God’s will

Mark 15:16-20

¹⁶ The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. ¹⁷ They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” ¹⁹ 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. ²⁰ 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.

These terrible verses tell of the gratuitous violence meted out against Jesus by the Gentile Roman soldiers. On top of that they mocked him, pretending to worship him as king. It was just as he had foreshadowed in Mark 10:34 – “they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

Jesus did not retaliate. “He was oppressed and afflicted yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter… by oppression and judgment he was taken away.” Isaiah 53:7-8. Jesus, who could control weather, physical illness and disease and evil spirits and powers, stood dumb before his brutal torturers. He had the power to stop the torment, yet he did not do anything.

It was all about humiliation, dehumanising the condemned, obliterating the individual. Little did the soldiers realise but, in this humiliation, Jesus showed humility, to submit to the Father’s will (Isaiah 53:10). Philippians 2 verses 7-8 remind us that Jesus humbled himself even to death on a cross. He didn’t just talk about humility, he lived it.

That’s because God was about to die in our place. He was judged in our place.

Through his humility and obedience Jesus was exalted by his heavenly Father.

My humility can never emulate the humility Jesus showed the world. But I can follow his example of walking humbly, obediently. When we choose humility, we will be exalted – Luke 14:11. Humility is not weakness. Jesus showed us that. Where is God calling me to be humble?

Dear Lord Jesus, that anyone chose to mock and humiliate you at such a time is shocking. Incredibly you predicted this very thing would happen. So, when you were trapped and spat on and suffered for me, you chose to be there. For me. For the very people who were meting out such brutality. You were making it possible for me not to lose out on life with the Father for ever and ever. Only you could do it, only you were perfect. Thank you beyond words for suffering for me. Thank you for your sacrifice. Amen

Written by Claire Moore