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by the United States there's a party of persons that witness there are people there that were involved in the crime do you know what they're not doing they're not mocking the guy they're not mocking the person that's about to die at some basic level in our DNA we know that that's just not cool he's about to be sent into eternity he's about to go to the other side yes he may have engaged in some gross crimes yes he may have engaged in some gross misconduct some sins and whatever but we typically don't mock a guy on his way out he says but for the chief priests and elders I like what Poole goes on to say not the hot-headed young man amongst them I mean you expect it from hot-headed young man even I mean you don't expect it from anybody because it's absolutely despicable behavior but if it was going to come from a man you'd expect it to be a hot-headed young man rather than an elder a religious leader in the covenant community of Israel he goes on but for the chief priests and elders the magistrates and rulers of the Jews to be guilty of such a barbarous behavior is amazing I agree with that now no their mockery it's a bit more sophisticated it's sort of build on what the passers-by set forth but their's is a bit more sophisticated in terms of what they are doing in the first place they highlight his inability as a savior notice in verse 41 likewise the chief priests also mocking with the scribes and elders said he saved others himself he cannot save now are they denying the miracles that he did in chapters 8 and 9 it would certainly see him such he's at all in the sense of mockery it's all in a sense of upbraiding it's all in a sense of insulting him he he saved others they can't save himself you see how their argument follows through right if you're able to save others certainly can you know work a little magic now and get yourself out of this precarious position the declaration that they engage in ups the ante with reference to what the last group said notice they said if you are the son of God come down from the cross there's a bit of a hypothetical nets involved here but notice he saved him saved others himself he cannot save it's not even recognized as a possible option with them they assert unequivocally that there's no way Christ can save himself again in all of this they are speaking truth because if Jesus dies then he doesn't save us the Brethren it's mockery it is reproach the leaders words go even further than those of the passers-by the passers-by challenged Jesus to save himself the authorities are sure that he cannot save himself he saved others himself he cannot save now brethren this again is an instance where over and over and over and over again in book of Matthew we have seen the religious leaders ignorance of their own scriptures what kind of save it is isaiah present to us a glorious one and enthroned one a powerful one but before he gets to that throne there's cross isn't there what kind of savior to Zechariah or got a king rather there's ecker I present to us the same sort it's an intriguing thing that persons can have the Bible and not understand it there's a great lesson for all of us in this particular section well any section dealing with the the ignorance the religious ignorance of the religious leaders are you understanding what you're reading are you getting it or you like that Ethiopian eunuch who says to Philip how can i unless somebody explains it to me that's a good response if you don't understand somebody ask your folks ask your elders ask some brother sister in the church and look like they might have a clue no they're not sitting in a corner you know you know doing that sort of thing maybe maybe they should be somebody who asked these guys had Scripture they were the masters of the scripture and yet when it comes to Isaiah's portrayal of who the King would be they utterly reject it when it comes to the Salters depiction of who the king would be they utterly rejected their utterly basing their lives upon appearances he doesn't look like a king here there's a great juxtaposition between them and the thief on the cross isn't there they look at Jesus appearance here and they judge by appearance and they say well he can't be a king because Kings don't go to crosses so therefore let's mock him and let's hold him in derision now I think the BLA robber starts off the day blaspheming but the great change occurs he looks beyond all of the appearances because there's nothing endearing upon you know and in terms of physical appearance on the cross that would lead the thief to belief in in Christ right what's jesus look like now when he's on the cross I know we have this idolize or idealized figure halo you know nice soft scare perfectly manicured beard that's why all depictions of Jesus are terrible we always make them the way we want him to be in other words it's basing life on appearances the Blessed reality of the dying thief is that he looked past the gore and he believed in the Savior these guys look at the gore and they say he can't be the Saviour Matthew is not a fool he is presenting to us these things so that will ponder it will take heed how many of you look at Christ and say well that's a religion I want nothing to do with it's for losers it's for weaklings he sent that the bless of reality of our message Ted Turner the owner of one