The crucifixion and
vindicating Resurrection of Jesus the Christ, which (among a great many things)
evidenced the grand defeat of death and the dawn of a new age, was a battle in
which one could certainly find purpose to use the words “attack” and “shields” and
“spear” and “lance” (Psalm 35:1-5). Together with that, the words of the
Psalm ask for the destruction of the enemy (35:8). However, when it came
to those who actually carried out the crucifixion---those who were temporary
adversaries and very much a part of the world for which Jesus was going into a
cursed death in order to redeem, all are again forced to consider Jesus’ words
of forgiveness, and find displayed an altogether different demeanor.
Rather than a request
for attack and destruction to be visited upon those who brought Him harm, what
is instead to be found is only a request by the Psalmist (again, with words
that could eventually be understood to have fallen from the lips of the Christ
as He endured the horrible ordeal of the cross) that “those who want to harm me
be totally embarrassed and ashamed! May those who arrogantly taunt me be
covered with shame and humiliation!” (35:26) This could be viewed in two
ways. In the first way, it can be viewed on the surface level, with the
understandable desire for these adversaries to experience the same type of
embarrassment and humiliation (35:4) which is requested for those who fight and
attack (35:1).
In the second way, one
is forced to dig deeper, so as to remember Jesus’ intercession on the behalf of
His tormentors and to consider the prevalent cultural equating of
embarrassment, shame, and humiliation with going down into death, and thus quite
possibly see a desire on the part of Jesus for these men to join Him in His
death (exile) so that they too can be experience redemption (exodus).
With this, one is pressed to consider the words of the Apostle Paul in his
letter to the Galatians, and his being “crucified with Christ” (2:20), sharing
in His shame and humiliation so that He might truly live.
By the trusting
allegiance of the gift of faith that makes Jesus the King and representative of
believers and of all people, and enables those that cast their lot with Him to
join with Him in His crucifixion, the same group of people is also enabled to
join with Him in His Resurrection and in the expectation of the great
resurrection and renewal and restoration of creation that is happening and is
also to come. As subjects of His kingdom, believers, and indeed the whole
of the creation, awaits His final vindication, and find themselves poised as
“those who desire my vindication” and in so doing “shout for joy and rejoice”
(35:27).
That shouting for joy
and rejoicing can and should very well take the form of preaching His Gospel in
both word and deed, and so proclaiming His present kingdom and His ongoing
rule, though the presentation of that message may bring temporary shame and
humiliation. The believer, participating in that kingdom and its work,
gladly endure such things, as through the Spirit of God, the glorified Lord
Jesus mysteriously works through and in those that our allied with Him to create
lights for the glory of the Creator God, as they confess through the entirety
of their beings the desire to “tell others about Your justice, and praise You
all day long” (35:28).
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