Mark 15:21-32

The King of the Jews 

 

At least the Romans got one thing right. At both the Jewish and Roman trials, the only charge to which Jesus responded was the charge that He claimed to be the King of the Jews. Both times He identified Himself as the King of the Jews. Jesus was claiming to be the God-anointed king who would set all wrongs to right, and this is why He was crucified.

 

While Jesus was on the cross, they mocked Him. Everyone mocked Him. Those who passed by. The chief priests and scribes. Those crucified with Him. And their refrain went like this: "You claim to be special. Prove it by coming down from the cross." Those who passed by mocked Jesus' for claiming to have power to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. Ironically, this is the very claim Jesus was proving at that moment, for the claim had referred to His body (John 2:19-22). Jesus was destroying and rebuilding His body in three days. Their mockery was void.

 

Similarly, the chief priests and scribes mocked Jesus for not being able to save Himself. But they never asked whether He was trying to save Himself. As frail men afraid of death, they assumed that He, too, was frail and afraid of death. But Jesus was on the cross to fulfill His Father's purpose in accomplishing a salvation far greater than anything the chief priests had yet seen. He wasn't afraid of death! He was in the process of binding and destroying death! He would not stay dead, and He knew it! Jesus did not need to save Himself. He rose from the dead on the third day! They said that He should come down from the cross right then if He was truly the Messiah; then they would believe! They did not understand that they would have had nothing to believe in – nothing redemptive, at least. Jesus was proving that He was the Messiah by staying on the cross!

 

How blind we are! How much we believe we know, when in fact we understand nothing! God must explain to us every detail. He must show us, after the fact, what He had in mind all along. Even though Jesus told the disciples about the Father's plan before His death, they did not understand until after His resurrection. Jesus had to explain it to them Himself! And the Spirit is still at work, explaining to foolish men the wisdom of God and pointing them to Jesus Christ's glorious work on the cross!

 

Father, Your wisdom is astounding! Your plans are beyond comprehension! You did not sit down with men to ask for counsel on our salvation; we could never have come up with such a marvelous plan. Thank You for doing "what Your power and will had decided beforehand should happen" (Acts 4:28) without consulting us. Open our eyes to Your wisdom, that we may trust in You!