Contradiction Of Sinners Against Himself

Uplook – April 2021 — Grace & Truth Magazine

Contradiction Of Sinners Against Himself

Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. — Philippians 2:5-8 KJV

Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. — Hebrews 12:2-3

We are encouraged to have the Lord Jesus before us because, as we are occupied with Him, it will have a transforming affect on our lives. Therefore, I want us to consider the Lord in His sufferings. As we enter into the sufferings of the Lord we enter onto holy ground, so to speak, with great reverence.

Let us focus on the sufferings alluded to in Hebrews 12:3 – “such contradiction of sinners against Himself” – to which the Lord willingly subjected Himself, giving Himself to them. Isaiah 50:6 says, “I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from shame and spitting.”

God said, “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). He warned Adam and Eve that they were not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, for in the day they would eat of it they would “surely die” (Gen. 2:17). In disobedience they ate of that tree. We, too, have sinned and therefore understand the necessity of the Lord to die to be our sin bearer. Nothing that we could do would rectify our condition of perdition – of judgment. It is only through the perfect, finished work of the Lord Jesus, shedding His blood and giving His life, that we can have eternal life. The Lord had to die, and we are very thankful to Him that He did.

But why did the Lord have to suffer so many things – if we may say, “extra things,” as we might deem them – that seem unnecessary for the work of redemption and reconciliation? We know that many of the sufferings of the Lord were prophesied in the Old Testament and they had to be fulfilled. For example, John’s gospel specifically states “that the Scripture might be fulfilled, [the Lord] saith, I thirst” (19:28), thus fulfilling Psalm 69:21. That verse says, “They gave Me also gall for My meat; and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink.”

But as Scripture is written by God Himself (2 Tim. 3:16), He could easily have not included these prophesies. Another way of death could have been anticipated. For example, the Jewish way of execution was stoning, which happened to Stephen. John the Baptist was beheaded. James was killed with a sword, yet the Lord was crucified. Not only was He crucified, but He also suffered many other contradictions, or hostilities, as our verse in Hebrews 12 says.

He was called a “Samaritan” and possessed by “a devil” (Jn. 8:48). These were expressions of disdain. He was insulted by the accusation that He was born in sin – a bastard (v.41, see Dt. 23:2; Heb 12:8). The Lord was insulted again as people said His works were done by the power of the devil (Mk. 3:22). Even His own brethren thought He was “beside Himself”: “When His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, ‘He is out of His mind’” (v.21 NKJV). They really said He was crazy.

His brothers mocked Him (Jn. 7:5). Those whom He called rejected Him: “He came unto His own and His own received Him not” (1:11 kjv). He was scrutinized and watched with the purpose to condemn Him. Psalm 56:5-6 records, “Every day they wrest My words: all their thoughts are against Me for evil. They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark My steps, when they wait for My soul.” In Psalm 57:4 we read: “My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.”

His enemies, mostly the scribes and Pharisees, watched to see if He would heal on the Sabbath, in order to condemn Him (Mt. 12:9-10). They, too, laid a trap before Him as they brought to Him a woman caught in adultery, quoting the Scriptures which state that she should be condemned (Jn. 8:2-6). Their motives were the same when they asked the Lord if they should pay tribute to Caesar (Mt. 22:15-18).

The Lord was not respected by His disciples, in that when they all came together during the last evening none of the disciples offered to wash the others’ feet (see Jn. 13:3-5). How sad to think that one of His most intimate friends denied that he even knew Him, not once but three times – and not before fierce men but before servant girls (Mt. 26:69,71).

The Lord Jesus was betrayed and sold for only 30 pieces of silver by an intimate friend, Judas Iscariot (vv.15,25,47-50). Psalm 41:9 speaks of what took place: “Yea, Mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of My bread, hath lifted up his heel against Me.” In Psalm 55:12-14 we read: “It was not an enemy that reproached Me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated Me that did magnify himself against Me; then I would have hid Myself from him: but it was thou, a man Mine equal, My guide, and Mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.” Additionally, He was betrayed in a very shameful and insulting manner: with a hypocritical kiss and false greeting, “Hail” (Mt. 26:49), meaning joy.

