Topical Bible: Contempt: The Wicked Exhibit Towards: Christ

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Contempt towards Christ is a recurring theme in the New Testament, where the wicked and unbelieving often display disdain and rejection of Jesus and His teachings. This contempt is not only a reflection of their disbelief but also a fulfillment of prophetic scriptures that foretold the Messiah's suffering and rejection.

Prophetic Foretelling of Contempt

The Old Testament contains prophecies that anticipate the contempt and rejection Christ would face. Isaiah 53:3 poignantly describes the Messiah as "despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief." This prophecy sets the stage for the New Testament accounts of the contemptuous attitudes directed towards Jesus.

Contempt During Christ's Earthly Ministry

Throughout His ministry, Jesus encountered contempt from various groups, including religious leaders, political authorities, and even the general populace. The Pharisees and Sadducees, in particular, often exhibited contempt through their attempts to trap Him in His words and discredit His authority. In Matthew 12:24 , the Pharisees dismiss Jesus' miraculous works by attributing them to Beelzebul, saying, "This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons."

The contempt is further illustrated in John 7:5 , where even His own brothers did not believe in Him, reflecting a broader skepticism and rejection among those who were closest to Him.

Contempt at the Crucifixion

The crucifixion of Jesus is the ultimate manifestation of the contempt the wicked held towards Him. The Roman soldiers, Jewish leaders, and even one of the criminals crucified alongside Him mocked and derided Him. Matthew 27:39-40 records, "And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, 'You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!'"

The chief priests, scribes, and elders also joined in the mockery, as noted in Matthew 27:41-43 , where they sarcastically challenged Him to save Himself if He truly was the King of Israel.

Contempt in Parables and Teachings

Jesus often addressed the contempt of the wicked through parables and teachings. In the Parable of the Tenants (Matthew 21:33-46), He illustrates the rejection and murder of the landowner's son by the tenants, symbolizing the rejection of the prophets and ultimately the Son of God by the religious leaders of Israel.

Contempt in the Apostolic Era

After Christ's resurrection and ascension, the contempt towards Him continued to manifest through the persecution of His followers. The apostles faced scorn and hostility as they preached the gospel. Acts 4:2-3 describes how the religious authorities were "greatly disturbed" by the apostles' teaching and subsequently arrested them.

Theological Implications

The contempt exhibited towards Christ by the wicked underscores the spiritual blindness and hardness of heart that can afflict humanity. It serves as a stark reminder of the cost of discipleship and the opposition that believers may face in a world that often rejects the truth of the gospel. The rejection of Christ by the wicked is not only a historical reality but also a spiritual condition that persists, challenging believers to remain steadfast in their faith and witness.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 22:6
But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 53:3
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 27:29
And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
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Library

Treatise on Christ and Antichrist.
... And his seductive arts we shall exhibit in what ... 1544] And Esaias says, "Let the wicked
be cut off ... and some to shame and everlasting contempt)." [1554] Esaias ...
/.../treatise on christ and antichrist.htm

Sanctions of Moral Law, Natural and Governmental.
... Natural justice demands that God should exhibit as high motives to secure ... "When a
wicked man dieth ... life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.""Daniel 12 ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xix sanctions of moral.htm

Pricked in their Heart
... without mincing the truth"Ye with wicked hands have ... O soul, this is base
neglect"ungrateful contempt! ... Jesus, when finally rejected, will exhibit a wrath ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 35 1889/pricked in their heart.htm

part iii.
... adversary of all good and our wicked hearts combining ... together with the ingratitude
and contempt of God's ... and death; and shall not Christians exhibit as great ...
//christianbookshelf.org/clark/the faithful steward/part iii.htm

The Last Farewell in the Presence of the one Hundred and Fifty ...
... These are the playthings of the Wicked One, who is ... them: but in order that I might
exhibit to you ... up for us the doctrine which was in contempt: farewell, scene ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xlii the last farewell.htm

The Theory of the Church, and the History of Its Perversion.
... shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among ... and beginning of the third century
exhibit a considerable ... and, to dispute his prerogatives, a contempt of the ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/killen/the ancient church/chapter xiii the theory of.htm

Biographical Preface.
... in his own mind, who can exhibit that pre?�minence ... To think of wicked doers and their
works being ... highly esteemed, shall pass away into everlasting contempt. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bayly/the practice of piety/biographical preface.htm

Delivered on the Lord's Day, on that which is Written in the ...
... in a manner the object of derision and contempt among the ... day a man shall turn from
his most wicked way, I ... not wish it." Often does the son exhibit this loving ...
/.../sermon xxxvii delivered on the.htm

Paul Before Felix.
... and calumny, and dragging forth the wicked to execration and ... Tertullus proceeds to
exhibit the grounds of accusation ... an appellation given from contempt to the ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xxvii paul before felix.htm

Psalm XL.
... But do those then follow no one, who exhibit themselves as an ensample to them that
come after? ... "When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt.". ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xl.htm