Lent Day 33: Giving Thank (John 19:1-2)
Lent Day 33
Giving Thanks for Love
John 19:1-2
1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.
2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe
3 and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" and they slapped him in the face.
◇ Every time I read this passage, I am reminded of a film, "The Passion of the Christ," directed by Mel Gibson. It was a film I couldn’t watch to the end; I had to stop partway through because I couldn’t bear to watch Jesus being whipped and tortured. If the dramatized depiction was so hard to watch, what must the actual event have been like? What must the real pain have felt like? What would I have done if I were in his place?
Jesus could have escaped that agony. He could have called upon angels. However, he chose not to. He endured the unbearable pain, and he did so for one reason alone: for us. Because of the malicious high priests who accused him, because of Pilate, because of the criminal Barabbas. The unbearable pain and death he suffered were all borne out of love—a love that took pity on sinners and sought to save them. Through that love, he gave us hope, he gave us a new life.
What can we do in response to Jesus, who bled and wept under the lash? We can only kneel and remember him. No expression can fully convey our gratitude for that love. We quietly kneel and offer prayers of thanks.
Lord, we thank you. We thank you. We thank you. Holy Spirit, lead us into truth! Amen.
Giving Thanks for Love
John 19:1-2
1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.
2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe
3 and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" and they slapped him in the face.
◇ Every time I read this passage, I am reminded of a film, "The Passion of the Christ," directed by Mel Gibson. It was a film I couldn’t watch to the end; I had to stop partway through because I couldn’t bear to watch Jesus being whipped and tortured. If the dramatized depiction was so hard to watch, what must the actual event have been like? What must the real pain have felt like? What would I have done if I were in his place?
Jesus could have escaped that agony. He could have called upon angels. However, he chose not to. He endured the unbearable pain, and he did so for one reason alone: for us. Because of the malicious high priests who accused him, because of Pilate, because of the criminal Barabbas. The unbearable pain and death he suffered were all borne out of love—a love that took pity on sinners and sought to save them. Through that love, he gave us hope, he gave us a new life.
What can we do in response to Jesus, who bled and wept under the lash? We can only kneel and remember him. No expression can fully convey our gratitude for that love. We quietly kneel and offer prayers of thanks.
Lord, we thank you. We thank you. We thank you. Holy Spirit, lead us into truth! Amen.