of the network's several years ago made that mockery of Christians he says Christianity is for losers I wear that badge proudly who did Jesus come for losers destitute dead unable totally depraved violators of God's holy law isn't this his point math ix I didn't come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance you might look at that and say I don't want to be a part of Christianity's for those weird people yeah we're weird man I got a tire that's absolutely positively 100% true don't let weird people keep you from Jesus don't let weird people keep you from Jesus don't let this weirdo keep you from Jesus this Jesus is the Son of God this is why this Jesus doesn't come down from the cross it is to save his people from their sins Calvin says it is to customary with all wicked men to estimate the power of God by present appearances so here's the juxtaposition these religious leaders look at the gore and they say there's no way there is no way he's the son of God the dying thief however looks beyond the gore looks beyond the broke and looks beyond the bruh the bruised in the bat urn he looks beyond by faith you see when you walk by appearances or you walk by sight you are always going to be led astray it's at the point Paul says we walk by faith not by sight Calvin again it is too customary with all wicked men to estimate the power of God by present appearances so that whatever he does not accomplish they think he cannot accomplish that fits us - I think what we prayed he didn't do it so that must mean he can't do it he can do it he's just not why is that unacceptable to the most of us well if he doesn't do what I say then he must not be true when did God take orders from us when did this get published throughout the universe that you know now man is the determiner of what God ought to do Calvin says so that whatever he does not accomplish they think that he cannot accomplish and so they accuse him of weakness whenever he does not comply with their wake desire so they highlight or they accuse or they mock rather for his inability as a savior he saved others himself he cannot say now notes secondly they mock his illegitimate e of kingship middle of verse 42 and I take the reading here where there's no F I think the religious leaders make three declarative statements I don't think what they're doing in verse 42 is saying well if he is the king of Israel if he is what he claims to me let him come down from the cross and we will believe him no they're mocking it's not an if he is then he'll this and then we'll believe no it's a there's the king of Israel this is chump change for him it's mockery brethren it's not a genuine presentation of truth to the Savior that you know if you come down now then then we will believe in you it's also a bit of a front Rhea pon the Savior as if their unbelief is somehow his fault you know if you were to just shimmy down that cross right now we could all be good friends it sounds like people today if he just did this then I'll come if he just satisfies this requirement if he just fixes my car if he just gets me out of this precarious position if he'll just dazzle me with some of that divine magic then I'll believe in him that's what they're saying he is the king of Israel let him now come down from the cross and we will believe in him this is mockery and as well it is a demand for a sign go back in two places Matthew 12 Matthew 16 to other places where they demand a sign he comes down from the cross then will believe in him he jumps through our hope then will believe in him our hoop then will believe in him he satisfies our requirements then we'll believe in him notice in Matthew 12 38 than some of the scribes and Pharisees answered saying teacher we want to see a sign from you but he answered and said to them an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign and no sign will be given to it guess what except the sign of the prophet Jonah you know what's happening on the cross on the mark again they're getting their sign the one that was in fact promised to them in matthew 12 what's the sign of the prophet Jonah verse 44 as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth the sign of the son of Jonah the sign of the prophet Jonah is being fleshed out right before their eyes while they're crying out for a different sign well if he comes down from the cross then we'll believe in him they're not remember what he said Matthew 12 did they not process this information did they not think through this no they didn't they couldn't have the frustrating thing in this particular passage when you look at humanity when you look at human nature so they should have many better this was their job I mean persons that are this ignorant of scripture would be a can do a a nurse who couldn't find your vein at the hospital you got to go in and get some blood taken out she can't find it nah I guess that happens from time to time but she can't find anybody's vein she's just not good at that then maybe she should go work somewhere else a religious leader this in act with reference to the Old Testament Scriptures argues they should have gone and worked somewhere else they are experiencing the sign of the prophet Jonah right before their eyes and they have the unmitigated gall to say he is the king of Israel let him now come down from the cross and we will believe him now that's a lie the arguments