“So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.”
Matthew 27:26 (27-31)
It’s normal in life to experience pain from other people, and of course, that’s difficult to bear! But what if your “ordeal” goes so far beyond normal that it feels like abuse? What about when things go too far?
Jesus understands. After enduring the beating Pilate ordered, He was turned over to the soldiers to be crucified. There were no further orders given; however, Matthew takes the next five verses describing abuse heaped on Jesus for no reason.
Some of the soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment to join in their revelry, but it turned into gang cruelty. Jesus was stripped, not only of his clothing, but His dignity. Hundreds of soldiers mocked him with a scarlet robe, a reed scepter, and a crown of thorns. They knelt before Him taunting, “Hail! King of the Jews!” They spit on him and struck Him with the scepter. When they finally tired of mocking Him, at last they obeyed the crucifixion order.
Records show that most of Pilate’s soldiers were Syrian Greeks, known for their hostility towards Jews. The cruelty Jesus experienced could have stemmed from decades of stored-up anger, yet He silently endured their unfair treatment. When things went too far, He stood strong.
Jesus understands your pain.
So, when things go too far, let HIM stand strong with you!
