The PassionSample

Behold the man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life -
I know that it is finished.

The words from the wonderful hymn, How deep the Father’s love, come to mind when I read this scene in Matthew 27:27-31. It’s harrowing - our Lord and Saviour endures such mockery and shame for our sake. And make no mistake, our once sinful hearts are counted among the scoffers that doubted Jesus, His goodness, and His kingship.

The actions of the soldiers - dressing Jesus in a royal colour, crowning Him, giving Him a sceptre, kneeling before Him, and hailing Him as “King of the Jews” - though done in mocking, actually reflect the true posture that the world should have before the King of kings. For us, those who have been called to love and worship Christ, we are to thank Jesus for His goodness, to acknowledge and praise His kingship.

In a world where following Jesus is mocked and ridiculed, take heart, for there will come a day when He will return, and the voice of the mockers and scoffers will fall silent. We are to persist in our devotion to Him, awaiting the day that all our hopes will be fully vindicated.

Today, ponder this: Take some time today to reflect on the suffering that Jesus endured on the cross for our sake. Let it fuel your praise and thankfulness to God!