simple a miracle worker who cannot come down from the cross is not somebody that is worth us believing in the Brethren this is a lot because he does something far more amazing than come down from the cross he comes out of the tomb and in Matthew 28 11 to 15 they don't believe they don't come they don't look they don't live be careful of imposing standards upon God to meet before you'll believe in him I've shared before I'll share it again dr. Gregg Bahnson debating dr. Gordon Stein in the mid 80s UC Irvine the very end in the qat somebody asked the atheist what would it take for you dr. Stein to renounce your atheism and believe in God and dr. Stein finally said in a humorous sort of way well if the deity put in a personal appearance yock yock we have these meetings where we get together as atheists if God showed up then then I would believe or if this pulpit they didn't have a pulpit probably what's called a lectern or table whatever it was he said if it were to rise up in the air and it was obvious there were no motors there were no ropes there were no levers there were nothing in place that made that rise those are the two things that would lead me or induce me or one of those two things would induce me to believe that there is a God bahnson's answer was perfect no it wouldn't there's no shortage of evidence of God there is no shortage whatsoever of the evidence of God you need to be born again that's the problem as a sinner you suppress truth in unrighteousness when God presents the evidence which he does every day in the created order you take that evidence and you bury it if you saw those things you would just retreat to your office and write a paper to try and rationalize it away or spin it with a naturalistic explanation the same with these guys you come down from the cross and then will believe in you he comes out of the tomb and they don't believe in him here's the thing let's bring it bring it home well if God does this then I'll believe in him if God this time we're in no position to barter with God we're know my position to go to the table and to sit down with God you know you get that that way that they they they tell numbers and they they got to write it down and they slide it across the other person looks out of there okay well that's too high that's too low so they slur we're not there we have no place no prerogative no right whatsoever to say to God if if if then I'll believe you just need to stop you need to repent and you need to come you need to look live believe whatever the Bible says concerning our appropriation of Christ you gotta stop playing games with God well when I get older and I'm past my teenage years and the turbulence that that brings then I'll believe why would we argue that way as I said with reference to the Sabbath what are we discussing when it comes to salvation what are we discussing when it comes to salvation it's a gift from God may I suggest that you take it don't ask for well I want it to be bigger I want it to be wrapped nicer I want it to come at a more opportune take the package home don't make deals don't barter don't bargain if he this or let him now come down and we will believe in him and then finally they mock his sonship his sonship notice verse 43 he trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the son of God Oh brethren I know we often look at Matthew 4 as the temptation of Christ and well we should but remember Jesus didn't stop living according to his humanity on the cross David laments his own two Asian in psalms three and seventy one or in times of distress and turmoil and trial and difficulty his enemies came along and essentially said where is your God they do right here he trusted and God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the son of God this is Psalm 22 this is precisely Psalm 22 8 he trusted in the Lord let him rescue him let him deliver him since he delights in him the righteous sufferer is mocked the righteous sufferer is locked in this way he claims to be God's Son he claims to be a trust in God he claims to have this great affinity with God in this relationship with God these things being true where is God to deliver him now again temptation proper Matthew 4 Christ is hanging there according to his humanity how'd you like to hear that you're in a desperate horrid terrible condition or situation and persons around you are saying well you say you're a believer in God you say that you're a trustor in Jesus where are they to help you why are you still on the cross how come no deliverance for you that's the scope of their mocking here it's terrible these persons are horrible Carson says assuming that God must crown every effort of Messiah was success they conclude that Jesus hopeless condition is proof enough of the vanity of his pretensions in other words since he's still on the cross it invalidate swordy legitimizes his claim to sonship again it is the fact that he remains on the cross that affirms and confirms his sonship it is the fact that he stays on the cross that underscores the reality that he's Psalm 22 man the Isaiah 53 man the prophesied man of the Old Testament who comes in the fullness of the times born of a woman born under the law to redeem those under the law every step of the way Jesus demonstrates that and all the while they like the devil before them are trying to sidetrack him they're trying to derail him