April 2, 2003 Psalm 22:12-13
Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. 13 Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me.
In the town that I grew up in, there were what they called townies and ceeps. The students of Northwestern College - our school for preparing pastors - called the town people “townies.” And the townies called the college students “ceeps.” I don’t even know what “ceeps” meant. But I knew what it felt like to be a ceep. Even though I grew up in the town, when I put on a Northwestern College jacket, I became a ceep.
This brought problems occasionally. If you walked into the wrong bar or the wrong fast food joint, the townies didn’t like it. There are three now pastors that found this out the hard way. As they were walking into the local Hardees, they were suddenly surrounded by “townies” who were much bigger than they. After one future pastor told a ceep that he had a sesame seed on his lip, that future pastor got his head shoved through a wall, and another had his glasses broken. Being surrounded was not a pleasant feeling, nor was the aftermath of it.
Today’s text, Psalm 22 predicts that Jesus would be surrounded. Tonight we’ll see who surrounded Jesus, what it meant for him, and what that means for us today.
Jesus Was Surrounded
I. By Bulls and Lions
Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. 13 Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me. I did a word search on my computer to find any time that bulls or lions were mentioned either with David or Jesus. Some passages mention how David had to kill lions while protecting his sheep. But none mention bulls. There are no references to Jesus with bulls or lions that I could find. So what is the connection between bulls, lions, and Jesus’ life? These terms must be symbolic in some way.
What would the bull be symbolic of? I think I learned the answer to that several summers ago. I had some grass clippings that I wanted to get rid of, so I took them out to my father in law’s house. I don’t know if I had done something wrong the week before to deserve this - but my mother in law told me to put them out in the pasture with the bulls. Hesitantly I went. Slowly, I drove the truck up to the entrance of the pasture, breathing a sigh of relief as the bulls were on the other side of the pasture. I opened the fence and drove in the entrance of the yard, so as to quickly fork the grass off of the truck and keep the bulls from getting out. Unfortunately, the bulls thought that I was bringing some form of feed for them. So there I was, a city boy, in the back of the truck - face to face with a thousand pounds of pure - living - breathing - rawhide steel. Never before had I stood so close to an animal of that magnitude - of that strength - with no barriers but the wall of a pickup between me and it’s wrath. I never realized how powerful bulls were until standing face to face with one. What does the bull represent? Power. Bulls of Bashan were came from northeast of the Sea of Galilee - they were famous for being big and strong - good for jumbo sized steaks.
And what about the lion? The lion is the king of the jungle - known for one thing - being a predator. No other animal can mess with the lion head to head. It will not rest until it has a stomach full. Until that point - it will keep on hunting until the day it dies. Never will it go on a vegetarian diet or eat tofu burgers. Never will it decide to live on leaves. It always wants the taste of blood on it’s lips and running down it’s throat.
David is portraying powerful predators - and not just a few - but many of them - who had surrounded Jesus. Who would this be? It would have to be a large group of people who had very powerful positions in Jesus’ time. It had to be people, who like the lion, wanted His blood. Who would that be? Jesus tells us in Matthew 23:2 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. To the Jews - the synagogue was their ticket to God - without access to the synagogue - Moses’ seat - they were lost. So the Jews were at the mercy of the teachers of the law and Pharisees. As a result, these leaders could influence their thinking - telling them what to believe and how to act. In Acts 9, they even had the authority to send Paul to foreign regions to go and persecute Christians. These powerful bulls also had a thirst for Jesus’ blood, out of fear for their positions of authority Matthew 26:59 says, 59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death.
Just as Satan used bulls to attack the Son of God two thousand years ago, so also the devil uses the same bulls and lions to attack the sons of God today. If he can get the powerful and influential people of this world to turn on the sons of God - then he can do much more damage. History has shown us how the devil has done this. He used Emperor Nero to persecute Christians and put them to death. He uses the most talented and influential kids in the class to lead the rest down the paths of sexual immorality and drunkenness. In the spiritual realm, he tries to get pastors and district presidents on his side, so he can accomplish much more. So we need to be careful that our leaders are not being influenced by Satan - that’s his plan - to use bulls and lions.
II. They used their mouths
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” If any of you have ever been slandered, you know from experience that this is not true. Most of us have been hurt by words much more than any disease or broken leg could hurt. And so we have learned the lesson of James: Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
God understood the power of the mouth. Throughout history God has used the tongue to set hearts on fire with love. He used tongues of fire at Pentecost to enable the disciples to speak in tongues and convert three thousand. But the devil knows the power of the mouth as well - not for good, but evil. Instead of just using their hands, their fists, or their teeth to hurt Jesus - the devil sent the bulls and lions after Jesus with the most powerful weapon of all - the mouth. Psalm 22:12-13 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me. Throughout Jesus’ life, they called him a drunkard, a blasphemer, insane, a demon possessed man, a Sabbath breaker, and a rebel against Caesar.
