Holy Week – He didn't 'lose it'
Matthew 27. 27 - 31(NIV)
Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
Soul Survivor – Night Four. The team are exhausted, we’re emotionally drained, and our patience is running rather thin. We had only a few minutes left before the young people went off to bed for one final night – we’d nearly made it. But, and it’s a big but… at the final hurdle, one of them grabbed a chocolate muffin (I cannot emphasise how chocolatey the chocolate muffin was) and crumbled it all over the head of one of the team. To make it worse this team member was wearing their brand-new merchandised Soul Survivor hoodie which had been a lovely shade of pale cream.
I LOST IT. With very little options at my disposal, I banished the young person straight to their tent. As it was the final night there was an incredible firework display, but all I did was focus my attention on their tent and any time the zip moved I would shout ‘Don’t even think about watching the fireworks !' In a moment of pressure, tiredness, and exhaustion, I lost it.
Now turn from that trivial incident and picture, if you feel able, the terrible scene in today's reading. Jesus has been beaten, whipped, and mocked. He is wearing a crown of thorns, thorns that were believed to be nearly three inches long, digging into his head. Enduring all this pain and abuse yet knowing he was innocent and blameless.
He had all the power, he was the son of God, he could have easily turned into an avenging angel and beaten up or killed the soldiers and all who were abusing him. He could have 'lost it.' But instead, he laid aside his power, he endured the abuse he received because he knew he had to journey to the cross to rescue us from our sin.
Pray — Jesus, thank you for what you did for us.
