Good Friday Homilies
THE WHIP by Dr. Barbara Carter
Isaiah 50: 5-6, “The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward. I gave my back to those who strike…”
Isaiah 52:14, “As many were astonished at you—his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind.”
Matthew 27:26, “Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.”
Mark 15:15, “So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.”
The suffering Jesus endured for us is truly unimaginable. Jesus’ beating with a Roman
flagrum, or whip, came after He washed His disciples’ feet. It came after He prayed so
passionately that He sweated drops of blood. It came after His disciples abandoned Him and denied Him. It came after Judas bitterly betrayed Him. It came after Jesus stood before Caiaphas’ scribes and elders, where they spit, struck, slapped, and mocked Him. Then, Jesus was sent back to Pilate and endured a Roman scourging.
Two of the four Gospels mention Jesus’ scourging. It is one word in the middle of the crucifixion narrative. Matthew and Mark did not spend time describing the scourging because their readers were familiar with the severity of this type of beating. After a man was scourged, he was no longer recognizable as even a man. Isaiah 52:14 prophesied that Jesus would not even look human. The purpose of the Roman whip was to beat a person to the point of death. The whip was used to brutally torture a person, often before their crucifixion. The Roman flagrum was a short whip made of three or more leather straps connected to a handle. The leather straps were knotted with a weight at the end. Each end was embedded with metal, nails, and bone shards. The shortness of the whip guaranteed better precision for the Roman soldiers.
After they stripped Jesus naked and shackled Him to a column, two professionally trained Roman soldiers stood on either side of Him, beginning the torture. During scourging, the Roman soldiers began with the upper torso and moved down the back, the chest, and the back of the legs and arms. The scourging removed Jesus’ flesh, leaving His skin like ribbons hanging off Him. The whip’s bone, metal, and nails cut deeper into Jesus with each strike.
Jesus’ internal organs were bruised. His blood poured out upon the Roman Praetorium. His veins and arteries were exposed, leaving His inward parts, like His intestines, possibly visible. Jesus’ scourging left Him flayed and physically unable to carry His cross. Each tormenting stripe willingly endured for us so that “By His stripes we are healed” (Isa 53:5).
THE BLINDFOLDING, SPITTING, AND SLAPPING by Raven Smith
The Gospels reveal the shocking reality of Jesus' suffering as He stood trial before the authorities. The mockery and cruelty Jesus endured unveil the extent of His love and the depth of His sacrifice for us. In Jesus’ intense humiliation, the true nature of Jesus’ mission was disclosed— a mission of grace and love, even in the face of mockery and rejection.
Luke 22:64 records, "They blindfolded Him and kept asking Him, 'Prophesy, who is it that struck you?'" Jesus, the Son of God, was subjected to cruel mockery as His captors blindfolded Him and taunted Him to prophesy. Although the all-knowing Savior could have revealed their names or demonstrated His divine power, He chose to remain silent without retaliation. He chose the path of silence, suffering, and submission. In His silence, He bore the weight of humanity's sin and rejection.
Mark 14:65 records another painful moment, "Some began to spit on Him, to cover His face, and to strike Him with their fists. And others slapped Him." Jesus, who healed the sick, raised the dead, and cast out demons, was spat upon and struck. Such hatred toward someone who had done nothing but good is incomprehensible. Jesus' willingness to endure these insults is a testament to His unwavering commitment to fulfill God’s will. He could have stopped the mockery at any moment, but instead, He allowed Himself to suffer, to take on the sin of the world — suffering He knew would bring salvation to all who believe.
Matthew 26:67 further recounts, "Then they spat in His face and struck Him with their fists. Others slapped Him." These brutal acts were not just a display of hatred; they were part of a greater plan. Jesus was fulfilling prophecy, enduring the humiliation and violence so that He could ultimately bear the weight of the world’s sin on the Cross. His suffering was not in vain. It was an act of redemption.
Meditating on these Scriptures reminds me of Jesus’ incredible love demonstrated in His passion. Through His mockery and suffering, He showed us the full extent of His love — a love that is patient, enduring, and willing to suffer for the sake of others. He did not respond with anger or retaliation but with a quiet resolve to do the will of the Father, knowing His sacrifice would bring healing and redemption to the world.
