Mark 15:16-20

Mark 15:16-20  The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers.  They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.  And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”  Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him.  Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.  And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him.  Then they led him out to crucify him.

Then they led him out to crucify him.  The Roman soldiers were a rough lot; they lived a life of revelry, and they were used to killing people.  As all soldiers they obeyed orders from their superiors.  In the above passage, we see Jesus placed in the hands of these hardened soldiers.  They humiliated Jesus in every way.  I am sure they stripped him and maybe even made fun of his physical features.  I am sure they had a hilarious time pretending to bow down to this supposed king of the Jews.  What a dark hour that must have been for Jesus.  This scripture says, Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him.   I wonder what Jesus must have looked like when He walked from that palace to the cross.  For sure the muscular Roman soldiers did not leave him unscarred, unbloodied.  Sadly, Jesus, the Jewish man, was now in the hands of sinners, the gentiles, outside of the camp of the Jews.  Jesus was the scapegoat mentioned in the Old Testament that was taken outside of the camp into the wilderness.  The sins of the Jewish people and the world rested on his head.     

Jesus was mistreated by the Roman soldiers that day, but He is just as badly mistreated by many people today such as some who attend Easter services, people who reluctantly attend church once or twice a year.  This is the time they pretend to pay homage to the Christ of all the ages.  They sing songs of praise to Jesus with insincere hearts, perhaps with smirking lips.  They listen inattentively to a sermon, waiting for the last amen.  They shake the preacher's hand on their way out of church, and then proceed to walk into their everyday lives and crucify Jesus again.  They live as if He did not exist.  As surely as the Romans nailed Jesus to the cross, they do also.  They ask, "What does this Jesus have to do with my life?"  They believe they can get along well without him.  To them, He is just a dead historical figure, one they can mock once or twice a year by attending a church service.  Sadly, their attendance at church usually results from the pressure of a loved one.  For others it's the culturally acceptable thing to do; however, their hearts are not in it.  In either case, they believe they can disingenuously call out as the Roman soldiers did, “Hail, king of the Jews!”  "Hail the Savior of the World.  Hail!"  And get away with it.  

However, the time will come when they will have to face a living Jesus and give an account for the deeds done in the flesh.  For sure the Roman soldiers' awful deeds will be remembered by God on that day, but even more so the deeds of the insincere man or woman who walked out of an Easter service with a heart attitude of, "I don't need this," will be remembered.  The unrepentant unbelievers will know then that they have rejected God's plan of salvation.  They will face God alone in their sins.  I am afraid they will experience many times more of the wrath of God than those soldiers who were merely following orders.  No one gets away with rejecting God or mocking Jesus.  No one gets away with placing Jesus on the cross in this life.  Of course, not everyone who comes to church only on Easter has a hardened heart.  Some are full of guilt, shame, doubt, and fear and truly seek the Lord to set them free.  Let us adhere to Jesus, cling to him, knowing He is the way to the throne of God.  Let us lift up Christ this Easter season, in the church and in our homes, so that all may see Jesus lifted up, and our Father God may draw all men to him.