Jesus Suffered Mentally, Too (Number 4)

Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him 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 and 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 had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. Matthew 27:27-31

They beat this innocent man, and no one stopped them. They dressed and undressed him. We don’t even treat murderers this embarrassing way.

As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. Matthew 27:32

They made him carry his own cross until he was too weak. Isn’t this like making a condemned to death man today turn the electric chair switch?

When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.  Matthew 27:35

They set up a gambling table to distribute his clothes; the lowest of the low was happening to our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Matthew 27:37 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Isaiah 53:9 Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. Matthew 27:38

They mocked him again and put him in the company of robbers just as it said in the Old Testament book of Isaiah. This behavior had been prophesized and these chief priests knew what had been said.

“He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’ the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. Matthew 27:42

He could have done what the passing people said, “Come down from the cross,” but he died for us. He had to feel no one cared or knew him. They knew what he had done as he saved others and belittled him that he couldn’t save himself. How awful would that feel. But we know he endured for us because he loved us.

Prayer: Dear Father in Heaven, it is hard for us to read all the mentally difficult items Jesus had to endure before he was subjected to the cruel death of crucifixion. His friends, the people of the church where he preached and the people of the town, including robbers and criminals mocked him in the end. He had spent his life healing and teaching and had to die because he was envied. Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck