How did Jesus respond to his rejection?
Text: Matthew 26-28
Hosts:
J. Kent Edwards
Vicki Hitzges
Nathan Norman
Narrator: Brian French
The CrossTalk Podcast is a production of CrossTalk Global, equipping biblical communicators, so every culture hears God’s voice. To find out more, or to support the work of this ministry please visit www.crosstalkglobal.org
Produced by Nathan James Norman/Untold Podcast Production
© 2025 CrossTalk Global
Brian: Rejection, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, refers to the act of refusing to accept or believe someone. Rejection occurs when people disapprove of your ideas, beliefs and actions. And it hurts. It hurts the person being rejected. A University of Michigan psychologists scanned the brains of participants whose romantic partners had recently ended their relationship. The parts of their brain associated with physical pain lit up when they viewed photographs of their exes. The pain of rejection can encourage the hurt person to become aggressive and violent. The same University of Michigan psychologist analyzed 15 cases of school shooters and found all but two suffered from social rejection. That's why the Surgeon General of the US Said that rejection poses a greater risk for adolescent violence than drugs, poverty, or gang membership. Nobody has ever enjoyed rejection, not even Jesus. What is so unusual about Jesus is not his rejection, but how he chose to respond to that rejection. The last three weeks, we looked at observations from the text between Matthew chapter 26 through 28. But today we look at the big idea of the entire story as Matthew intended us to see it. Join Vicki Hitkis, Kent Edwards, and Nathan Norman as they look and learn from Jesus response to rejection and in Matthew chapter 26 through chapter 28. Welcome to CrossTalk, a Christian podcast whose goal is for us to encourage each other to not only increase our knowledge of the Bible, but to take the next step beyond information into transformation. Our goal is to bring the Bible to life, into all our lives. I'm Brian French. Today, Dr. Kent Edwards, Vicki Hitchkiss, and Nathan Norman conclude their discussion through the Gospel of Matthew. If you have a Bible handy, turn to Matthew chapter 26 to chapter 28 as we join their discussion.
Kent: Vicki, Nathan, have you ever been hurt by rejection or seen others experience significant rejection?
Vicki: Oh, yes. I was picturing how I felt when Brian was reading that I went through a divorce and my husband came home one day and said, I don't love you anymore. Oh, I'll never forget that day. I curled up in a ball. Oh, it was terrible. And it didn't just end. It took me over a decade to get over that, if I'm even 100% over it now.
Nathan: Wow.
Vicki: Wow.
Nathan: I can remember one of my kids coming home, essentially being rejected by one of their friends. And how do you manage that? You know I love you. Well, okay, great. But you're my dad.
Vicki: Yeah. Yeah. You feel like that? You're my dad.
Nathan: You have to. Well, I don't, technically.
Kent: No, that's true.
Nathan: No. But it's heartbreaking to see and, you know, in the grand scheme of things, in their relationships, would that have been A relationship that lasted long? No. But with their small developing emotions, the pain is just excruciating for others to say. I don't like you. I don't want anything to do with you.
Kent: I remember my final year of high school. I was president of the InterVarsity Christian Group in the high school. And every fall, as students arrived back to begin the semester, the leaders of various student groups would be invited to get up in front of the entire student body and explain why they should join the bowling club or the whatever club, stamp collecting club, debating club. I stood up and invited people to come to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship where we learn about Christ and spend time together.
Vicki: This hurts me already. What happened?
Kent: You know, we had. It was a big school. We had two different assemblies where I presented on two separate occasions. I remember after walking into the classroom and hearing people look at me and hear people whisper, preacher, Preacher. It changed my relationship with people. It made me friends with a few and made others distance themselves sometimes because they didn't know really what to do with that. We're not unusual. Everyone has faced rejection. I found it interesting that when I googled rejection, I found that Vincent van Gogh, who some of you may recall was a pretty good artist, sold only one painting in his lifetime.
Vicki: I just recently read that. Isn't that the most interesting thing?
Kent: He painted 900 works of art and only one sold.
Vicki: And then he died. And look at the guy now. Look at the guy now. Isn't that something?
Kent: Today he's seen as one of the most influential artists in history, but not when he was alive.
Vicki: I wonder if his mother went, vincent, it's those swirls you do, honey, don't swirl so much.
