Looking at the words from the Gospels and relating them to Isaiah 53:3–4, we can see how the people mocked Jesus, ridiculed Him and reviled Him, even using His own words "against" Him. They said, “You said you were going to break down the temple and rebuild it in three days.” The temple was this magnificent thing, a source of pride for the nation of Israel. It was glorious, and from a human perspective it was impossible to rebuild in three days. Yet here Jesus is hanging on a cross, bloody, beaten and 'helpless', unable to save Himself. The cry from the people was, 'Come down, then we will believe you."
And the irony in all of this is that by not coming down, He literally opened the door of redemption to all who would believe.
When they looked at Him, they saw a man who, in their understanding, was being punished by God because He had made Himself equal with God. How could it be that the Messiah could hang on a cross? How could somebody who is blessed, and not cursed, according to Deuteronomy 28 and the other Scriptures, end up hanging on a cross, being punished and rejected by everyone?
People turned their faces from Him. There was the gruesomeness of the cross, but also the shame of the cross. Even the robbers mocked Him. The religious leaders mocked Him. Ordinary people mocked Him. The soldiers mocked Him. Everyone was looking at this scene unfolding before them and thinking to themselves, “This is a man who has been rejected by God. This cannot be the Messiah. This cannot be the One who carries our sin, our sickness and our disease. This cannot possibly be the pathway to victory.”
And yet, that is exactly what they were looking at. They were looking at the One who was bearing their sin, their sickness and their disease. They were looking at the very means through which God was going to redeem them, but they interpreted what they saw as evidence that God had rejected Him. Isaiah 53:4 says, “Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.” They saw the suffering, but they completely misunderstood the reason for the suffering.
They thought God was punishing Him because He was guilty. But Isaiah tells us that He was being wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
And so there is this incredible irony at the cross. They are saying, “Save Yourself. Come down from the cross, and then we will believe You.” But if He had come down, He would not have accomplished the very thing He came to accomplish. By refusing to save Himself, He was making the way for us to be saved. They thought His staying on the cross proved that He was powerless, when in reality His willingness to remain on the cross was the demonstration of His love, His obedience and His power to redeem.
They were looking at what appeared to be defeat, but God was accomplishing victory. They were looking at what appeared to be a curse, but He was bearing the curse for us.