Jesus was hanging on the cross in extreme pain, as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, but they all insulted Him. It was a strange collection of people who all agreed to add insult to His injury. The soldiers, who played dice to see who would win His clothes (Matthew 27:35); the chief priests who plotted to get rid of Him so that their authority would remain unchallenged; the teachers of the law, who interpreted God's Word; the elders, who were the local religious community leaders; and the ordinary people in the crowd – they all insulted Jesus.
 
These few verses add two others: the criminals who were crucified along with Jesus. They had no illusions about their own guilt. They had rebelled and were experiencing justice. By contrast all the others were respectable, law-abiding and apparently virtuous. But why did they all ridicule and insult the Lord Jesus Christ. The soldiers were doing their job; the religious leaders had achieved their goal, the inevitable death of Jesus. The crowd – some of whom had followed Jesus and listened to His teaching, knew He had claimed to be the Son of God … so why did they insult Him?
 
Every insult proclaims more about the mouth that speaks than the ear that hears. An insult is a power statement, "… I am stronger or better than you". The statement is usually not true but helps the speaker to indulge the fantasy of superiority. It was also a way for those around the cross to justify their own attitudes and actions. But in doing so they all proved that they were rebels, rebelling against God - which is the essence of sin.
 
Jesus continues to be insulted. Using His Name in vain by intentional or careless swearing; complaining about His lack of care; resisting His righteous commands; persecuting His people; claiming that He is not the only way to heaven; worshipping false gods; denying His deity and thinking that my way is better than His … all these add insult to the injury of the cross. The only way forward for such people is repentance, admitting their rebellious and arrogant power struggle with God which nobody can ever win. Jesus died for rebels. When they repent and submit to Him, they are fully forgiven like the thief on the cross (Luke 23:40-43), and like Peter (John 21:15-17) – they are given a place in His family for ever.