John 19

Scripture

John 19: 1-3

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.

Observation-What does it say?

Jesus died a sinner's/criminal's death. He was not only killed, but was mocked, tortured and treated like the lowest of the low. He was innocent and sinless and did not deserve that type of punishment, yet He endured it for the world.

Understanding-What does it mean?

The depths of His love for the world is immeasurable.  Jesus' deep, passionate and relentless love for us held Him to endure all that  pain and suffering.

How can someone endure such pain and torture, especially the Son of God who could have easily murdered everyone involved? Of course, He was being obedient to His Father's will, but I believe it is more than that. It was His love for you and I that sustained Him through all that torture and pain.  I imagine that He was thinking of You and I and all the love He had for all sinners of the world. How can we choose to neglect Him when we grasp the depths of His love for us? 

I love the song "Above All".  It always gets me at the heart, especially the part of the song that says,  "Like a rose, trampled on the ground, You took the fall and thought of me, above all."

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”

Isaiah 53:5-7 NIV

Life Application

His love for us is not meant to be hidden and kept to ourselves, but shared with the world., especially those who don't yet know.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17 NIV

People need Jesus. Understanding that He is not here to condemn me but to save me from myself and sinful thoughts/ways, motivates me to want to share that gift with others. God IS love (1 John 4:8 and 4:16b) and the understanding that no one can separate me from His undeniable and jealous love is what strengthens me to love others in return.

Let's love others by gifting them with the opportunity to hear the Good News and Gospel message of our Lord, Savior and King. This is why I am also very excited about the heart behind our  “In the City” (ITC) groups! People need Jesus!

-Michelle Gaddi