Wounded for Us

Today’s devotion is an excerpt from Jesus, Day by Day

Today’s Through the Bible Reading: Mark 15:6-21; Luke 23:13-32; John 18:39 – 19:17; Matthew 27:27-32

And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon Him. Mark 15:19

How could God possibly be at work in the midst of this darkness, devastation, and death? And yet we know He was. When we look closely at the events surrounding Jesus’s crucifixion, we see God at work in the smallest of details.

In today’s reading we see Jesus taken to the court of scourging, called the Praetorium (Matt. 27:27–31; Mark 15:16–20). After the soldiers gathered together, they stripped Jesus, clothed Him in a purple robe, put a crown of thorns on His head, placed a reed in His hand, bowed to Him in mock homage, spat in his face, and ridiculed Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matt 15:18, ESV).

I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. (Isa. 50:6)

All the scourging, all the mockery, and all this wretched abuse were part of God’s plan, foretold by the prophets and ordained before the foundations of the earth (Eph. 1:4, 7; Heb. 10:4–7; 1 Pet. 1:18–20; Rev. 13:8).

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isa. 53:4–5)

Jesus endured all this for the joy of what it would accomplish: the salvation of you and me (Heb. 12:2)!