Day 22: He Bore the Reproach
by From the Pastor's Desk on March 22nd, 2013

Psalm 22:6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8 “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
Matthew 27:39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “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.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “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. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
God is righteous and just. Sin is shameful and should be mocked. If anyone should mock sin, God should be doing the mocking. But, the fall of man and the great love and compassion of God has created a turn of events. Rather than God standing in His holiness and mocking sin, God is being mocked. His compassion is being mocked. His love is being mocked. Rather than the crowd being sinners in the hands of an angry God, we see God in the hands of angry sinners.
Keep in mind that Jesus is on the cross at Calvary dying for the sins of the very ones who are mocking Him. He is standing in their place. He stood in our place. He did not die for His sins. He died for our sins. He became like us so that we could become like Him. He became sin that we could be sanctified as holy, justified as righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Had they known that He was bearing their reproach, had they know He was bearing their sins, undoubtedly they would not have mocked Him. For if they had realized He was standing in their place, they would realize that when they mock Christ on the cross they mock themselves. It is not the nature of mankind to mock its own sin. It is the nature of mankind to hide its sin and declare its righteousness.
Jesus did not look victorious on the cross. He looked defeated. He looked defeated. He looked like a loser. Many times when it comes to persecution for our faith, we don't look victorious. The rest of the world will make us look backwards, irrelevant and outdated. Just as they laughed at Jesus on the cross and shame God, they laugh at the righteousness of God in our lives through Jesus Christ and mock him still today.
Just remember, in a way, God will have the last laugh.
Posted in Bible 2013, Messianic Prophecies Tagged with reproach, mocked
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