Kent: Another example Google pointed out to me was Walt Disney. You know, we know him from all the movies and Walt Disney worlds and so on around the world. The theme parks are marvelous. But he was fired from one of his first animation jobs because, according to his boss, he, quote, lacked imagination and had no good ideas.
Vicki: Isn't that something? Isn't. Don't you. Don't you know, he thinks about his. Well, did think about his first boss and think, na, na na na na.
Nathan: Or maybe he could have said, you know what? He's right. I'll just steal ideas from German folktales and repackage them as children's stories.
Kent: Well, even that worked great.
Nathan: Well, sure, steal from a good neighborhood, right, Vicki?
Vicki: Yep. Yep.
Kent: I mean, everyone has faced rejection at some point or another, but perhaps the most rejected person in history was, and maybe still is Jesus of Nazareth.
Vicki: So horribly, horribly, horribly. And when you say that, I picture him on the cross, able to just smite everybody out and saying instead, father, forgive them, they know not what they do. Unbelievable.
Kent: As we have over the past while gone through the Gospel of Matthew, we've seen Jesus being rejected over and over. Do you remember? Right. Way back in Matthew 2, when Jesus was just born, Remember the rejection he faced then?
Vicki: He can't even make words yet, he's still suckling. And King Herod wants to kill him. In fact, he kills all the babies, all the baby boys, like two on down, kill them all.
Kent: That's a rejection.
Vicki: That's rejection.
Kent: He hadn't even done anything yet. But just by being alive. Many examples. But I remember in Matthew chapter nine, the teachers of the Old Testament law considered him a blasphemer. What an insult for forgiving the sins of the paralytic. You remember that one, Nathan?
Nathan: Well, to their point, Jesus pronounced forgiveness to this man. And they said, well, who can forgive? Only God can forgive. And Jesus used as an opportunity to show them, yes, to show you that I have the authority to forgive sins. Meaning I'm God. He healed the paralytic and told him to take up his mat and go home. And he did. But that wasn't enough. His accusers still didn't like him.
Kent: Right. And they began criticizing him for not fasting, going without food enough. They needed to do it more like they did, even though that was not a command in the Bible. In fact, Israel in the Old Testament was only told once a year to fast. But they wanted it to happen multiple times a week. They even accused Jesus of being demon possessed.
Vicki: Golly gee.
Kent: And in Matthew 12, they did it all over again. This wasn't just a one time thing. This rejection was happening over and over and over again. But when we come to Matthew 26 and following the last natural unit of this gospel, the rejection becomes really intense, doesn't it?
Brian: Yeah.
Nathan: It says, Jesus said to the disciples, look, the hour has come and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Here comes my betrayer. While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the 12, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, greetings, Rabbi, and kissed him. Jesus replied, do what you came for, friend. Then the man stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.
Kent: Do you see the irony in that kiss?
Vicki: Oh, the altar. You know, if he'd kicked him or hit him or swatted him hard on the back, that'd be one thing. But he kisses him. Here's your guy. I'll kiss him.
Kent: Jesus was a man who came simply to love, to care, and to help others. And one of the people he trusted the most betrayed him with a kiss. Really? The kiss of death.
Vicki: The kiss of death, yeah.
Kent: And notice that coming to Jesus, he said, greetings, Rabbi. What did he not call Jesus, Lord? He did not, Master. He begins with an insult. I don't believe your God, and let me give you the kiss of death.
Vicki: Do you think he didn't believe he.
Kent: Was God at that point? He didn't.
Vicki: You don't think so? And then I noticed that Jesus said, do what you came for, friend.
Kent: Yeah. Wow. Judas rejected him. Jesus did not reject Judas at that point. The rejection continues in verse 57 and.
Vicki: Following, he says, those who had arrested Jesus took him to the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin, who were looking for false evidence so that they could put him to death. The high priest said to him, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God, you have said so. Jesus replied. Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, he has spoken blasphemy. And then they spit in his face and they struck him with their fists and they slapped him. And then Peter began to call down curses and he swore to them, I don't know the man.
Kent: Can you imagine how hurtful that would be to Jesus?
Vicki: Well, he knew it was coming because he told Peter, by the time the cock crows three times, you'll have betrayed me. But it would hurt.
Kent: We say that knives can cut, but words can cut deeper than knives, can't they?
Nathan: Yeah, they sure can.
Vicki: You don't blame a knife.
