This week is what many people have throughout the years called “Holy Week.” It isn’t that the other weeks of the year for the child of God are not “holy,” it is an emphasis on the greatness of the perfect work of our Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.
When many people think of Christ’ suffering, they usually are thinking of the physical suffering. Certainly the suffering of Christ physically was unlike anything we could ever imagine. Yet, I think there was another suffering that Christ took upon Himself that to me, was just as crushing. He was mocked, made fun of, and laughed at to the point that our Savior, our King was made a joke.
Our Lord had already endured unbelievable scourging. Following the scourging but before the crucifixion, the scene was one of public humility. Jesus was taken to the common hall, and the whole band of soldiers was gathered around Him. This “whole band” numbered to about 600 soldiers. These soldiers were not Jews, for Jews would not serve under Roman leadership, but were most likely Syrians. They were under the leadership of Pilate. The soldiers probably new really very little about Christ and He probably looked pathetic as His swollen body shivered in it’s nakedness. They knew He claimed to be a king, but they saw Him as a fake, and a fraud, and most likely thought that He was mentally deranged and deserved mocking. He was a clown to them, a buffoon, a complete idiot.
There was physical mocking – a crown of thorns they put upon His head. They spat upon Him and took the reed in His hand and hit him over the head in a nagging, irritating manner. It was a crown–a symbol of regal nobility was replaced with tortuous ignobility and pain. Unbearable by anyone’s standard.
There was mental mocking – They belittled Him. The mental anguish was real for our Lord for I believe He struggled with the reality that these men really did not know what they were doing. Yet, it was embarrassing to be there naked, receiving the mock symbols of a kingdom and under such public mocking.
There was spiritual mocking – He really was “king of the Jews!” Only, not as they thought. If it is true that He was in all points tempted as we are, then, there had to be a spiritual battle within that dealt with truth. It must have been a fierce battle, and yet, “He opened not His mouth.
I know that I am not brave enough to physically die the death of the cross–that is unimaginable. But as bad as that is, I am one who can’t handle mocking. It is deeply crushing and our Lord was deeply crushed and did not open His mouth. He took it all for me.
Amazing love! How can it be?