They had indeed witnessed how He had saved others;... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
Matthew 27:41-42

Normally people would have enough respect not to show contempt for a dying man. But when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, hung on the cross in terrible pain and torment, He was the target of man's scorn. It was not only the soldiers and common folk who showed their contempt for Him, but the very leaders of the people. They had indeed witnessed how He had saved others; yet they would not concede that He had performed His miracles in perfect, divine power. On the contrary, they had ascribed these works to demonic influence (cf. ), simply because they refused to acknowledge Him as the One sent by God.
Only a few hours before Jesus had made the company who came to arrest Him fall to the ground with His statement: "I am he". But now, to all appearances, they had Him in their power. Why, we may ask, didn't the Lord Jesus avail Himself of His power at that moment?
The answer to the question is: He wished to save us from our sins. That made it necessary for the righteous One to endure not only the scorn of men but also God's wrath over sin and to lay down His life for us, the unrighteous. For this reason, on the ground of the work redemption that He accomplished, the appeal goes out today to all who want to be freed of their guilt: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31).
Today's reading: 1 Samuel 23