This illustrates the depth of Jesus’ love. He endured unimaginable suffering, not because He deserved it, but because He loved me so deeply that He willingly endured it on my behalf. When we face difficulties, may we remember Jesus’ example. Amidst His pain, He chose to love unconditionally and sacrificially. May we imitate His love and willingness to endure suffering for the sake of others.
Jesus’ humiliation reminds us that love is not always easy or comfortable but is always transformative. Jesus was blindfolded so our eyes could be opened. He was spat upon and slapped so we could be accepted. May we never forget His mockery and rejection led to our adoption and acceptance.
THE CROWN OF THORNS by Judy Baine
Already mocked and flogged, Jesus was exhausted. His legs trembled just to hold his weight. His eyesight was obstructed by the flow of blood mingled with sweat and tears. He could barely stand or breathe, and every second that He did, His body shook. He was surrounded by a cacophony of vile voices screaming at him, mocking him, daring him. Yet, He stood there, devastated by His love for them. He knew that if they only knew what they were doing. If they could grasp the enormity of the moment—of their actions—they would run away in shame.
Stab! An agonizing new pain erupted near his temple. What was it? Did they punch Him again? Another blow near his forehead. Jesus realized this was no punch as new streams of blood washed over his eyes and nose. He smelled their sweat, His blood, and…was that the smell of fruit—perhaps a branch from a fruit tree? Out of His blurred vision, He saw the soldiers fashioning something. He heard their jeers, “You can’t be a king without your crown, your Majesty,” as they laughed and pounded this braided, thorny fruit branch-crown into His already torn skin. He heard something hard hitting the thorny diadem as they drove it deeper into His head. With each SLAM of the rod, new torrents of blood gushed as pain erupted from each impalement.
The thorns—symbolic of the curse He was actively breaking and the eternal death that entered the world with the first sin. Jesus—a member of the Triune God—clearly remembered speaking to Adam, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree…cursed is the ground because of you…thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you…” (Genesis 3:17-18). As each thorn ripped through the flesh on His head, Jesus took upon Himself the curse that came upon the world through the one man, Adam. He became the curse for all humanity. Oh, the weight of that curse on a sinless man—how heavy it weighed on Him.
The soldiers, agents of their free will and Rome’s harsh rule, laughingly taunted Him as they drove more thorns into His bloody skull. As each thorn ripped a new hole in His skin, pounding the thorns as deeply as they could, they sardonically proclaimed, “Hail! King of the Jews,” not realizing they proclaimed the most beautiful and profound truth of all truths. They took pleasure in torturing and maiming the most innocent person in all history, all the while declaring the truth about who He truly was.
How often have I simultaneously defamed my King while attempting to praise Him? How often have I regarded His royalty as something less than important in my life? Too often, I have elevated other things to a higher level than I elevate Him. But Christ’s willing and selfless action of accepting the thorns beaten into His bruised and torn flesh is worthy of all my allegiance. Christ willingly accepted the curse of sin—the curse of the thorns—so we don’t have to. O that we never make light of the crown of thorns beaten upon our beautiful Savior’s brow.
Jesus pressed on—through the blood, through the pain, through the thorns, through the torment. He did not relent, regardless of each thrust of the thorns, every broken vessel, and burning tear of His skin. He pressed on.
THE PURPLE ROBE AND REED by Lucky Smith
Mark 15:16-20—“And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him.”
After experiencing sleep deprivation and unjust questioning all night and giving His disciples sufficient warning and knowledge for preparation, they still abandoned Him—the creator of hope forced into despair. The King of Grace was betrayed and abandoned in unimaginable physical pain. His closest friends denied even knowing Him. He was scorned and torn down. Instead of praise for faithfully carrying out His mission, He was taunted. He previously heard the shouts, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Now, the Roman guards stripped Jesus of His clothes and forced Him to wear a smearing of the name of royalty.
They ridiculed the One born to rule the nations. They belittled the One deserving of the highest esteem. Jesus’ psychological torment rivaled His physical pain. All the soldiers and a battalion of strangers mocked and beat my Messiah. It was no little thing. A purple robe, probably once expensive, raked through the shredded remains of Jesus’ back. They hurled insults at Him as His physical and mental stamina tanked. The Lamb held quiet as the crown of thorns dug deeper and deeper, being beaten with a reed to mock His royalty.
