Day 3: Jesus is Mocked and Tortured
Matthew 27:27-31 (ESV)
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
There was a season of my life that can be defined by rebellion. I was all about my own gratification, making poor, dangerous choices, living for myself and not caring for those I hurt closest to me. My mom attended Tough Love support meetings because loving me well was just too hard. God bless her.
When the soldiers mocked Jesus, they were rebelling and turning from the power of the One True King. I can hear the sneers and the laughter as they pressed the crown of thorns on His head and knelt before Him jokingly taunting with their “Hail, King of the Jews.” We are rebellious people by nature. Our sin causes us to live from our own selfish, skewed, worldly mindset. Can you relate?
Our knee jerk reaction is to live by the flesh and rebel against grace. We all have. And do. Yet, when people mocked Jesus, He didn’t fight back to prove His Worth, He just kept following His purpose. Our purpose is to become Christ-like. It’s a process and journey of becoming. But I tell you what – we cannot become like Him apart from suffering and loving hard people. Sometimes we need Tough Love meetings. Sometimes we need to be at the feet of Jesus with an open, soft, confessing heart.
Without knowing the full story, one could argue that Jesus “caved” by enduring such an undeserved punishment. That He “caved” when He lived on earth as a servant leader. When we extend undeserved grace to others in our own lives, we feel like we are caving or getting walked all over. Don’t get me wrong, boundaries are healthy. But by giving grace to those who have hurt us, our hearts layers of hardness are removed piece by piece to reveal humble hearts chasing after Jesus. Days when I look at giving grace as “caving,” I remember the One who died to ultimately save humanity. It’s not always understood by the world, but He didn’t come so the world would understand, He came so the world would be saved.
Day 8: Jesus is Resurrected!
Matthew 28:1-10 (ESV) Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the...
Raised Forever
Easter is the celebration of all celebrations! Jesus Christ has conquered sin and death and is raised to life. The resurrection of Jesus is not some legend that has been passed down through the ages meant to give us an excuse for another holiday. In Easter we see the...
Day 7: Jesus’ Body is Taken Down From the Cross
Mark 15:42-47 (ESV) And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and...
Day 6: Jesus Dies
Mark 15:33-35 (ESV) And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of...
Day 5: Jesus’ Garments Are Divided
John 19:23-25 (ESV) When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, “Let us not...
Day 4: Jesus and Simon Are Made to Carry the Cross
John 19:17 (ESV) and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. Matthew 27:32-34 (ESV) As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And...
Day 2: Jesus is Condemned
Matthew 27:15-26 (ESV) Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for...
Day 1: Jesus is Arrested and Tried
Mark 15:1-5 (ESV) And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And...
A Hallelujah Holiday
Keeping the Savior at the CenterWhen many of us think Easter, egg hunts and chocolate bunnies immediately come to mind. True, many of today’s Easter festivities focus more around the coming of spring than the resurrection of our Savior, but the heart of the holiday...