come down off that course, they would believe in him. It is doubtful they would believe even if Jesus did come down from the cross. But we know Jesus was there for a purpose and he was going to fulfill that purpose. Yes, he could have come down from the cross. Yes, he could have done anything as he is God. It is their mocking, their thinking they have won the victory could very well be the reason Jesus asked the Father to forgive them for they are ignorant of what they are actually doing. They had no clue they were losing, and not winning. They had no clue this was the plan of God for their redemption, their reconciliation, and their restoration. It is also interesting they said they would put their faith in him if he did come down from the cross. Why do people always need a miracle before they believe? Although we must say that before we believed, on a personal note, that we challenged God that if he was real, he could fix a mistake I had made with photographic film. He did, and I could not refute it as a miracle because it was beyond the science capable of fixing it. We also have the record throughout the gospel of people asking for miracles to believe. Jesus did miracle after miracle, and many did believe in him. However, when it came to doing this one miracle the chief priests, teachers of the law, and the elders were asking was not going to happen for had he done that, had he come down, the whole of mankind would be condemned for all eternity, and none would be saved, including us. Still, it is sad they had to insult him, jeer at him, mocking him. The meanness of people is astonishing. Although they professed to be priests who served God, teachers of the law of God, and elders responsible for the church's spiritual welfare, they held hatred in their hearts instead of the love of God. As we have thought before, they were of the highest order of hypocrites, whitewashed tombs, clean on the outside, dead, or dead man’s bones, on the inside. Sometimes we wonder if when we fail when we sin, are we in some way insulting Jesus. Still, it is not that we look for ways to sin or attempt to offend him, it is just that we are incapable of being perfect, as hard as we try to live uprightly and be pure of heart, we fail and that is why Jesus died for us, for our sin, so that he could declare us holy and blameless in his sight. Praise God, Praise His Holy Name. Thank you, Jesus, for not coming down, for not saving yourselves, but saving us.