They scorned the King of Glory. They beat Him and stripped the God who clothes us in His righteousness. They accused the God of Truth of lying. The Great High Priest made weak in body and tormented in mind. A repulsive act: royalty ridiculed as they clothed Him in purple and made Him hold a mock scepter. He did not once retaliate. The One who taught us to turn the other cheek showed His true colors—royal purple.
The One who fashioned humanity saw the eyes of the Romans and Jews He formed filled with hatred toward Him. They were blinded by hate. They could not see Jesus’ true authority. They could not see their greatest deliverer. The blinded Roman Empire and Jewish leaders conspired against God’s anointed.
Even in this state, my Savior endured. Blatant injustice and disrespect were colored purple by a blood-soaked mockery robe. My Faithful Friend, most deserving of respect, was disgustingly disrespected that day. Lord Jesus, how many times have I mocked Your Name? How many times have I disrespected Your Royalty? How many times have I ridiculed Your grandeur? On that faithful day, Jesus was placed on the same level as thieves and liars, ridiculed for my sake.
THE CROSS by Dr. Tom Carter
He could have called twelve legions of Angels to make it stop; the pain, the agony, the humiliation. He didn’t. Instead, in His humble obedience, He chose the curse of hanging on a tree, smitten of God. Not for His sins, for He was sinless, but for the sins of all humanity.
After the Roman soldiers beat, whipped, and mocked Jesus, they led Him like a lamb to its slaughter. They made Him carry His cross. His shredded muscles strained to lift the 100 pounds or so of the cross beam, called the Patibulum. The roughhewn wood tore further into His flesh, inflicting more pain, more physical damage, more bleeding, as He was led outside the gate to Golgotha, to Calvary. Though the soldiers commanded Simon of Cyrene to carry the Patibulum, relieving Him of that burden, it provided light relief. The cross beam’s physical weight paled in comparison to the spiritual weights He carried. He embodied the pain and suffering of every physical ailment of every man and woman who ever lived. Arthritis, cancer, broken bones, dementia, heart attack, stroke, covid, eczema, kidney failure, heart failure, COPD. Pain, itching, burning, fever, chills, stiffness, aches, nausea. All of it. Every symptom, pain, and disease placed on Him, suffered by Him.
Likewise, the afflictions of the soul. Sorrows, fears, depression, anxieties, rejections,
guilt, despair, shame, all placed on Him, suffered by Him.
And then, the Lord laid on Him all our iniquities. Each and every sin ever committed by each and every human became His identity. The weight was crushing.
At Calvary, they unified Him with the cross, using nails. The Christ crucified. Becoming a curse by hanging on a tree became a reality. He was smitten by God. He bore our griefs, our afflictions, and our sicknesses. He carried our pain, our sorrow, and our sufferings. Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin and suffered all its consequences.
The body of the Son of Man began to fail, to die. Dehydration. Blood loss. Acid built up in the remaining blood trying to circulate in His arteries and veins. His muscles began to scream from the positioning, the acids, and the hypoperfusion. Pain intensified. Attempts at relief were futile. Any movement, any repositioning or stretching, resulted in further abrasion of His lacerated back against the wooden cross and torquing of His hands, His wrists, and His feet against the fixed points of the nails. Pain intensified. It wouldn’t stop: persistent, accelerating, excruciating pain. The heart squeeze became weaker from the acids and the loss of blood volume. The heart rate sped up. Heart failure. Watery fluid leaking from blood vessels began to fill the chest space surrounding the lungs, impairing His breathing. His breathing quickened. Respiratory failure.
The physical abuse. The failing body. The unrelenting pain. The psychological assault. The spiritual weight of sin and the curse. The suffering is incomparable, incomprehensible, inconceivable.
Then, the unimaginable. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.” The ultimate rejection, separation, anguish, abandonment, despair. Son of God crucified.
THE NAILS by Jason Wickenkamp
Nail—A rough piece of iron, heated in a forge and beaten with a hammer until becoming a spike roughly seven inches long. Nails are usually tools for carpentry. In Jesus’ case, they were tools for torture. These nails pierced His wrists and feet with the intent to bring maximum amounts of pain, damaging nerves but missing arteries to extend suffering. Nails bound the body against the wooden frame to ensure each breath was a struggle until the point of death.