they're trying to keep him off mission and Christ will not have it he trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the son of God this mockery is probably designed to shake his confidence in the father this mockery is even a challenge to God again like the devil what's the devil do when he says to Jesus that he's to throw himself off the pinnacle because God has charge over you and he will send His angels to take care of you he's challenging God and they're challenging God here he trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him you just don't do that and get away with it and then the mockery demonstrates their utter failure to understand the prophets the Psalter and the words of Christ Calvin finally says hence it follows again that the priests act maliciously when they infer that he is not the Son of God because he performs the office which was enjoined upon him by the fathers it's a maliciousness on their part because Christ is doing what was given him by the father to fulfill and then finally the reproach of the robbers this just underscores again the indignity I mean I don't know this I've never been on death row but I would think it would sort of foster some sort of sympathy one toward another if you know your cellmates getting marched off to the death chamber don't you're gonna be mocking him as he's going because you know you're going not too far from now in dignity upon in dignity upon indignity is heaped upon the son of got brethren if you ever doubt Christ's love for you and we like the Psalter and we should go to the Psalms I know we like those epistles and we should go to the epistles man this is a great place to go to see the Savior's love for his people it's a great place to take your weary soul when you need a good dose of Jesus love when you need a good shot in the arm that the Savior is for you take it to Matthew 27 take it to the foot of the cross hear him see him observe him with the eye of faith undergoing such for you even the robbers see Matthew indicates that even the robbers like who does this come on remember robbers is used in two ways one robber bandit highwayman brigand or it's a revolutionary an insurrectionist a terrorist these were bad eggs sentenced to die crucified with the Savior in the miserable boat with him and yet even the robbers who were crucified with them reviled him with the same thing doesn't detail it for us doesn't tell us all the particulars it does however say with the same thing again probably not with the sophistication of the religious leaders but things like his claim to be the Son of God king of Israel and the one is able to save they mock him they revile him they were approached AMP revolutionaries terrorists this I think reflects Psalm 22 6 did you sing 195 with me alas I did my Savior bleed and did my sovereign die would he devote that sacred head for such a a worm as I oh that's in dignified or undignified I don't like thinking of myself as a worm we should be so fortunate to be as noble as the worms they don't sin against God they don't violate violate the Decalogue they don't trans with their little worm hands against divine majesty we should be so blessed to be the moral equivalent of an other worm but that's offensive to some in our day would we change that language from the handbook because you know it just messes with our self-esteem and if there's anything you don't do especially in North America it's ever hurt anybody self-esteem so we change it alas and did my Savior bleed and did my sovereign die would he devote that sacred head for such a sinner as I sinners a thousand times worse than worm that's where I don't get what they get in that trade if worm is undignified and sinner isn't you don't have any categories from whence to think sinners a whole lot worse than weren't but I digress how is it that the Savior can refer to himself as a worm and that doesn't offend us equally I don't hear of attempts to change the language of Psalm 22 oh no Jesus can't refer to himself as a worm that's just not dignified and we must be dignified what's the Psalter say but I am a worm and no man a reproach of men and despised by the people Psalm 69 20 reproach has broken my heart and I am full of heaviness I looked for someone to take pity but there was none and for comforters but I found none to a man at the cross they all mock even robbers even the terrorists even the revolutionaries reviled him with the same thing Oh brethren in conclusion and we won't be long three things quickly first the unparalleled wickedness of the mockers their lack of anything remotely appropriate to human behavior you know some commentators moralize here and they say things like well we shouldn't mark other people we shouldn't I don't know more lies I don't want it apart from the beaten track I don't want to take you know time to develop ten lessons on why we shouldn't mock others but it is despicable behavior I mean somebody's at their lowest point which crucifixion is as low as it got as low as it got and these persons are mocking blaspheming and reproaching yeah their solidarity with the devil and challenging the Lord attempting to divert him from the course if you are the son of God their folly of demanding a sign let's go away John 20 remember when the disciples without time Thomas see the Lord what do they tell Thomas Thomas we have seen the Lord what does Thomas do