The Cruel Coronation

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Opening Prayer

Great and Mighty God, today I want to sense Your love, see Your mercy and feel Your presence.

Read 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.

Meditate

“A purple robe, a crown of thorn, a reed in his right hand; before the soldiers’ spite and scorn, I see my Savior stand” (Timothy Dudley-Smith). Such amazing love!

Think Further

This scene follows the flogging. Jesus was suffering agonizing pain, as

well as total humiliation. The mockery was cruel and vindictive, exactly as he had predicted:

“We are going up to Jerusalem… and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests

and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the

Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him” (Mark 10:33,34). Jesus had

already been mistreated in the high priest’s house (Mark 14:61–65), now it was the Gentiles’

turn. The soldiers carried out a mock coronation.

The Passion story lies at the center of all human history and has many levels of application. The

treatment Jesus received shows the cruelty of the human heart and the injustice of many human

political systems. It shows the vulnerability of even comparatively just societies to the sins and

weaknesses of those who run them. It shows God’s identification with victims of oppression and

torture. It shows the commitment of God to the actual circumstances of life. It shows the reality

of human sin; the goodness of Jesus revealed the sin in others. Above all, the story shows the

whole world’s need of a Savior. Our appalling treatment of other people, in so many times and

places, is evidence of our rebellion against God.

The wonder of the love of God is that Jesus, having months earlier told his disciples this would

happen, still went willingly to death for us, refusing to defend himself. Not only did he bear our

sin against God, as we shall see, but he also identified with our sin against one another, which is

its consequence. There is no consequence of sin he did not endure for us.

This scene follows the flogging. Jesus was suffering agonizing pain, as well as total humiliation. The mockery was cruel and vindictive, exactly as he had predicted: “We are going up to Jerusalem… and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him” (Mark 10:33,34). Jesus had already been mistreated in the high priest’s house (Mark 14:61–65), now it was the Gentiles’ turn. The soldiers carried out a mock coronation. The Passion story lies at the center of all human history and has many levels of application. The treatment Jesus received shows the cruelty of the human heart and the injustice of many human political systems. It shows the vulnerability of even comparatively just societies to the sins and weaknesses of those who run them. It shows God’s identification with victims of oppression and
torture. It shows the commitment of God to the actual circumstances of life. It shows the reality of human sin; the goodness of Jesus revealed the sin in others. Above all, the story shows the whole world’s need of a Savior. Our appalling treatment of other people, in so many times and places, is evidence of our rebellion against God. The wonder of the love of God is that Jesus, having months earlier told his disciples this would happen, still went willingly to death for us, refusing to defend himself. Not only did he bear our sin against God, as we shall see, but he also identified with our sin against one another, which is its consequence. There is no consequence of sin he did not endure for us.

Apply

Jesus went through a trial and torture. How does this make you feel? What does it make you want to do?

Closing prayer

Lord, the human capacity for cruelty is frightening. Help me, in my small way, to be an instrument of reconciliation.

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