Luke 23:33 records, “And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.” The battered and torn body of Jesus laid bare, face up, held to the cross. A Roman soldier grasped the iron nail in his hand and pressed the point into Jesus' wrist. A dull thud rang out as the hammer struck the nail. Jesus’ flesh was pierced and split as a thin trickle of red blood formed. The timbre of the hammer changed as the nail struck the solid wood, and blood flowed out of the wound onto the cross before splattering to the ground. Blow after blow, the tapered nail split and tore flesh. Driving deeper into the wood until the head of the nail rested atop Jesus’ wrist, binding Jesus to the wooden cross. Then the soldiers pulled on His other wrist and held it in place as the nail pierced His flesh again. The iron nail drove through Jesus' body blow after blow until the head of the nail rested atop Jesus' wrist, binding His bleeding flesh to the wooden cross. The soldiers held Jesus' feet in place against the cross so that His knees stuck out at an angle. They drove an iron nail through His feet blow after blow until the head of the nail rested atop Jesus' foot, binding the bleeding flesh to the wooden cross.
Psalm 22:16 foretold this scene, “For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet.” Jesus endured the nails for us. The hands used to build skillfully, the hands used to embrace lovingly, the hands used to heal and perform mighty miracles—pierced. Nails pierced his feet. In His last moments, His feet were in unbelievable agony. The feet that carried Him on His path and guided the course of human history, those feet were pierced for us.
These nail prints were etched into Thomas’ mind, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails…I will never believe” (Jn 20:25). I pray we believe in Jesus’ sacrifice even though we cannot feel the eternal marks of our redemption. Thank You, Lord, for the suffering You endured so we can be forgiven.
THE SPEAR by Dr. Benjamin Crisp
After the brutal torture of the whip, the blindfolded mockery, the crown of thorns, the purple robe and reed, the weight of the cross, and the nails that tore flesh from bone—Jesus let out a cry that reverberated through the ages: “It is finished.” The One who framed the worlds by the word of His mouth now declared the work complete. He bowed His head, gave up His spirit, and died.
When the Roman soldiers arrived at His cross, they did not break His legs as they did the criminals to His right and left. Why? Because the Passover lamb had to be without blemish—perfect, with no bones broken. Jesus was the true and final Passover lamb. In fulfilling the Scripture that says, “Not one of His bones will be broken,” He ushered in a new Exodus—from sin’s ravages. These Roman executioners had mastered the mechanics of death. They had perfected the cruel art of crucifixion. Why, then, if Jesus was already dead, did the soldier thrust a spear into His side? To make absolutely certain there was not a single spark of life left in Jesus’ body hanging before them.
As Jesus hung dead on the cross, unseen fluid had been gathering beneath His ribs—a mixture of clear, watery serum rose above as rich, crimson blood sunk beneath. When the Roman soldier thrust his spear into Jesus’ side, the blade pierced deep—precipitating the flow of blood and water as a final, visible sign of the depths of His suffering and the completeness of His sacrifice.
A Passover lamb’s merit was revealed in the moment its throat was cut. The surge of lifeblood was proof the sacrifice had been made. So it was with Christ. When blood and water flowed from His side, it was heaven’s declaration: This is the Lamb of God, spotless and slain for the sins of the world.
But He was not only Heaven’s Lamb. He was the Rock in the wilderness. Long before, God told Moses, “Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” From solid stone, life poured out. Centuries later, another Rock was struck—this time by a Roman spear. And once more, water flowed. Not from stone, but from flesh. Not to quench a momentary thirst, but to satisfy the soul forever. And from His wounded side came the echo of Jesus’ invitation: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.”
But the story goes back even further—beyond the rock in the wilderness, beyond the Passover lamb, to the dawn of creation. In Eden’s garden, God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the first man. And from his side, He drew a rib—flesh from flesh, bone from bone—and fashioned a bride. He brought her to him, and from his side, a union was born.
Thousands of years later, on Golgotha’s hill, the second Adam hung on a cross. Once again, God opened the side of a man—not for one, but for many. And from Christ’s side, flowing in blood and water, came the birth of a new creation: the Church—His beloved bride. We have been welcomed into the very heart of the pierced and vulnerable Son of God, drawn from His side and bound to Him forever. In the words of the hymn, “Near the Cross”: Jesus, keep me near the cross: There a precious fountain, Free to all, a healing stream, Flows from Calvary’s mountain.
