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By: Steve Wilt
June 19, 2023
Editors’ Note: This is the third article in a series discussing the Christian call to share the gospel. To read the previous article, click the following titles:
The Lord experienced the rejection of those He ministered among, finding the ultimate expression of that rejection at the cross. We’ve been learning that the same attitudes toward Christ that caused people to raise their fists toward Him then still occur today.
We turn now to the third attitude expressed at the cross, this time by the religious leaders. Of those at the foot of the cross, the religious leaders were the most culpable for their attitudes. They had the Old Testament with its prophecies about the coming Messiah. Their pride had clouded their understanding and led them to a heinous act. Mark 15:31,32a gains us some eternal perspective that will equip us to reach our not-so-pretty world.
Some people are irreverent toward Christ. At the cross, the religious leaders treated Christ with intentional disrespect.
They disrespected His claims to kingship.
Though Mark chose to ignore this detail, Luke says they “turned up their noses.” They sneered at Jesus. Their hatred was so deep that it reflected itself in their faces. They could not contain themselves.
Luke 23:35
“And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God." (NKJV)
In this verse, the religious leaders used the expression "chosen one." This phrase was a technical term for the Messiah. They understood His claim, and they rejected it. Note that they talked about Him, not to Him. They did it in His hearing but didn’t really permit His response to their derision. Their lack of courage only compounded their disrespect.
They disrespected His claims to be the Son of God.
Psalm 42:10
“As with a breaking of my bones, My enemies reproach me, While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"(NKJV)
Their attitude was that God didn't want Him as a Son, or He would have gotten Him off the cross. They saw the cross not as the redemptive place that God intended it to be but as proof that Jesus was not who He claimed to be.
The religious leaders of Christ’s day rejected Him. They disrespected the two central claims of His ministry – namely that He was the Messiah, the King of Israel, and that He was Deity, the Son of God. Unlike the others, this group rejected Christ with their eyes wide open. They knew the evidence was overwhelming, but they could not accept it.
In our present world, irreverence toward Christ continues. People for whom the evidence is obvious continue to reject Him. They have willingly rejected Him. They speak of Him disrespectfully; they want no part of what He offers them. They behave in ways that disrespect God's holy standards.
How do we respond to people who are irreverent toward Christ? What do we say or do?
We need to remember that most people are not the enemy, no matter how disrespectfully they behave toward Jesus and His righteousness. They are the victims of the enemy, Satan. Their eyes have been blinded. When we view them this way, we take the first step toward becoming a changing force in their lives. We need to help them understand that becoming a believer in Jesus Christ lifts burdens; it does not add them. It will not deprive them of joy but will bring them abundant joy that they can know no other way.
