The darkness continues...
| The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on Him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on Him. And they began to call out to Him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" Again and again they struck Him on the head with a staff and spit on Him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple robe and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him out to crucify Him. (Mark15:16-20) |
I did a little bit of research. It turns out that it was common practice for the Romans to scourge or flog those who were condemned to be crucified. They did it to punish and humiliate, and it made their victims more docile when they crucified them. It also hastened their death on the cross.
Yesterday I commented on Pilate handing Jesus over for flogging and crucifixion. I attributed a degree of malice and pettiness to Pilate. I don't think the fact that flogging was "standard operating practice" takes away Pilate's guilt entirely because, after all, Jesus had impacted Pilate who then declared Jesus' innocence to the crowd. Pilate did nothing to protect Him or ease His burden.
The flogging was brutal. I won't go into the details, but it left the victims severely dehydrated, weak from blood loss and in absolute agony.
On top of that the whole company of soldiers gathers to mock Him. Much of this is the result of the charge the chief priests made, accusing Jesus of claiming to be "the King of the Jews." In the soldiers' eyes this made Jesus an "enemy of the state," and so they go out of their way to ridicule and mock.
Roman floggings were so severe that historians note that some did not even survive. I find it hard to fathom that after such a flogging the soldiers would gather, mock, spit, beat, ridicule and weave a crown of thorns. But this is another reality of our brokenness. We are capable of great cruelty which we dress up as "justice."
In Isaiah 52 and 53 we find a "servant song" which powerfully depicts the suffering the Messiah will go through.
In 52:14 we read:
"Just as there were many who were appalled at Him--
His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man
and His form marred beyond human likeness."Although I find it hard to stomach, Jesus' suffering here takes Him into the heart of human brokenness and cruelty...
And He enters it to rescue you and me.
Isaiah goes on to say:
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
He was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely He took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered Him stricken by God,
smitten by Him, and afflicted.
But He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him,
and by His wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to His own way;
and the LORD has laid on Him
the iniquity of us all.I don't think I can say it better...
I can only respond with worship and profound gratitude...
