And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, Save thyself, and come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him. — Mark 15:29-32
Most Christians often sit and think about Jesus and His crucifixion. We often talk about the intense scourging, the mocking, the beating, and the actual death of our Savior. We often talk about His trial, which was nothing more than a sham trial to appease the crowd.
There are many times we talk about the soldiers and other leaders that were nearby. We talk about His friends and family that were there that day as well. At times, we even discuss the criminals that were put to death beside Him. Yet, I am guilty for overlooking the crowd that day so many times.
Mark’s account of Jesus’ death seems to give us a unique view of the situation. Those that passed by could read the sign above His head, King of the Jews. They chose to rail on Him, mocking Him and essentially calling Him a crazy man. They mocked Him for saying He was the Savior, saying for Him to deliver Himself.
Mark calls them “they that passed by” in the verse. These people were close enough to see Him, to talk to Him, to know exactly who He was. Yet, they chose to accuse Him of being a liar. As I read through this verse, there is such an intense challenge for us.
There are many people that claim the name of Christ in our day. So many claim it out of convenience or benefit. In reality, they are no different than those that passed by that day. They are close enough to know who the Savior is and close enough to know what He has done. Yet, they refuse to truly make Him the Lord of their life.
Have we truly given our lives to Jesus Christ as our Savior, or are we simply passing by? I heard it put so well recently. Someone said, “Is Jesus a lunatic, a liar, or your Lord?” Unless He is the Lord of our lives, we are simply “Christians” passing by. How would you answer the question? Is He a lunatic, a liar, or your Lord?
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