“He received 39 stripes because 40 was known to kill a man. They wanted Him alive. The soldiers held handfuls of His beard pulled out by the roots. They mocked, punched, and spit on Him for hours – until there was no spot on His body not covered in blood.
His executioners jabbed a crown of thorns down on His head so brutally that it sank deep into His skin. After hours of being beaten, mocked, flogged, and tortured, they made Him carry a cross. Alone. The rough piece of wood with splinters dug into fresh wounds. They wanted Him alive.
They wanted Him to feel every ounce of pain they could bring. He had to feel it to heal us. Crucifixion was historically one of the cruelest, most torturous deaths a human could face. Hours upon hours of torture. Torture most of us cannot mentally think of because such cruelty isn’t normal. It isn’t something our minds can comprehend. We celebrate Easter with pastel colors, happy children hunting eggs, and chocolate. Truth is there was absolutely nothing happy about the day Jesus died. It was cruel, bloody, and incomprehensible.
He could have stopped it all. He could have called all the angels in heaven to destroy every person standing there and shouting, “Crucify Him!” He didn’t. He knew to have a Sunday, you have to have a Friday. He knew to have joy, you have to carry your cross. He felt everything that day. He felt how your heart broke wide open when you had to watch your baby die. He understood how heavy your life was when you were staring down the barrel of a gun wondering if the man you called husband was going to shoot you. He felt your anguish at a wayward loved one. He carried the weight of the burden you have felt since your spouse died and life has not seemed right ever since.
On that cross He held the rapist and murderers, the sinner, and the saint. He despised the guilt and the shame that He felt for every human being that was ever conceived. He leveled every playing field and said ALL of you are worth it. Except for the joy that was set before Him, the redemption of humanity, none of this made any sense. But, He knew He had to carry the cross. He never promised the cross you carry in this life would not be heavy. His wasn’t. His promise is that Sunday is coming!
No matter how heavy Friday is – emotionally, mentally, or physically, Friday is heavy. That cross is weighing you down, and you are about to crumble under its weight. His promise was simply this. He won’t make you carry it alone. What kind of king would step down from his throne for this?
Jesus of Nazareth, that is who. The Son of God did this. For you.
He did every bit of it for you and me. Oh yes, it is heavy. So heavy sometimes you do not think you can take one more step. But look up because Sunday is coming!”
I do not know who wrote this, but it is too powerful not to post.