well unless I see unless I touch unless I feel then I will certainly not believe to rejection of the Old Testament prophets a rejection of the words of Jesus Christ and a rejection of the Apostolic testimony Thomas asserts that he has the moral authority to lay down the conditions for his faith so to these guys thankfully it went better for Thomas because he was indeed a disciple and not these guys Chamblin says it is in fact by staying on the cross that Jesus provided the essential basis for saving faith they get it exactly wrong he is the king of Israel let him now come down from the cross and we will believe him do you know why sinners believe in him it's because he stayed on the cross it's because he underwent the wrath and fury of God it's because he went to the uttermost for his people matthew henry says this and i encourage you if you're not in christ you're not a believer you don't confess faith in christ listen to what Matthew Henry said but to promise ourselves that we would believe if we had such and such means and motives of faith as we prescribe when we do not improve what God has appointed so as we have all this body of information we have the constant refrain of scripture telling us to come to Christ come to Christ come to Christ and yet we then say well if he does this one other thing then I'll come to Christ matthew henry if we had such and such means and motives of faith as we prescribed when we do not improve what god is appointed is not only a gross instance of the deceitfulness of our hearts but the sorry refuge or subterfuge rather of an obstinate destroying infidelity don't say next week don't say next year don't say what I'm 99 and their contrast with the faithful who comes to bat for Christ in this scene the Centurion and his soldiers the women and joseph of arimathea Israel's leaders who should have known the Old Testament Scriptures are mocking the king of kings and Lord of lords it's the Centurion his soldiers truly this is the son of God it's the win is underscored by the fact that he remains on the cross they interpret him on the cross as futility they interpret him on the cross as falsity they interpret him on the cross as failure but for us the people of God this is victory this is triumph this is power this is Christ doing what he was purposed to do to save his people from their sins and then finally the unsurpassed wonder of the Savior he is the one promised of old he is the one that is able to save others and you know you have to appreciate the irony here no Matthew doesn't record for us the conversion of the robber Luke does Luke 23 39 to 43 but we know Luke don't we we know Luke 23 39 to 43 don't we yes yeah we've heard it I'm sure I've preached on it probably a couple times I think Post reporters preach on you know the dying thief we all are conversant with that so is it that ironic that they're mocking him he saved others mock mock yuk-yuk while he's in the very process of saving others yes us but he furnishes a proof of this with this dying thief he furnishes a proof of his power and ability with the conversion of this man they see the gore and they stumble he looks through the gore and sees Oh Lord you ever considered that what that thief says Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom he knows that Jesus is Lord he knows that Jesus possesses a kingdom and he knows that Jesus is and treatable I don't know if that's a word but it means that Jesus can be entreated in other words remember me so while Christ is in the eleventh hour while Christ is suffering not only the physical pain remember the mockery here is adding insult to what injury he has had his head pinned with thorns he had previously been scourge he had been sleep deprived he had been nailed to this cross so he's hanging there an abject agony and utter pain not that he was somehow immune to pain no he bled it was gore it was that it was all going on and he's my being mocked and yet he has savings saving dealings with this thief it's just beautiful it's just glorious Oh of the way rile explains the thief he only saw our Lord in agony and in weakness in suffering and in pain he saw him undergoing dishonorable punishment deserted mocked despised and blaspheme he saw no sceptre no royal crown no outward dominion of glory no power no signs of might and yet the dying thief believed and looked forward to Christ's Kingdom that's the point of the narrative belief belief see this Savior on the cross but pass the gore look past the challenges look past the well I don't know just look and live believe in him well let us pray our Father we thank you for your word we thank you for the great leg lengths our Savior went to on our behalf God it truly is amazing and truly we give glory and praise and honor to you we ask that you would bless us and encourage our hearts cause us to reflect upon the passion narrative cause us to do so God not just monthly at the supper not just you know maybe once a year when it comes to certain calendar events but each and every day may we live in the shadow of the cross may we see the great love of the Savior wherewith he loved us and he gave himself for us on our behalf we bless you and we praise you and we thank you for so great a salvation and we pray you'd extend mercy and grace to others and open their eyes to behold the glory of the Lamb of God and we pray in his most blessed name amen you