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•27他们又把两个强盗和他同钉十字架，一个在右边，一个在左边。（有古卷在此有28“这就应了经上的话说：‘他被列在罪犯之中’。”）29从那里经过的人辱骂他，摇着头，说：“咳！你这拆毁圣殿，三日又建造起来的，30可以救自己，从十字架上下来吧！”31祭司长和文士也是这样戏弄他，彼此说：“他救了别人，不能救自己。32以色列的王基督，现在可以从十字架上下来，叫我们看见，就信了。”那和他同钉的人也是讥诮他。
你能体会被人联合起来针对的感觉吗!连与耶稣同钉十字架的人也一起羞辱他。与耶稣同钉十字架的两个人，其中一个后来改变了主意，他起初也在辱骂耶稣。你有过这样的经历吗?我不能说我有。你听说过有的学龄儿童被霸凌到不想上学，或者更糟，甚至不想继续活下去的事情吗。如果我有机会和这些孩子说话，我会把他们带到十字架前，提醒他们:“耶稣知道那是什么感觉，他想让你知道，他是你永远的朋友。”
然而，不管怎么说，他们嘲笑耶稣看起来是合理的。“他救了别人，却救不了自己!”他们这样嘲笑。但这正是耶稣留在十字架上的原因。为了救别人，他救不了自己。他允许自己被钉在十字架上。他让自己背负了世人的罪孽。他允许自己被定罪，忍受地狱的痛苦。如果耶稣想要拯救我们，他就不能拯救自己。
我们看到了十字架周围那些围观耶稣的人看不到的东西。我们看到了一个为他人献出生命的英雄。我们看到一位甚至愿意为他的敌人而死的救主。我们看见神降卑自己，为要叫我们升为高。我们看到一个朋友，当世界对我们不公正时，他不会抛弃我们。
祷告:主耶稣，让我永不以你的十字架为耻!你的死对我来说就是生命!你的生命意味着永恒的希望!你的爱意味着我永远不会孤单!阿们。
Mark 15:27-32: They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. 29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!” 31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him. (NIV)
Talk about being ganged up on! Even the men who were crucified next to Jesus heaped insults on him. While one of the men on the cross had a change of heart, at first even he piled abuse on Jesus. Have you ever experienced that? I can’t say that I have. You hear of circumstances where school aged children are bullied to the point that they do not want to go to school, or worse, do not want to go on living. If I ever had a chance to talk to one of those children, I would take them to the cross and remind them, “Jesus knows what that feels like, and he wants you to know that you will always have a friend in him.”
Yet, somehow, in mocking Jesus they got it right. “He saved others, but he can’t save himself!” they mocked. That was precisely the reason that Jesus remained on the cross. In order to save others, he could not save himself. He permitted himself to be crucified. He permitted himself to carry the sins of the world in his body. He permitted himself to be condemned and to suffer the misery of hell. Jesus could not save himself, if he wanted to save us.
We see what the people around the cross could not see. We see a hero who gave up his life for others. We see a Savior who was willing to die even for his enemies. We see a God who humbled himself so that we might be exalted. We see a Friend who will not forsake us when the world piles on.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, let me never be ashamed of your cross! Your death means life for me! Your life means hope for eternity! Your love means that I will never be alone! Amen.