FollowingJesus.me

“‘Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.’ Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.” – Mark 15:32

Chapters 14 and 15 of Mark have been building up to this moment. Mark has described for us Jesus’ arrest by the religious leaders and the subsequent handing over to the government and now Jesus’ crucifixion. It has been difficult reading this week. What I notice is Mark makes it clear that Jesus is facing insult and abuse from all sides. The religious leaders arrest, mock, beat, and accuse Jesus. The Roman guards take, mock, beat, and accuse Jesus. The crowds mock and “hurled insults” at Jesus. Even the other crucifixion victims “heap insults on him.”

My first thought is, how did Jesus endure all this, knowing he could have ended it at any point? How did he not react and call down fire to wipe out all his abusers? I wanted to and I wasn’t even there.

My second thought was seeing the situation from God’s perspective, as a father. What if that was my son? Not only Jesus but how does God the Father watch these scenes unfold and not stop it? I feel a tiny bit of the turmoil, but I cannot fathom Dad’s pain and anguish at this moment. He is watching his own son being abused, mistreated, tortured, and killed. He could stop this but he doesn’t.

The easy answer is that God is not as loving as he says he is. Depending on your current circumstances that may sound heretical or I may be saying something that you have been thinking anyway. It would certainly help explain why God would allow the suffering to happen. But the thought that God is unloving is simply not true.

The story strikes me deeply today as I come to grips with the answer to these questions. How and why did Jesus endure so much when he could have stopped all of it? Why would God endure watching his son suffer so when he could have instantly changed it all? The answer is simple and profound. Why? Because of you and me. God the Father and God the Son knew that all this suffering needed to happen, needed to be endured for you. Let that sink in for a moment.

You and I have no hope until Jesus pays the penalty for our sin. But now, because of the suffering, we can have Hope! We can have hope and life and love and peace and…

“For God so loved the world (you) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

What will you do with the LOVE that is given to you today?

Prayer:

God, in this moment I am speechless.

Help me not to take for granted what you have done for me and please help me to share your love, this love, with as many people as I can.

God, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!