KJV  Hebrews 12:3 “Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself.”

NASB Hebrews 12:3 “Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself.”

Calvary was not only the greatest miscarriage of justice in the history of the world, but it was also the most evil one. The Lord Jesus not only received what He did not deserve but the very opposite of what He deserved. Consider just a few of the “contradictions” pointed out in Scripture.

The Chastening Rod

The book of Proverbs reminds us that a rod is reserved for the back of the fool, the man void of understanding (Pro 10:13; 26:3). Yet it was given to the One Who is the very wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:24). He “gave His back” to the smiters (Isa 50:6). The One Who needed no correction or chastening was subjected to the cruelty of the flagellation by Roman soldiers.

The Choice

In our wisdom, we denied the Holy One and The Just, desiring a murderer to be granted to us (Acts 3:14). We deemed the one who took life more worthy than the One Who gave His all. He that was without sin, Who treated all with justice and kindness, was bartered from a man who took what was not his for himself.

The Contradiction

Humanity rose up and killed the Prince of Life (Acts 3:15). We took the Author of life and judged Him unworthy of life. “Killed” and “life” are in contradistinction. They stand in bold relief, showing the Satanic-madness of humanity at the cross.

The Contempt

Paul describes Him as the Lord of Glory. But here, we not only put Him to death, but also used the most shameful form of death: we gave Him a cross. Nothing could be more shameful and dishonouring than to put a Man on a cross. He is the Lord of Glory! A future day will see Him enter the city as the King of Glory (Ps 24). But when He came at His first advent, He endured reproach, shame, and dishonour.

The Curse

The Lawgiver was made to endure the curse of the broken law (Gal 3:13). The One Who gave the law, a reflection of His character, redeemed us from its curse by enduring that curse for us. The Spirit of God, with the insight of the Author of the volume, goes to an obscure verse in Deuteronomy (21:23) to remind us that a man suspended on a tree was accursed. We were under the curse of a broken law; He endured the curse for us. He, the Blessed and the Blessor of men, endured the curse!

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Consider

A fruitful study is to go through the Proverbs and note all the ways in which the usual manner in which things eventuate for the blessed man, the righteous man, the son, were all contradicted by men in our dealings with the Lord.