Him who Endured such Hostility

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

Hebrews 12:3

          I don’t like hassles, arguments or confrontations, so I avoid them whenever possible. I even avoid potential problems, so I’ll send my wife in to get directions at the gas station or hand her the phone when it’s a telemarketer. Angry encounters are worse, because when I’m yelled at, I usually yell back, so I lose the argument before it’s begun.

         

Now, compare that with the Lord Jesus. He left the grandeur of heaven where He was worshiped, to come to a world filled with injustice, violence, and greed. He was “despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). The Lord refused to speak in court when he was falsely accused, so His adversaries continued to curse, insult, and malign Him who endured such Hostility.

         

This name of Christ reveals the great depth of character of the Savior. He didn’t put up with the verbal abuse of sin because he had to; Jesus did it because He wanted to.  That’s a big difference. Homeless people walk places not because they want to, but because they have no choice. The Son of God wasn’t a victim of the evil in this world, but he chose to conquer wickedness by taking it on Himself.

         

The writer to the Hebrews explains why Christ put up with such antagonism from His own creation. He did it for believers, for us. We all know how weary and discouraged we get when we become the focus of loathing and disrespect. Jesus conquered all that by rising above it. We can also overcome the insults, if we can just take the time to reflect on Him who endured such hostility from sinners.