The Torture and Humiliation of the King
Image courtesy of: paukrus
I am continuing my sharing with you what I am learning from the Lenten study 24 Hours That Changed The World by Adam Hamilton
There is no way to sugar coat what I write in this email. The torture and humiliation of Jesus is how he is described as the “suffering servant” in Isaiah 50:6:
“I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard.I did not hide my face from insult and spitting.”
Hamilton continues:
“Matthew tells us they stripped him naked, leaving him exposed and vulnerable, a bloodied, weakened man surrounded by hundreds of Rome’s finest, their swords, shields, and armor all testament to the Empire’s strength and resolve. Their emperor was, after all, king of the world; they would show this prisoner what they thought of his claim.”
In my last post, I talked about Atonement as substitutionary in that Jesus suffered and died in place of all who would trust in Him as Savior. Atonement can also be looked at as a moral influence, in that we are changed.
Hamilton concludes:
“Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection constitute a divine drama meant to communicate God’s Word to humanity, to make clear to us our need for redemption and forgiveness, to show us the full extent of God’s love and lead us to repentance.”
Sacrificial love is another phrase that Jesus’ suffering and death should bring to mind. Atonement is meant to change us, so that we will practice sacrificial love toward others.
Hamilton writes:
“Simon (of Cyrene) was apparently so moved by the experience of suffering next to Jesus, of carrying his cross and then watching him be crucified, that he became the first believer transformed by the moral influence of the Atonement.“
Who do you see yourself in: the soldiers who mocked him or in Simon, whose transformation you might seek as you look at the suffering and death of Christ?
To be continued…
As a reminder, this Lenten Study will culminate in launching my course “A Passionate Devotional Life With God Through Worship, Study and Journaling”
on Easter Monday.
Image courtesy of: jean louis mazieres
Photo By paukrus