Matthew presents three groups as mocking Jesus while he hangs on the cross. He uses a slightly different word for each (blasphemy, mock, taunt) and in each case, their words reflect Psalm 22 and other psalms which describe someone suffering unjustly.
The crowd (27:39-40). The first of the three sets of mockers are simply those in the general crowd that wanders by the site of the crucifixion. The word translated in the NRSV and ESV as “derided him” is literally to blaspheme (βλασφημέω); the NIV’s “hurled insults” catches the connotations of the word well.
The people passing by wagged their heads. The phrase is drawn from Psalm 22:7, “All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads.” The people also seem to know the false charges against Jesus since they mock him for claiming to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. This indicates that the charges against him had been made known to the general populace.
The chief priests and elders (27:41-43). These are the same people who looked for ways to condemn Jesus and who conspired to execute Jesus in secret (27:1-2). Now they publicly mock (ἐμπαίζω) Jesus (as Jesus predicted in 20:19). Rather than standing before the throne of a king and acclaiming him, they mock the enthroned king. Saving others refers to Jesus’s healings and exorcisms; they sarcastically claim if he can come down from the cross, they will believe him. In Matthew 1:21, Jesus will save his people, but now (according to the chief priests), he cannot even save himself.
Matthew intended us to remember Jesus’s temptations in the words of the chief priests. Satan told Jesus “If you are the son of God” throw yourself down from the highest point of the Temple and the angels will save you (Matt 4:6). Presumably the ones who would see Jesus in the Temple were the chief priests and elders. Now, if Jesus comes down from the cross (a high place) they will believe. Matthew puts Satan’s words into the mouths of the chief priests!
The words of the chief priest echo Psalm 22:8, “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
The Thieves (27:44). Matthew does not tell us how the thieves taunted Jesus. The ESV translates ὀνειδίζω as “reviled,” which can be a generic “heap insults on” (BDAG) or “hurl invectives.” Luke has more to say about the two thieves, for Matthew their insults once again fulfilled the words of Psalm 22:6-8.
Psalm 22:6–8 (ESV) But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
Psalm 25:2 (ESV) O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me.
Psalm 109:25–26 (ESV) I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads. 26 Help me, O Lord my God! Save me according to your steadfast love!
Wisdom of Solomon 2:13 (NRSV) He professes to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a child of the Lord.
Wisdom of Solomon 2:16–18 (NRSV) We are considered by him as something base, and he avoids our ways as unclean; he calls the last end of the righteous happy and boasts that God is his father. 17 Let us see if his words are true, and let us test what will happen at the end of his life; 18 for if the righteous man is God’s child, he will help him, and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries.
In Matthew’s description of the crucifixion, Jesus is left to die alone. Only after his death does Matthew tell us several women who had followed him from Galilee were also present. Where are his disciples? The ones who had sworn to follow no matter what, even to die alongside him are nowhere to be found. In fact, they are not mentioned by name again in the Gospel. (The group of disciples are mentioned in 28:8-10 and the eleven are in Galilee for Jesus’s final commission in 28:16).
Do you believe that the ending of Matthew was the original ending of Mark? They both state that Jesus told his disciples to meet him in Galilee. I think it is foolish to regard it ending with the women being afraid. The problem is of course the fact that Jesus does no reascend into Heaven at the end but stays on Earth with his church to the end of days.
Woodrow Nichols
This blog post talks about three distinct groups that mocked Jesus on the cross. Each of the gospels has a slightly different account of who mocked Jesus and what they said, but that does not mean they contradict each other. Rather, emphasis is put on what the authors think deserves to be heard, the key point they took away and remember from the event. In Strauss this week we learned about the end of Jesus’ life. Strauss says that all scholars, whether Christians or secular folks, believe that Jesus really existed and really was crucified. Although there is plenty of debate on his resurrection and ascension, his crucifixion is not fought over. Strauss says that the Romans were very good at what they did, so they would have made Jesus look shameful hanging on the cross to die. The unbelief and misunderstanding of first century crowds sort of amazes me. Obviously, we are living in hindsight and know about the resurrection and ascension, but those back then probably doubted Jesus the most in this moment of his death. How could this man who claimed to be God and performed wonderful miracles be allowing death to take him? Those who mock him saying to come down from the cross and we will believe are showing how little faith they are able to have.
I never really looked at the mocking of Jesus in detail. I knew that it happened, but didn’t really read into it beyond that. This post was definitely an interesting read. According to Strauss in “Four Portraits, One Jesus”, The gospels each have their own points that the authors are trying to make about Jesus, and have minor differences to help show those points. this story shows up in the Synoptics, and it is told a little differently in each account. it is interesting how there are so many debates over his resurrection, but his crucifixion is not debated at all. it makes sense though, since the Roman executioners were experts at what they did. It would be reasonable for the crowd to have doubts. After all, the man that claimed to be God and performed so many miracles is now hanging on a cross and dying. I also never realized that the same words that the priests said were what Satan said when he was tempting Jesus. I read these stories so many times, but I never picked up on that detail. I wonder why Matthew chose to use those same words? Maybe to compare the priests and elders to the devil himself to show how bad they were? I also never noticed that no other people were mentioned in Matthew’s account. that makes it even more solemn since not even the people that swore to always follow him were there. This definitely expanded my perspective on this story.
After reading your blog post about Jesus being mocked while being crucified on the cross. The first thing I found interesting about this is that you mention that he talks about three types of verbal attacks he takes which are blasphemy, taunting, and mocking which he compares to Psalms 22 and other ones. I find this interesting because Jesus throughout the entire Gospels is seen trying to bridge what the Jews know from the Old Testament to his ministry, so that he may reason with them with examples of scripture. It is interesting to me that the mockery that Jesus endures comes from three sets of people as well with the first one being the general population, and how they shake their heads at him just like how it explains God feels about being mocked in Psalms. The next are the priest who have gotten what they wanted by getting Jesus to be executed, so it is incredible to me that they would come mock him telling him now that they would believe in him if he would get off the cross, but what I found more powerful is that Jesus stayed on the cross instead of being resentful, and showing them that he could. This is powerful to me because Jesus knew the temptation of showing them what to do, and stuck to the plan of sacrificing himself for all of us, so that we could all be saved.