And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Matthew 27:39-40)

He Could Have Come Down From The Cross

Crucifixion was the final step before death. When a man was crucified, he remained on the cross until he died. Death would come through time (some could last three or four days), or death would be hastened by crurifragium or breaking the legs of the victim. At the crucifixion of Jesus, two men were crucified next to Him, one to His right and the other to the left. The men crucified with Jesus were criminals and robbers found guilty by the Romans and sentenced to death. One of the criminals admitted guilt on the part they shared with one another for the crimes committed.

When a crucifixion took place, crowds would gather to gawk and ridicule the victims. A crowd of onlookers, including the chief priests, scribes, and elders of the Jewish council, watched Jesus as He died on the cross. A small group of faithful disciples gathered before Jesus, including His mother and the apostle John. As the people ridiculed the condemned, they shouted out for Jesus to save Himself. They blasphemed Jesus, wagging their heads at the pitiful sight of the one who claimed to be the Son of God. The crowd jeered at Jesus with contempt, shooting out the lip at Him, speaking evil things of Him. As the Son of God hung on a cross, stripped of dignity and treated with great contempt, the people made fun of Him, suggesting He could save others but could not save Himself.

The people taunted Jesus if He was truly the Son of God to come down from the cross. No man could wiggle his way out of crucifixion. The hands were spread and nailed to the cross, and the feet were also nailed. It was an impossibility for anyone to release themselves from the nails. There was no escape. Crucifixion was the final act before death. Jesus had performed many miracles during His ministry. He healed diseases, walked on the water, and raised the dead. The chief priests mocked Jesus to save Himself like He saved others, saying if Jesus would descend from the cross, they would see it and believe in Him. Also, the two men crucified reviled Jesus in the same manner.

The chief priests did not fully realize that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God, and He had the power to come down from the cross with the authority of twelve legions of angels. No man has ever had the power to come down from the cross until that day outside Jerusalem. Thank God Jesus did not come down off the cross. The people mocked Jesus to come down, and if He did, they would have been filled not with awe and wonder but with horror and fear. That moment would have changed their lives. But God’s grace and the love of Christ kept the divine sacrifice nailed to a cross, suffering for the sins of those who blasphemed Him.

The death of Jesus took place two thousand years ago, but people still blaspheme and mock Jesus to come down from the cross. They do not believe He is the Son of God and blame God for the misery of the world. When the people mocked Jesus, they failed to understand Jesus was the answer to their eternal destiny. He was dying for them. Jesus begged the Father to forgive those who mocked Him and derided Him. His words fell on deaf ears of those who mocked Him. Jesus will not come down from Heaven to show some special sign to get people to believe in Him. The revelation of God contained in the Bible is all man will have to save themselves. If they do not believe the words of Jesus, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead (or come down from Heaven).