Kent: But for the high priest to reject him, the Son of God, who came in fulfillment of all those Old Testament prophecies to call him a blasphemer, to tear his clothes and spit in his face and strike him. I mean, that talk about rejection again. It gets worse. In Matthew, chapter 27, the Jerusalem crowds asked Pilate to release the notorious prisoner Barabbas, and they wanted him to crucify Jesus instead. And Pilate, who was in charge of faithfully executing the law, what did he do?
Vicki: He did what they asked.
Kent: Pilate, had him flogged and handed over to be crucified. Crucified. Matthew gives us insight into how terrible this whole episode would have been. Starting in verse 28, they stripped him.
Nathan: And put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a Staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. Hail, King of the Jews, they said. They spit on him and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they mocked him, they led him away to crucify him.
Kent: Again. Do you notice the irony here? They twisted together A what crown?
Vicki: A crown of thorns.
Kent: And doesn't he deserve a crown? Isn't he the king of kings and lord of lords? And they're deliberately mocking him, deliberately making fun. They put a staff in his right hand. What is the staff? If a king has a staff, what is the staff? What does it represent? The scepter.
Nathan: Symbol of his power, so his authority.
Kent: And they knelt down in front of him, as you would a king who was crowned and holding a scepter. But only to mock him, only to make fun of him. Hail, King of the Jews. He was the king of the Jews. He's the king of all. But this was all mockery.
Vicki: And then they spit on him. And they use that staff to hit him again and again and again. Oh, and he could have stopped it. He could have beat the crud out of them. He could have set them on fire. Man. I would have wanted to.
Nathan: Wouldn't you?
Kent: I would.
Vicki: Oh, yeah. I would. Oh, yeah. Watch this. And one by one, just, like, set their arm on fire and just slowly went. And you like that. And then done their leg. And then just.
Kent: Let me show you who's king.
Vicki: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Watch this.
Kent: Yeah. Jesus lived a life in the selfless service of sinners and was almost universally rejected by the very people he was trying to help. In a verse in chapter 2735, the story continues.
Vicki: Says when they crucified him, they divided up his clothes. By casting lots above his head, they placed the written charge against him. This is Jesus, the king of the Jews. Those passing by hurled insults at him. The chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. The rebels who were crucified with him also hurled insults at him. From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness covered all the land. About three in the afternoon, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? And after Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
Kent: What an awful but accurate picture of rejection. Everyone there had turned their back. And then in the end, my God, my God, why have.
Vicki: Why did you forsake me?
Kent: A man rejected scorn, a man of sorrows. You got to ask the question, why? Why in the world would Jesus put Up with all this rejection from a baby to his death over and over again. He lived a life of constant rejection. Why was he willing to endure such mockery and pain? I think the purpose of Jesus life, the reason he did that was clear from the beginning. Let's scroll all the way Back to Matthew 1. When the angel of the Lord said to Joseph, son of David, he said.
Vicki: Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son. And you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.
Kent: So what was Jesus purpose?
Vicki: He loves us to save his people from their sins. Sometimes when I sit on an airplane and I watch all these movies, motley people clamor through with their suitcases just looking like a bunch of Americans. I think God loves that person. God loves that person. God died for that person. God died for me. He died for you.
Kent: Jesus spent his life teaching, preaching, helping and healing people in need. He rejected the false and hollow Judaism of his day and spoke of an eternal relationship that people could enjoy with their Father in heaven. And as we've seen in Matthew 24:25, those who are ready for Jesus second coming will be with him for eternity. And Jesus calls us to follow in his footsteps of pain. Back in Matthew 5, Jesus preached perhaps the most consequential sermon of all time. When sitting on the side of a mountain, he warned his followers about their coming rejection.
Nathan: He said, blessed are you and people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven. For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Kent: Rejection, pain that comes to all people who follow the Lord. It happened to Christ, it happens to us. We saw that with what happened to John the Baptist in Matthew 14. Remember?
Vicki: He got his head whacked off. That's rejection.
Kent: Yeah. For why? Did he do something wrong? Did he deserve it?
Nathan: John the Baptist had called out Herod's sin for marrying his sister in law and called him to repent.
Kent: And he didn't like that?
Nathan: No, no. Her name was Herodotus, by the way. And I guess he wanted to marry someone with a very similar name to himself. No, he called him out. He said it was wrong.