Isaiah 50: 5-6, “The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward. I gave my back to those who strike…”
Isaiah 52:14, “As many were astonished at you—his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind.”
Matthew 27:26, “Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.”
Mark 15:15, “So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.”
The suffering Jesus endured for us is truly unimaginable. Jesus’ beating with a Roman
flagrum, or whip, came after He washed His disciples’ feet. It came after He prayed so
passionately that He sweated drops of blood. It came after His disciples abandoned Him and denied Him. It came after Judas bitterly betrayed Him. It came after Jesus stood before Caiaphas’ scribes and elders, where they spit, struck, slapped, and mocked Him. Then, Jesus was sent back to Pilate and endured a Roman scourging.
Two of the four Gospels mention Jesus’ scourging. It is one word in the middle of the crucifixion narrative. Matthew and Mark did not spend time describing the scourging because their readers were familiar with the severity of this type of beating. After a man was scourged, he was no longer recognizable as even a man. Isaiah 52:14 prophesied that Jesus would not even look human. The purpose of the Roman whip was to beat a person to the point of death. The whip was used to brutally torture a person, often before their crucifixion. The Roman flagrum was a short whip made of three or more leather straps connected to a handle. The leather straps were knotted with a weight at the end. Each end was embedded with metal, nails, and bone shards. The shortness of the whip guaranteed better precision for the Roman soldiers.
After they stripped Jesus naked and shackled Him to a column, two professionally trained Roman soldiers stood on either side of Him, beginning the torture. During scourging, the Roman soldiers began with the upper torso and moved down the back, the chest, and the back of the legs and arms. The scourging removed Jesus’ flesh, leaving His skin like ribbons hanging off Him. The whip’s bone, metal, and nails cut deeper into Jesus with each strike.
Jesus’ internal organs were bruised. His blood poured out upon the Roman Praetorium. His veins and arteries were exposed, leaving His inward parts, like His intestines, possibly visible. Jesus’ scourging left Him flayed and physically unable to carry His cross. Each tormenting stripe willingly endured for us so that “By His stripes we are healed” (Isa 53:5).
THE BLINDFOLDING, SPITTING, AND SLAPPING by Raven Smith
The Gospels reveal the shocking reality of Jesus' suffering as He stood trial before the authorities. The mockery and cruelty Jesus endured unveil the extent of His love and the depth of His sacrifice for us. In Jesus’ intense humiliation, the true nature of Jesus’ mission was disclosed— a mission of grace and love, even in the face of mockery and rejection.
Luke 22:64 records, "They blindfolded Him and kept asking Him, 'Prophesy, who is it that struck you?'" Jesus, the Son of God, was subjected to cruel mockery as His captors blindfolded Him and taunted Him to prophesy. Although the all-knowing Savior could have revealed their names or demonstrated His divine power, He chose to remain silent without retaliation. He chose the path of silence, suffering, and submission. In His silence, He bore the weight of humanity's sin and rejection.
Mark 14:65 records another painful moment, "Some began to spit on Him, to cover His face, and to strike Him with their fists. And others slapped Him." Jesus, who healed the sick, raised the dead, and cast out demons, was spat upon and struck. Such hatred toward someone who had done nothing but good is incomprehensible. Jesus' willingness to endure these insults is a testament to His unwavering commitment to fulfill God’s will. He could have stopped the mockery at any moment, but instead, He allowed Himself to suffer, to take on the sin of the world — suffering He knew would bring salvation to all who believe.
Matthew 26:67 further recounts, "Then they spat in His face and struck Him with their fists. Others slapped Him." These brutal acts were not just a display of hatred; they were part of a greater plan. Jesus was fulfilling prophecy, enduring the humiliation and violence so that He could ultimately bear the weight of the world’s sin on the Cross. His suffering was not in vain. It was an act of redemption.
Meditating on these Scriptures reminds me of Jesus’ incredible love demonstrated in His passion. Through His mockery and suffering, He showed us the full extent of His love — a love that is patient, enduring, and willing to suffer for the sake of others. He did not respond with anger or retaliation but with a quiet resolve to do the will of the Father, knowing His sacrifice would bring healing and redemption to the world.
