The Cooling Stream

Matthew 27:38-44

Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. (Matthew 27:38)

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Pilate dishonored the Lord Jesus Christ by crucifying Him between robbers.

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Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing. (Matthew 27:44)

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The two robbers heaped insults on Him.

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The two robbers were wicked.

Their lives revolved around the loot they could steal.

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There are people like the robbers among us today.

They know about the Lord Jesus Christ.

But their lives revolve around material things.

They have little regard for righteousness or truth.

They live to indulge themselves, and pay a great price for it.

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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)

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The same crowd that cried "Crucify Him!" had hailed Him a few days earlier with their hosannas (Matthew 21:9).

But now He was a victim of the Romans, they rejected Him.

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They kept on reviling Him with continual defamation and blasphemy.

They wagged their heads in taunting fashion 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."

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Those were the two accusations that came out against the Lord Jesus Christ in the trial before Annas and Caiaphas.

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Those were the two accusations that the Jewish leaders used to incite the mindless passers-by to mock the Lord Jesus Christ as He suffered on the cross.

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There are people like the mindless crowd among us today.

They’re interested in the Lord Jesus Christ only if He can bring immediate satisfaction.

If He doesn’t deliver what they want when they want it, they forget Him.

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Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'" (Matthew 27:41-43)

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The religious leaders were insincere and hypocritical.

They were the lowest level of blasphemers.

They appeared to represent God, to know the truth, and to be pure, godly, and virtuous.

But they hated the Lord Jesus Christ.


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The religious people who supposedly knew everything there was to know about God, mocked the Lord Jesus Christ.

They didn’t talk to the Lord Jesus Christ like the crowd did.

They despised Him so much that they wouldn’t talk to Him.

Instead, they talked to each other about Him.

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The Lord Jesus Christ would not come down from the cross.

He had to die for the ignorant soldiers.

He had to die for the materialistic thieves.

He had to die for the mindless crowd.

And he had to die for the vile religious leaders.

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So great is the compassion of God that the Lord Jesus Christ died for all who would crucify Him.

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The Lord Jesus Christ stayed on the cross not because He couldn’t come down, but because He wouldn’t come down.

Our Savior shed His tears for those who shed His blood.

Such is the compassion of God.

And such is the gift of salvation.