Kent: Why should we be willing to endure the challenges, the unjust suffering that will come as we walk in the footsteps of Jesus? Well, the answer in this passage is because the tomb is empty. Because Jesus did conquer death and made it possible for those who put their trust in him to be saved.
Vicki: You know, God was behind all this. It says there was a violent earthquake. For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothes were white as snow. The angel said to the women, do not be afraid, okay? Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who is crucified. He is not here. He has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. And then go quickly and tell his disciples he has risen from the dead.
Kent: Hmm. What is the significance of the resurrection? Yes, he was killed. Yes, he died. But what is the importance of the resurrection?
Vicki: It shows us he's God.
Kent: Mm.
Nathan: Doesn't end in death. And the persecutors don't have the last word.
Kent: Jesus was the Lamb of God, and he took upon himself the sins of the whole world. He died so that others could live. He took their sins upon himself. And because he rose again, he conquered death. He defeated it. Because he rose, we can have life. We can have eternal life. That's why we read in the end of chapter 28, when the disciples saw Jesus, they worshiped him because he was their savior. The Savior of the world. And then Jesus came and said to them, boys, here's your marching orders.
Vicki: Then Jesus came to them and said, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always. To the very end of the age, Jesus suffered.
Kent: Jesus died. Jesus rose again so that the disciples could have a mission. Jesus not only saved his disciples from their sins, he gave them an even greater honor. He invited them to be partners in his mission. Go and make disciples. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and teaching them everything I've commanded you. Wow. Do you see what's happening here? He's inviting the disciples to be co laborers with him in building the kingdom of God. I have made it possible. Your job is to spread the word. I mean, we see that alluded to in 1 Corinthians 13, don't we? Where Paul says, what is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord has assigned each to his task. The followers of Christ are servants assigned a task. And as he says in verse nine.
Vicki: For we are co workers in God's service. You are God's field, God's building. Wow.
Kent: We are co workers in God's service. That's our privilege. That's the result of the suffering that we've gone through, that Christ made possible. Through his suffering. We have the privilege of working with Christ to accomplish his purposes in the world. What a privilege to be able to work with our Heavenly Father and join him in his task. I remember years ago, as a kid, my father decided we needed a shed in the backyard and he wanted me to be his co laborer. We went to the hardware store, we bought the wood, we did it together. He showed me the tools, explained how we should lay out the foundation. We worked together. And as we worked together to accomplish his project, we grew closer together. That was a time of bonding I will never forget. Vicki. I remember the impact that your father, Haddon Robinson had on me when he introduced the whole concept of the Big idea. How revolutionary that was. I remember listening to cassette tapes and reading books, trying to get to know your father best I could. But there came a day when your father invited me to join him as a co director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Gordon Conwell Seminary. That was an honor. For the next three years, I co labored with your father. I got to know him. That was one of the great privileges of my life. If you want. If you want to get to know someone, work with them, join them. If you want an intimate relationship with your Savior, join him in his mission. Why should we join Jesus on his costly mission to save the lost? Because there is no greater honor than being invited to join Jesus in His passion project, which is going and making disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything he taught. Yes, Jesus was rejected because of his ministry. Yes, we will face rejection as we join him in his ministry. But lay aside your ambitions. Aim higher. Make Jesus mission your mission. You'll make a difference for eternity.
Brian: It can be costly to make disciples, but there's no greater honor than teaching people that Christ died for them, rose from the dead and should obey Him. We should lay aside our tiny ambitions and make Jesus Global Mission our mission. I trust that today's discussion of God's Word has been helpful and served as an encouragement to not just be hearers of the Word, but doers. Together, let's bring God's Word to life, to our lives. This week, the crosstalk podcast is a production of crosstalk Global, equipping biblical communicators so every culture hears God's Voice. To find out more or to support the work of this ministry, please visit www.crosstalkglobal.org. this summer, we're training biblical communicators in India and Kenya. Help us train the next generation by clicking Donate in the show notes and making a donation of any size. You can also support this show by sharing it on social media and telling your friends. Tune in next Friday and all of July as we revisit some of our most popular episodes over the last four years. Be sure to join us.
Kent: Yeah for why? Did he do something wrong? Did he deserve it?
Vicki: No, he didn't deserve it. I can't tell you that lady's name. Tell us why, Nathan. You always know.
Nathan: John the Baptist had called out Herod's sin.