In this lesson we are going to look at the contradiction of sinners that Jesus suffered. The purpose for this is to help us overcome sin and the weights that so easily beset us as the passage says. The trick to doing this will be considering the author and finisher of our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Every one of us has trouble with sin in our flesh. But we also have trouble with weights that enable us from running the race effectively for Jesus Christ. A weight is not necessarily a sin it is just something that slows us down or hinders us. Sometimes it can be very discouraging when we can’t seem to get the victory over sins and weights in our lives and we want to quit in our minds as the passage says in verse 3, but the way that we can overcome this is by considering the contradictions that Jesus suffered and resist as it says in verse 4.
When we think about the things that happened to Jesus Christ in regards to the crucifixion we see they are contradictions. In other words he was the just dying for the unjust, which is a contradiction. He became sin so that we could be made righteous, that is a contradiction.
Things that happened unto Jesus as a result of the crucifixion:
1) Psalm 22:1 (He was forsaken by God)
- We know that Jesus was forsaken by God because he became sin for us on the cross.
- When we look at Isaiah 50:4-7 we see that it was prophesied that God would help him, hence the contradiction.
- The fact is that even though Jesus was forsaken on the cross. God did not leave his soul in hell (Acts 2:27-31) but he delivered him through the resurrection.
- How does this contradiction help us? Many times we will feel like God is now where around even though we know that he will never leave us or forsake us. We should do as the verse says and consider Jesus.
2) Psalm 22:6 (I am a worm)
- Jesus says in this verse that he is a worm and not a man. That is definitely a contradiction.
- Jesus as all men had a body, a soul, and a spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
- When he died we see in Luke 23 that his body went into the tomb, his spirit went back to God (Ecclesiastes 12:7), and his soul went to Paradise with the repentant thief.
- But as shown in point number one his soul also went to the hell side.
- In Isaiah 53:10-11 we see that God made Jesus’ soul an offering for sin. Remember also that Jesus became sin on the cross so that we could be made righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21)
- But why the worm? Jesus told the Pharisees in John 8 that they were of their father the devil. In hell the soul degenerates into the form of a worm which is like a serpent. This is why in Mark 9:43-44 it says where their worm dieth not. (Isn’t the word of God amazing)
3) Psalm 22:18 (They parted his garments)
- This verse prophesies of the parting of Jesus’ garments. But when you look at John19:23-24 you will see that they did not part his coat. It was without seem so they cast lots for it.
- In Exodus 28:31-31 we see that the High priest’s robe of the ephod was to be woven through out and without seem.
- In Leviticus 21:10 we see that the High Priest was not to rend his garments.
- What is interesting is that in Mark 14:61-63 when Jesus was brought before the high priest. That the high priest rent his garment. This disqualifies him from being the high priest. But Jesus is about to be crucified and he will be our high priest with no need for an earthly one.
4) Isaiah 50:6 (They plucked out his beard and spit on him)
- Both of these speak of shame and humiliation, but the spitting on his face is connected with redemption.
- Under the Old Testament Law if a brother died having no child then the next youngest brother was to marry his wife and raise up children unto him. If the brother refuses to redeem her then she is to take of his shoe and spit in his face. (Deuteronomy 25:7-9)
- What a contradiction, Jesus is about to die to redeem them and they are spitting in his face.
5) Isaiah 50:4-5 (Jesus learned)
- In Genesis 3:5-6 Adam and Eve learned knowledge the wrong way and it cost them everything. As a matter of fact we are still paying for that sin today.
- Jesus learned but he learned the right way, through obedience (Hebrews 5:7-8)
- This is what we should do consider Jesus and learn through obedience.
The next time we are struggling with sin or weights let us look to Jesus and consider him, resist and simply do not quit.