Yesterday’s sermon was on Mark 15:16-20. This section is titled “Christ Mocked by the Military” in my Bible.

There are six things that the Roman soldiers did to mock Jesus.                                                1. They clothed Him in a purple cloak. A question I asked myself is where did they get the cloak. My Pastor shortly answered my thought and said that a commentator says that it was probably from one of the soldiers and that it may have been crimson and stained by sweat giving it a purple color.

2. They twisted a thorn branch and made Him a crown. Genesis 3:18 interestingly points out that God cursed the ground and made it produce thorns and thistles. These things reminds us of the fall of man. Similarly, because of the fall of man, Christ had to place upon himself the sin of man – just as the thorns on His head where then placed on Him. Galatians 3:13 says: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. A thought I had also was about placing the sins of the people on a goat’s head and sending it off. Where the word “scapegoat” comes from.

3. They saluted Him and acclaimed Him by saying “Hail King of the Jews”. A question our Pastor asked us was “Do we also mock Christ when our actions do not coincide with what we say?”

4. They struck his head with a reed. It was used also as a scepter to further mock Him.

5. They spat on Him

6. They bowed down before Him in fake worship.

In all of this humiliation, Jesus showed great patience. Never did He once retaliate even when He could have called a league of angels to tear up the Roman Empire. Never did He reciprocate their sin and their mockery. His behavior in all of this reminds us to have patience with unbelievers.

It hard for me to see Christ go through so much barbarity. I want to scream at the soldiers and let them know who they are doing this to. But I can’t judge them to harshly. I myself struggle sometimes to believe He is King and mock Him when I don’t believe what He says in His Word. I struggle with my allegiance to Him when I seek other pleasures that corrupt my mind and body. I struggle with insubordination when I question what He does and do as I please. And what makes it even harder to bear sometimes is that I know better. The Roman soldiers didn’t.

My prayer is that I may joyfully join myself more and more to Him. That I may willingly submit to a very tender Savior who loves me. And that I may always remember that any good in me is because of the good in Him.