“You cannot claim the joy – the blessing – the peace – the love – the forgiveness – WITHOUT THE CROSS!”

After Jesus had been scourged, Mark tells us that the soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, which was the judgment hall of Pilate when he was in Jerusalem. The torture of Jesus did not end with the scourging but continued when He was brought into the judgment hall. This torture by the whole cohort of soldiers included mockery, insults, and physical abuse. Remember the Lord’s face was already battered and swollen from the abuse of the members of the Sanhedrin. Not only this but His whipped back would have been bleeding badly from the scourging.

These Roman soldiers did not care and decided to treat Him much in the same way that Herod and His soldiers had treated Him, making a mockery of Him for their entertainment. They dressed Him in a purple robe, possibly the same one that Herod had put on Him. Then Mark tells us that they twisted together a crown of sharp thorns, which was to resemble the golden laurel wreath worn by Caesar. They put this on His head pushing it down firmly so that the thorns dug in and blood began to trickle down His face. Then they knelt before Him and began to mock Him. To complete their cruel joke the soldiers began to acclaim Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Little did they know that one day they would bow before Him and proclaim Him the King of kings and Lord of lords. Mercilessly, they kept beating Him on the head with a reed driving the thorns deeper into His head, they also began to spit on Him and kneel and bow before Him in mock respect.

Sunday we will spend the time reviewing this best known account and focus on why – why did Jesus do this? Why did He endure such pain? We know it is for love! We know it is for us!

“It costs God nothing, so far as we know, to create nice things: but to convert the rebellious cost Him crucifixion.” C. S. Lewis