This illustrates the depth of Jesus’ love. He endured unimaginable suffering, not because He deserved it, but because He loved me so deeply that He willingly endured it on my behalf. When we face difficulties, may we remember Jesus’ example. Amidst His pain, He chose to love unconditionally and sacrificially. May we imitate His love and willingness to endure suffering for the sake of others.
Jesus’ humiliation reminds us that love is not always easy or comfortable but is always transformative. Jesus was blindfolded so our eyes could be opened. He was spat upon and slapped so we could be accepted. May we never forget His mockery and rejection led to our adoption and acceptance.
THE CROWN OF THORNS by Judy Baine
Already mocked and flogged, Jesus was exhausted. His legs trembled just to hold his weight. His eyesight was obstructed by the flow of blood mingled with sweat and tears. He could barely stand or breathe, and every second that He did, His body shook. He was surrounded by a cacophony of vile voices screaming at him, mocking him, daring him. Yet, He stood there, devastated by His love for them. He knew that if they only knew what they were doing. If they could grasp the enormity of the moment—of their actions—they would run away in shame.
Stab! An agonizing new pain erupted near his temple. What was it? Did they punch Him again? Another blow near his forehead. Jesus realized this was no punch as new streams of blood washed over his eyes and nose. He smelled their sweat, His blood, and…was that the smell of fruit—perhaps a branch from a fruit tree? Out of His blurred vision, He saw the soldiers fashioning something. He heard their jeers, “You can’t be a king without your crown, your Majesty,” as they laughed and pounded this braided, thorny fruit branch-crown into His already torn skin. He heard something hard hitting the thorny diadem as they drove it deeper into His head. With each SLAM of the rod, new torrents of blood gushed as pain erupted from each impalement.
The thorns—symbolic of the curse He was actively breaking and the eternal death that entered the world with the first sin. Jesus—a member of the Triune God—clearly remembered speaking to Adam, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree…cursed is the ground because of you…thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you…” (Genesis 3:17-18). As each thorn ripped through the flesh on His head, Jesus took upon Himself the curse that came upon the world through the one man, Adam. He became the curse for all humanity. Oh, the weight of that curse on a sinless man—how heavy it weighed on Him.
The soldiers, agents of their free will and Rome’s harsh rule, laughingly taunted Him as they drove more thorns into His bloody skull. As each thorn ripped a new hole in His skin, pounding the thorns as deeply as they could, they sardonically proclaimed, “Hail! King of the Jews,” not realizing they proclaimed the most beautiful and profound truth of all truths. They took pleasure in torturing and maiming the most innocent person in all history, all the while declaring the truth about who He truly was.
How often have I simultaneously defamed my King while attempting to praise Him? How often have I regarded His royalty as something less than important in my life? Too often, I have elevated other things to a higher level than I elevate Him. But Christ’s willing and selfless action of accepting the thorns beaten into His bruised and torn flesh is worthy of all my allegiance. Christ willingly accepted the curse of sin—the curse of the thorns—so we don’t have to. O that we never make light of the crown of thorns beaten upon our beautiful Savior’s brow.
Jesus pressed on—through the blood, through the pain, through the thorns, through the torment. He did not relent, regardless of each thrust of the thorns, every broken vessel, and burning tear of His skin. He pressed on.
THE PURPLE ROBE AND REED by Lucky Smith
Mark 15:16-20—“And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him.”
After experiencing sleep deprivation and unjust questioning all night and giving His disciples sufficient warning and knowledge for preparation, they still abandoned Him—the creator of hope forced into despair. The King of Grace was betrayed and abandoned in unimaginable physical pain. His closest friends denied even knowing Him. He was scorned and torn down. Instead of praise for faithfully carrying out His mission, He was taunted. He previously heard the shouts, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Now, the Roman guards stripped Jesus of His clothes and forced Him to wear a smearing of the name of royalty.
They ridiculed the One born to rule the nations. They belittled the One deserving of the highest esteem. Jesus’ psychological torment rivaled His physical pain. All the soldiers and a battalion of strangers mocked and beat my Messiah. It was no little thing. A purple robe, probably once expensive, raked through the shredded remains of Jesus’ back. They hurled insults at Him as His physical and mental stamina tanked. The Lamb held quiet as the crown of thorns dug deeper and deeper, being beaten with a reed to mock His royalty.
