“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.” (Mark 15:19 NIV)
The cruelty of man is exceptional to me. Our Jesus has already been violently arrested in the last watch of the night (Mark 14:46), beaten by the high priest guards (Mark 14:65), and nearly flogged to death under Pilate’s instruction (Mark 15:15). The battered, bleeding and nearly unrecognizable Savior was not allowed a moment’s rest between brutal attacks. The Roman soldiers stood next in cue of cruelty towards Jesus. They had their fun; crowning Him with a laurel of thorns (ironically a symbol marking Him victor of the field of battle), beating Him about the head with a staff and spitting into His open wounds. My heart breaks to picture our precious Savior in such condition, cowering beneath the blows, injured and inflamed and so very aware of what would commence next.
How is it that the human soul can become so incredibly corrupt? That another man’s life is a toy to play keep away with? We can blame Roman culture with their gladiator games and public crucifixions, but if we widen our scope we’ll realize that the whole of history is marked with a terribly cruel undercurrent. Cain killed his brother in cold blood. Pagan people sacrificed their children to Baal and Molech. The pages of time are bloodstained by sadist warlords and dictators: Ghengis Khan, Attila the Hun, Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler. America isn’t blameless, we can read of senseless lynchings and beatings throughout the history of our southern states. Even this morning, you could walk into any metro hospital in the country and find victims of gunshots, knife wounds, domestic abuse and arson. Why is man so savage? How is it that one person lords over the life of another?
What is even more astounding than this? God’s grace. Jesus bore the cross for these Roman soldiers, for Pilate who sentenced Him to death and the high priests who plotted His demise. Jesus was nailed to the tree to give them each an opportunity for forgiveness.
“But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:20-21 NIV)
I’m so grateful for the grace of God growing to meet the tremendous needs of fallen people. I don’t understand His grace anymore than I understand the tormentor’s cruelty, but I receive it gladly. What’s more, I’m utterly convinced of our need.
Lord, thank You for grace greater than sin, redemption made possible through the shedding of blood. We don’t understand, but we are incredibly grateful, knowing full well we could never qualify for such a gift on our own merit. Thank You for meeting our gross sin with Your spectacular grace. We receive it with humility, exchanging the curse of our flesh for the promise of Your Spirit. Amen.