"The Crowd Taunts the Savior"

Matthew 27:39-40: 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.

The hearts of those passing by were untouched by the Lord's affliction on the Cross. They continued to mock Him, raising again the old accusations.

The false charge that was tendered at the trial at Caiaphas' house is now revived by the crowd beneath the Cross of Jesus. They foolishly thought that He had said that He would destroy the actual Temple Complex and rebuild it in three days. John 2:21 states that Christ was speaking of the Temple of His own body. The three days would be the time that His body would lay in the grave before He would take it up again.

They demanded proof that Christ was indeed the Son of God. To the crowd (and to Satan) the best proof would be for Christ to just float down from the Cross in front of them all. As a proof, it would at the same time counter the value of the Cross. Redemption would be incomplete, and Satan would have his triumph.

How sad that they missed the real miracle that would prove that Jesus was the Son of God--the resurrection after three days in the grave. Today, so many continue to miss the real miracle--even with a day to commemorate it.