SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/2/2024 8:11 AM
My Worship Time Focus: “Intro to
Matthew 27:27-44”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew
27:27-44
Message of the verses: “27 Then the
soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman
cohort around Him. 28 They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 And after twisting together a crown of thorns,
they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down
before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" 30 They
spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. 31 After
they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own
garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.
32 As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene
named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.
33 And when they came to a place called
Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, 34 they gave Him wine to drink mixed
with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink. 35 And when
they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by
casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him
there. 37 And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read,
"THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS." 38 At that time two robbers were
crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those passing
by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads 40 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." 41 In the same way the
chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him
and saying, 42 “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of
Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43 “HE
TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He
said, ‘I am the Son of God.’" 44 The robbers who had been crucified with
Him were also insulting Him with the same words.”
When I read these very sad and difficult verses
which speaks of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ it does sadden me very much,
and one of the reasons that it saddens me is because as I read them I know that
He went through this for me and for anyone who puts their trust in Jesus Christ
for their salvation.
As
we read about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in the New Testament gospels the
writers do not write about what really happens to a person who is crucified,
but in the Old Testament book of Isaiah and the last part of chapter 52 and the
entire 53rd chapter along with the 22nd Psalm one can
really see what crucifixion is about and what happens to a person who is
executed in this way. David wrote Psalm
22 and crucifixion was not even used or invented at the time of his writing
it.
John
MacArthur writes “The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was the climax of redemptive
history, the focal point of God’s plan of salvation. God’s redeeming work culminated in the cross,
where the Lord Jesus bore the sins of the world. But also in the crucifixion of Christ the
wickedness of man reached its apex. The execution of the Savior was
the vilest expression of evil in human history, the utter depth of man’s depravity. The death of Jesus Christ was therefore the
supreme revelation of the gracious love of God while also being the ultimate
expression of the sinfulness of man.”
I think that this highlighted part of MacArthur’s commentary is the best
way that I have ever heard of explaining about the crucifixion in both the
awfulness of it and the necessity of it, for yes it was necessary for this to
happen for without it there would be no salvation for anyone.
MacArthur
goes on to write “And whereas John’s gospel focuses on the crucifixion primarily from the perspective of God’s
redemptive love and grace, Matthew’s focus is primarily from the perspective of
man’s wickedness. Ma’s wickedness attempted
to kill Jesus shortly after His birth, tried to discredit His teaching, and
made every effort to mislead and corrupt His disciples. Man’s wickedness had betrayed Him, denied
Him, arrested, maligned, and battered Him.
But the incomparable manifestation of man’s wickedness was in His
crucifixion.
“David
Thomas wrote:
‘[For thousands of] years
wickedness had been growing. It had
wrought deeds of impiety and crime that wrung the ages with agony, and often
roused the justice of the universe to roll her fiery thunderbolts of
retribution through the world. But now
it had grown to full maturity, it stands around this cross in such gigantic
proportions as had never been seen before; it works and enormity before which
the mightiest of its past exploits dwindle into insignificance and pale into
dimness. It crucifies the Lord of life
and Glory (The Gospel of Matthew [Grand
Rapids: Kregel, 1979 (reprint of 1873 edition)], p. 536).’
MacArthur
goes on “Jesus’ enemies so hated Him that even His death seemed to be a disappointment,
because it ended their opportunity to spew venom on Him even as He suffered the
agony of crucifixion. The heartless
intensity of the evil words and deeds of those who participated in His death
beggar description.
“Matthew 27:27-44 portrays four groups of evil
people at the crucifixion who derided and abused Christ: the ignorant wicked (vv. 27-37), the knowing
wicked (v. 38), the fickle wicked (vv. 39-40), and the religious wicked (vv.
41-44).”
Lord
willing, we will begin to look at “The Ignorant Wicked” in the next SD, and I
have to say that we will be camped out on this section for many days.
8/2/2024 8:48 AM
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