Wednesday, April 2, 2014
John 19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.
CAN YOU STAND THE SIGHT?
Prior to his crucifixion Jesus was flogged, which involved being whipped with a leather strapped instrument embedded with bits of sharp metal. Undoubtedly, as a result, Jesus' back was torn to shreds -- to the point where bone and muscle were exposed. How horrifying! I can hardly stand to think about it. It wouldn't have taken many lashes before I'd have turned my head away.
But it didn't stop there. There were also the blows to his face, the thorny crown pressed into his skull, the nails tearing into his flesh, the unimaginable agony of being crucified. As I look at these things, it's hard to imagine anything worse. I want to cover my eyes and run away from these ghastly sights.
But there was something worse, something far worse than any of these physical sufferings. The total rejection of His Father was by far the worst pain Jesus endured on that horrible Friday afternoon. "My God, My God why have you forsaken Me" (Matthew 27:46).
Jesus' abandonment by His Father meant Jesus suffered true hell. Like a brutal flogging, this too is something I find hard to look at, but for different reasons. Seeing Jesus' forsaken by His Father is a painful reminder of just how bad I am -- so wicked that Jesus had to suffer the agony of hell to atone for my sins.
I need to see and own up to the terrible truth about myself, but I also need to keep looking. For when I keep my eyes on those scenes of suffering, I see a love so amazing that it takes my breath away. With eyes of faith I see that Jesus is going through all this for me. He is paying my debt in full so I can have forgiveness and peace with God forevermore. He is loving you, me, and every sinner with every last ounce of His being. Jesus is literally going through hell so that one day you and I can go to heaven. Now these are truths I can stand to keep looking at and pondering over every day of my life.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be, dearest Jesus unto Thee! Amen.