The Lord was abandoned by His disciples: “Lover and friend hast Thou put far from Me, and Mine acquaintance into darkness” (Ps. 88:18). He was abused by His enemies in many ways, physically as well as morally. Christ was mocked by temple soldiers, His hands tied, eyes covered, face slapped, and then as a shameful game they mockingly asked Him who it was who hit Him (Mt. 26:68).

Jesus did not respond to the many false accusations against Him when He was before Caiaphas, Herod and Pilate. “As a sheep before her shearers ... He opened not His mouth” (Isa. 53:7). Three times He was presented to the people as innocent (Lk. 23:4,14,22), yet He was condemned.

He was disfigured more than any man. “Many were astonied [astonished] at Thee; His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men” (Isa. 52:14). “The plowers plowed upon My back: they made long their furrows” (Ps. 129:3).

The Lord was spit upon by a band of Roman soldiers (Mt. 27:27-31), probably numbering between 300 and 600. Certainly, He was scorned by these hardened Roman soldiers as they dealt with One called, “The King of the Jews” – an affront to the supremacy of the Roman power. Mocking this King they gave Him a crown, but it was a crown of thorns. We remember that thorns were a result of the curse (Gen. 3:18).

Now think about this: He did not hide Himself from this physical abuse. “I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from shame and spitting” (Isa. 50:6).

The people chose a criminal over the Perfect One, the only One who had “done all things well” (Mk. 7:37). Psalm 109:4-5 says, “For My love they are My adversaries: but I give Myself unto prayer. And they have rewarded Me evil for good, and hatred for My love.”

He was crucified, which is one of the cruelest means of execution. It implies being cursed, for “cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Gal. 3:13 NKJV). He was hung between two criminals as if He too were a common criminal. Additionally, while there our Lord was mocked by the people (Mt. 27:39-40), by leaders (vv.41-43), by the thieves (v.44) and by soldiers (Lk. 23:36-37). They took His clothes (Mt. 27:35).

He was forsaken by His disciples – only a few women and John were at the crucifixion. Psalm 102:6-7 (KJV) describes His feelings: “I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.” “Reproach hath broken My heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none” (69:20).

Up to this point we may be able to enter in a limited measure into the sufferings of the Lord. We too have suffered physical pain and shame. However, the Lord is perfect, and the depth of these contradictions struck very deep. One or two of them would be very great, but to think of them all is more than we can grasp.

We know that the Lord needed to die, paying the wages of our sin to bring us into a living relationship with Him. But, as we have asked before, why did He have to suffer all of these other things? Was He looking for pity? No, absolutely not. Through His sufferings He wants us to see the unfathomable riches of God toward us. John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” The two-letter word “so” includes all of these things that we have mentioned, plus much more.

The Lord became obedient to the Father, doing His will, to show His love to the Father and demonstrate His love and God’s love for us. Romans 5:8 (NKJV) says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

The Lord Jesus told a parable of a man finding a pearl of great price. He sold everything that he had and bought that pearl (Mt. 13:45-46). This refers to the Lord and us. He wanted so greatly to have us in a relationship with Himself that He “sold all that He had.” This suffering, this contradiction of sinners against Himself, shows us the depth of His love. Now He is looking for a response of adoration, worship, praise, love and obedience to Him. May our hearts be moved as we consider Him.

By Albert Blok

To Him who gave Himself to God an offering sweet, And purged away our guilt of sin, ascribe we praises meet.
To Him who gave Himself for us, that we might be Redeemed, and purchased for His own, sing we eternally.
To Him who gave Himself for her, the church He loved, And in the dark domain of death His deep affection proved.
To Him who gave Himself, sound we our note of praise; Our lives, our hearts, our all would we upon His altar raise.
To Him bow every knee; to Him raise glad the song; All honor, glory, thanks and praise to Him by right belong.— Mrs. W. N. Tomkins