They scorned the King of Glory. They beat Him and stripped the God who clothes us in His righteousness. They accused the God of Truth of lying. The Great High Priest made weak in body and tormented in mind. A repulsive act: royalty ridiculed as they clothed Him in purple and made Him hold a mock scepter. He did not once retaliate. The One who taught us to turn the other cheek showed His true colors—royal purple.
The One who fashioned humanity saw the eyes of the Romans and Jews He formed filled with hatred toward Him. They were blinded by hate. They could not see Jesus’ true authority. They could not see their greatest deliverer. The blinded Roman Empire and Jewish leaders conspired against God’s anointed.
Even in this state, my Savior endured. Blatant injustice and disrespect were colored purple by a blood-soaked mockery robe. My Faithful Friend, most deserving of respect, was disgustingly disrespected that day. Lord Jesus, how many times have I mocked Your Name? How many times have I disrespected Your Royalty? How many times have I ridiculed Your grandeur? On that faithful day, Jesus was placed on the same level as thieves and liars, ridiculed for my sake.
THE CROSS by Dr. Tom Carter
He could have called twelve legions of Angels to make it stop; the pain, the agony, the humiliation. He didn’t. Instead, in His humble obedience, He chose the curse of hanging on a tree, smitten of God. Not for His sins, for He was sinless, but for the sins of all humanity.
After the Roman soldiers beat, whipped, and mocked Jesus, they led Him like a lamb to its slaughter. They made Him carry His cross. His shredded muscles strained to lift the 100 pounds or so of the cross beam, called the Patibulum. The roughhewn wood tore further into His flesh, inflicting more pain, more physical damage, more bleeding, as He was led outside the gate to Golgotha, to Calvary. Though the soldiers commanded Simon of Cyrene to carry the Patibulum, relieving Him of that burden, it provided light relief. The cross beam’s physical weight paled in comparison to the spiritual weights He carried. He embodied the pain and suffering of every physical ailment of every man and woman who ever lived. Arthritis, cancer, broken bones, dementia, heart attack, stroke, covid, eczema, kidney failure, heart failure, COPD. Pain, itching, burning, fever, chills, stiffness, aches, nausea. All of it. Every symptom, pain, and disease placed on Him, suffered by Him.
Likewise, the afflictions of the soul. Sorrows, fears, depression, anxieties, rejections,
guilt, despair, shame, all placed on Him, suffered by Him.
And then, the Lord laid on Him all our iniquities. Each and every sin ever committed by each and every human became His identity. The weight was crushing.
At Calvary, they unified Him with the cross, using nails. The Christ crucified. Becoming a curse by hanging on a tree became a reality. He was smitten by God. He bore our griefs, our afflictions, and our sicknesses. He carried our pain, our sorrow, and our sufferings. Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin and suffered all its consequences.
The body of the Son of Man began to fail, to die. Dehydration. Blood loss. Acid built up in the remaining blood trying to circulate in His arteries and veins. His muscles began to scream from the positioning, the acids, and the hypoperfusion. Pain intensified. Attempts at relief were futile. Any movement, any repositioning or stretching, resulted in further abrasion of His lacerated back against the wooden cross and torquing of His hands, His wrists, and His feet against the fixed points of the nails. Pain intensified. It wouldn’t stop: persistent, accelerating, excruciating pain. The heart squeeze became weaker from the acids and the loss of blood volume. The heart rate sped up. Heart failure. Watery fluid leaking from blood vessels began to fill the chest space surrounding the lungs, impairing His breathing. His breathing quickened. Respiratory failure.
The physical abuse. The failing body. The unrelenting pain. The psychological assault. The spiritual weight of sin and the curse. The suffering is incomparable, incomprehensible, inconceivable.
Then, the unimaginable. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.” The ultimate rejection, separation, anguish, abandonment, despair. Son of God crucified.
THE NAILS by Jason Wickenkamp
Nail—A rough piece of iron, heated in a forge and beaten with a hammer until becoming a spike roughly seven inches long. Nails are usually tools for carpentry. In Jesus’ case, they were tools for torture. These nails pierced His wrists and feet with the intent to bring maximum amounts of pain, damaging nerves but missing arteries to extend suffering. Nails bound the body against the wooden frame to ensure each breath was a struggle until the point of death.
