Mark 15:25-26
“It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.“
Mark 15:25-26 NIV
Everyone jumps on a bandwagon; everyone jumps from a sinking ship. As far as everyone else in the story is concerned, Jesus is a sinking ship. See how they run.
Jesus was executed by the political authorities. He was set up by the religious authorities. He was ridiculed by the disappointed, disillusioned, masses.
Crucifixion was a common Roman practice. It was a sheer exercise of power intended to intimidate the local populace. The heavy posts were planted alongside the major paths into a city or village. Once crucified, the bodies were left to rot until the post needed to be used again.
Jesus was recognized as King at His birth by angels, shepherds, and stargazers. Jesus was recognized as King at his death only by God the sign described the charge against Jesus, whose closest followers had abandoned Him.
While God had shown glimpses of His plan through the words of the prophets, a crucified Messiah was inconceivable to Jesus’ contemporaries. So while the sign attached to the cross above Jesus’ head was true, only God knew it at the moment of His Son's death. To everyone but the Father, everything seemed lost in the mockery of this sign, of this crowd, and of this cross. But God is faithful and Jesus is King. Long may this King reign in our hearts.
It was at 9 am Friday morning. We can see here that this entire process happened very fast. Thursday night they were still in the Upper Room, and sang hymns together as they went out to the Garden on the Mount of Olives.
After some hours in agonizing prayer, Judas shows up with a huge entourage of two hundred plus, because they feared reprisals if the regular people knew they were going to arrest the One they’ve been hailing all week.
They arrest Jesus, and all night from midnight to morning, Christ is being tried and tortured for being their Messiah, for being God incarnate. In spite of not discovering any crime Christ has committed, they decide to kill Him anyway.
Six different phases of His trial, three with the Jews, three with the Gentiles all of that happened to get Him on the cross by nine in the morning. Again, what’s the hurry? They don’t want the crowd to turn on them and rescue Christ.
But the real reason? This is all God’s plan so that Christ will die at three in the afternoon, the very moment all the Passover lambs on Friday are being slaughtered at the Temple. Now the real, one, true, final, sufficient Passover lamb will die. But the soldiers don’t know this, all they know is Christ claimed to be King.
The Roman custom included hanging a sign around the neck of the condemned criminal, which stated the charges against the prisoner. Then the sign would be taken from the criminal and affixed to the cross. Though there were many kinds of crosses, the traditional one we wear and build in churches is correct, since the vertical beam had to extend above Christ for the sign to be nailed above Him.
Do you understand the irony of the inscription, King of the Jews? The irony is that it’s the truth. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He is the king of the Jews.
So the soldiers prophetically, wickedly, and ruthlessly took part in this torture, and yet in all of this the plan of God was to atone for our sins through the Son’s death on a cross. Further insult was thrown at Christ by the Roman soldiers.
The point I believe Mark is pointing out is that death on a cross was unspeakably horrific in ancient times. It was something you didn’t talk about. It was disgusting, repulsive, and off-putting. It would be like casually talking about rape or incest or child abuse today. You just don’t talk about those things in casual conversation. They’re horrific and sickening and appalling. Crucifixion was like that.
Crucifixion was the absolute worst thing that could happen to a person, and not just because it was painful. It wasn’t just a painful way to be put to death. It was the Roman’s way of shaming you while they killed you. Crucifixions were public spectacles. They didn’t take place in dark dungeons. They happened on the side of the road. When the Romans mocked and crucified Jesus, they thought they were mocking a poor peasant, when in reality they were mocking the King of the universe.
Little did they know that they were pawns in the King’s hand, being used to put Him on his throne and set all His people free. His insult and injury secured our redemption and his reward!!!
Father, thank You for this day and the Word of life that gives us our being. Lord, let Your abundant blessings pour out from the storehouses of heaven over my friend and family today. God, only You would devise such a plan to redeem us. You would have Your Son revealed as King from the place equated with humiliation, suffering, and death. We confess, dear God, that the message of the cross captures our hearts and helps us know Your love more fully. Lord, we praise You for such love and for being such a sacrificial King. Lord, please use each of us to love others as You love them unconditionally.Father, We love You. Amen !
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