the jeers become fulfilled promises

Being mocked isn't usually something that people are able to take heart from, and its no surprise really. insults are personal. i've been reading matthew recently, and the main thing that struck me was to do with the words that were being hurled at jesus. here's a snippet of them:

Before Pilate -

"I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!"
All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!"

With the crown of thorns -

"Hail, king of the Jews!" they said.They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again

At the cross -

He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' " In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

These are snapshots of Jesus at severely humiliating points of his life. If we believe he is who he says he is, then an all mighty, all powerful, all loving God is at these moments being brought low and considered less than human, less than the ones he created.

Where, if anywhere, is the encouragement in this? In the insults.. it seems like every word targeted to bring harm to Jesus becomes a promise that God fulfils in the end.

"Let his blood be on us and his children!" - Done! Jesus sacrificed himself and shed his innocent blood, so that by his blood, the wrath against us for our rebellion against God is appeased, and met in the punishment that Jesus took instead. Because Jesus' blood is on us and the generations to come, we have a hope that goes beyond our own efforts. By his blood we our saved. By this insult becoming true, we are given life.

"Hail, king of the Jews!" - Indeed, and yet even more so. The father esteems his son so highly for such an obedient sacrifice given, that he established Jesus to be none other than King of not just the Jews but King of all Kings, Lord of Lords, ruler of the earth. Jesus who was brought low has been lifted to the highest place as a result, for God is pleased to have his love for his creation shown in the most powerful way it could ever be done - and as Jesus accomplished this for his father, Jesus is given the glory he deserves. This insult is the recompense for all the insults. It shows what he will inherit, and what, as co-heirs with Christ, we will inherit with him.

He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' "

- on the third day. Another classic element of people second guessing the timing of God. Let it be a couple of days so that there's no shadow of a doubt that Jesus was stone cold dead. Let a massive stone be on the front on his tomb so that it'd be difficult to enter full stop. Let all sin be dealt with first, in putting all that was sinful in us onto Jesus, so all that is Jesus in his righteousness can be given to us in exchange. Let the people who jeer believe that they were right, let them feel like they have done the right thing in bringing a revolutionary madman to death, after all, if he were the son of God, the cross would be easy work for him. Let them sleep in their beds convinced.

But he rose again. "Let there be light."

This insult fulfilled is the crowning achievement of God. It is the victory dance over sin and death. It is the hope of many.