Luke 23:33 records, “And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.” The battered and torn body of Jesus laid bare, face up, held to the cross. A Roman soldier grasped the iron nail in his hand and pressed the point into Jesus' wrist. A dull thud rang out as the hammer struck the nail. Jesus’ flesh was pierced and split as a thin trickle of red blood formed. The timbre of the hammer changed as the nail struck the solid wood, and blood flowed out of the wound onto the cross before splattering to the ground. Blow after blow, the tapered nail split and tore flesh. Driving deeper into the wood until the head of the nail rested atop Jesus’ wrist, binding Jesus to the wooden cross. Then the soldiers pulled on His other wrist and held it in place as the nail pierced His flesh again. The iron nail drove through Jesus' body blow after blow until the head of the nail rested atop Jesus' wrist, binding His bleeding flesh to the wooden cross. The soldiers held Jesus' feet in place against the cross so that His knees stuck out at an angle. They drove an iron nail through His feet blow after blow until the head of the nail rested atop Jesus' foot, binding the bleeding flesh to the wooden cross.
Psalm 22:16 foretold this scene, “For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet.” Jesus endured the nails for us. The hands used to build skillfully, the hands used to embrace lovingly, the hands used to heal and perform mighty miracles—pierced. Nails pierced his feet. In His last moments, His feet were in unbelievable agony. The feet that carried Him on His path and guided the course of human history, those feet were pierced for us.
These nail prints were etched into Thomas’ mind, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails…I will never believe” (Jn 20:25). I pray we believe in Jesus’ sacrifice even though we cannot feel the eternal marks of our redemption. Thank You, Lord, for the suffering You endured so we can be forgiven.
THE SPEAR by Dr. Benjamin Crisp
After the brutal torture of the whip, the blindfolded mockery, the crown of thorns, the purple robe and reed, the weight of the cross, and the nails that tore flesh from bone—Jesus let out a cry that reverberated through the ages: “It is finished.” The One who framed the worlds by the word of His mouth now declared the work complete. He bowed His head, gave up His spirit, and died.
When the Roman soldiers arrived at His cross, they did not break His legs as they did the criminals to His right and left. Why? Because the Passover lamb had to be without blemish—perfect, with no bones broken. Jesus was the true and final Passover lamb. In fulfilling the Scripture that says, “Not one of His bones will be broken,” He ushered in a new Exodus—from sin’s ravages. These Roman executioners had mastered the mechanics of death. They had perfected the cruel art of crucifixion. Why, then, if Jesus was already dead, did the soldier thrust a spear into His side? To make absolutely certain there was not a single spark of life left in Jesus’ body hanging before them.
As Jesus hung dead on the cross, unseen fluid had been gathering beneath His ribs—a mixture of clear, watery serum rose above as rich, crimson blood sunk beneath. When the Roman soldier thrust his spear into Jesus’ side, the blade pierced deep—precipitating the flow of blood and water as a final, visible sign of the depths of His suffering and the completeness of His sacrifice.
A Passover lamb’s merit was revealed in the moment its throat was cut. The surge of lifeblood was proof the sacrifice had been made. So it was with Christ. When blood and water flowed from His side, it was heaven’s declaration: This is the Lamb of God, spotless and slain for the sins of the world.
But He was not only Heaven’s Lamb. He was the Rock in the wilderness. Long before, God told Moses, “Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” From solid stone, life poured out. Centuries later, another Rock was struck—this time by a Roman spear. And once more, water flowed. Not from stone, but from flesh. Not to quench a momentary thirst, but to satisfy the soul forever. And from His wounded side came the echo of Jesus’ invitation: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.”
But the story goes back even further—beyond the rock in the wilderness, beyond the Passover lamb, to the dawn of creation. In Eden’s garden, God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the first man. And from his side, He drew a rib—flesh from flesh, bone from bone—and fashioned a bride. He brought her to him, and from his side, a union was born.
Thousands of years later, on Golgotha’s hill, the second Adam hung on a cross. Once again, God opened the side of a man—not for one, but for many. And from Christ’s side, flowing in blood and water, came the birth of a new creation: the Church—His beloved bride. We have been welcomed into the very heart of the pierced and vulnerable Son of God, drawn from His side and bound to Him forever. In the words of the hymn, “Near the Cross”: Jesus, keep me near the cross: There a precious fountain, Free to all, a healing stream, Flows from Calvary’s mountain.
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