You can see very clearly also from the passion history how the bulls and lions used their tongues to hurt Jesus. When Jesus was first arrested, the devil just started with the mouths of dogs - the scum of society who tried to slander Jesus. But Mark 14 tells us, 55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. 56 Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree. The only thing they could come up with was that He said He would destroy the temple. So finally they asked Jesus, “are you the Christ?” Jesus couldn’t lie, and then they had him. With the accusation of blasphemy, the bulls and the lions then proceeded to use their tongues against Jesus. Mark 14:63 The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. 64 "You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" They all condemned him as worthy of death.
This wasn’t good enough. As powerful as the Jewish bulls were, their teeth weren’t sharp enough to put Jesus to death. So they had to hand Jesus over to the Roman lions - the government - and use their mouths to convict him. Matthew 27 says, the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. 21 "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered. 22 "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!" 23 "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" 24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere . . . he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. Notice what happened here - Pilate wanted to let him go - but the spiritual leaders roused up the crowds with their mouths, and persuaded them to crucify Jesus. They used their vast numbers and power to persuade Pilate to hand Jesus over - giving them the authority to put Jesus to death.
If you think the many bulls and lions were done using their mouths, think again. Even at the cross, all classes of society - even the criminals - continued to use their tongues to convict and condemn Jesus. Matthew 27:39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" 1 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 "He saved others," they said, "but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, `I am the Son of God.’"
Let me take this one step further - even AFTER his death and resurrection - Jesus was still attacked with the mouth. Matthew 28:12-13 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, "You are to say, `His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ They would not be satisfied until their mouths had completely ruined Jesus’ reputation.
The devil understands this concept yet today. We are faced with more and more bulls and lions who are using their mouths to attack Christ more and more. University scholars are calling Christ and the Bible a folklore - a legend for weak minds. Children are being taught that we came from apes. The influential movie stars are telling us that homosexuality is ok. Church leaders are saying that not all of God’s Word is inspired. They are doing terrible damage with their mouths, and we aren’t saying enough! We’re too afraid to speak up and get ridiculed for the truth.
III. Jesus remained alone
But what did Jesus do when he was faced with the vast amounts of bulls and lions opening their mouths against him? He continued to speak the truth. He didn’t back down. As one man, he spoke out against the money changers in the temple, overthrowing their tables. As one man, Jesus stood in the face of the chief priests and told them to their face, “I am the Christ!”, even though he knew they would put him to death for it. In doing so, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Deuteronomy 18:15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. Just like God, Jesus spoke the truth in the face of many liars and accusers. As our substitute He fulfilled the prophecy that He would be the promised prophet to come by speaking the truth.
There was only one time that Jesus remained silent. When his accusers were accusing him of conspiracy against the Romans and to destroy the temple, Jesus didn’t say a word. Matthew 26:62 says, the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" Pilate also asked in Mark 15, "Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of." 5 But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed. This dumbfounded the high priest and Pilate. All of Jesus’ life he was willing to talk, but at his own trial He remained silent. WHY? Isaiah 53:7 tells us why. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. Because Jesus was fulfilling the prophecy not only that he would be a prophet, but that He would also be slaughtered like a lamb. And so Jesus remained silent, He didn’t defend Himself before the high priest of Pilate, so that He would go to the cross. Jesus remained silent, so that He could die as our substitute - in our place. At the cross he would then face a worse wrath than that of the Pharasaical bulls - he would face the wrath of God - worse than the wrath of a million bulls - in our place.
In the TV show Fear Factor, people put themselves in harm’s way to try and win 50,000 dollars. One time, they had the contestants do a bull ride. Well, this lady got on the bull, and it proceeded to buck her off and then systematically stomp on her. You couldn’t pay me enough to do something as stupid as that - at least without any practice. Yet some people face their fears and go through with it, all for the almighty dollar. In Mexico they even do it for free as they run down the streets with some angry bulls. They must be crazy.
Jesus was not crazy or greedy when he entered a ring of bulls and lions. He didn’t do it just for 50,000 dollars - but for the eternal salvation of the world. They chewed Him up and spit Him out with their slander, as Jesus ended up being swallowed up by death itself after having faced the wrath of God. It must have been a scary thing to face those bulls and lions. Yet Jesus did not fear. It was all a part of His plan. Out of love, he let them crucify Him, so God’s appetite for our blood would be satisfied. Jesus knew that in the end, death wouldn’t have the stomach for Him - because He was Life. As the ultimate Matador, he deflected the wrath of God to Himself. Amen.
