The eternally praised Son of God stepped way down from
Heaven’s glory when He became flesh and dwelt among us. He who had heard nothing but angelic praise,
was subjected to a dissonant song in His earthly ministry. In response to His mission of mercy, praise
and thanksgiving were the exception, not the rule.
We were created to glorify God. He is worthy of our praise (Isaiah
6:1-4). But sin has bedeviled our hearts
and mouths. We are by nature a “people
of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). Lips made
to praise sing instead a wicked tune.
The gravity of our sin problem was vividly demonstrated at
Calvary. Given the choice between
freeing Barabbas, a notorious prisoner (Matthew 26:16), or Jesus—the multitudes
chose Barabbas. Having been thus
persuaded by the chief priests and elders, they called for His death. “LET
HIM BE CRUCIFIED!” they all said (Matthew 26:22). Pilate asked, “Why, what evil has He
done?” But they kept shouting all the
more, saying, “LET HIM BE CRUCIFIED!”
(Matthew 27:23). In a cataclysmic act of
injustice the jury of rebels demanded that their Maker die.
A growing chorus of voices joined in the malignant and
abusive song. The soldiers took Jesus
into the Praetorium where He was surrounded by an entire Roman battalion. They stripped Him, put a scarlet robe and
crown of thorns on Him, and placed a reed in His right hand. “They kneeled down before Him and MOCKED Him, saying, ‘Hail, King
of the Jews!’ (Matthew 27:29). “And they
spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. And after they MOCKED Him, they took His robe off and put His garments on
Him, and led Him away to be crucified” (Matthew 27:31).
As He hung there on that cross, “those passing by were HURLING ABUSE at Him, wagging
their heads, and saying, ‘You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild
it in three days, save Yourself! If you
are the Son of God, come down from the cross” (Matthew 27:39-40). In the same way the chief priests also, along
with the scribes and elders, were MOCKING
Him, and saying, ‘He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come
down from the cross, and we shall believe in Him” (Matthew 27:41). “And the robbers also who had been crucified
with Him were casting the SAME INSULT
at Him” (Matthew 27:44).
At Calvary the full measure of man’s sin was made evident in
that cacophony of rebellious scorn. In
response, Jesus spoke as He had walked.
He who never sinned did not sin in His words (1 Peter 2:22-23). Instead He expressed both concern and
forgiveness (Luke 23:34; John 19:26-27).
His final words, “It is finished,” being the most precious of them
all. For in His Work “He Himself bore
our sins in His body…that we should die to sin and live to righteousness; for
by His wounds you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
As a result of His work, by faith in Him, rebellious hearts are changed
and mocking tongues are Spirit-led to sing a better song.
Rebel sinners still sing that mocking tune. It is His name they curse (1 Corinthians
12:3), His cross they count as foolish (1 Corinthians 1:23), and His coming
they mock (2 Peter 3:3). But a marvelous
transformation takes place when a person is born-again—rebel sinners are
transformed into worshippers (Cf. 1 Corinthians 12:3).
There will come a day when “every tongue (will) confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11). A multitudinous choir of the redeemed will
sing a song of heart-felt adoration: “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the
Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever”
(Revelation 5:8-14). ). In Heaven, no mocking voices will be heard,
only praise.
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