The Soldiers Mock Jesus
“27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and after twisting some thorns into a crown they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ 30 They spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him” Matthew 27:27-31.
The Bible isn’t always to be taken literally, but it is always to be taken seriously and responsibly. This is why you and I need to be in God’s Word as much as possible, especially reading and studying the four Gospels, and reflecting on the Words and Life of Jesus Christ! The four Gospels, Matthew, mark, Luke, and John all belong together.
The last sentence in the text above from Matthew is a good example: “Then they led Him away to crucify Him” (verse 31). On one level it is true that the soldiers led Jesus away to Golgotha, the Place of the Skulls, to crucify Jesus. But on another level, a much deeper level, in fact, a much truer level, NO ONE LED JESUS AWAY TO BE CRUCIFIED. You see, from the very beginning of His human life on earth, Jesus was in complete control of His life. He knew everything and was in control of everything that happened.
As His life inexorably moved towards His eventual return to Jerusalem to die for all of humanity, JESUS WAS IN COMPLETE CONTROL OF HIS LIFE.
So even though the soldiers led Jesus away to crucify Him, the soldiers never led Jesus anywhere without His complete approval. No one took the life from Jesus! No one led Jesus to the cross and crucified Him without His complete will and approval and desire to do this for all of humanity.
Look at what Jesus said about His death on the cross in John’s Gospel:
17 “The Father loves Me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.
I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father” John 10:17.
Today in your prayer consider the fact that Jesus willingly, deliberately, and with the deepest love ever, went to Golgotha, the Place of the Skulls, to die on the cross. Jesus was completely in charge of every second and breath of His life.
AND HE DID THIS ALL FOR YOU!
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.
From the Bible:
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it”
Psalm 118:24.
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” Colossians 3:17.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever”
Psalm 136:1.
“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe” Hebrews 12:28.
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