The Blood That Was Shed

But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. – Isaiah 53:5

I saw the movie The Passion of the Christ for the first time over the Easter holiday.  Although it has been out for several years I would not watch it because I could not bear to see an adaptation of what our Lord might have went through to give us the gift of salvation.  I knew I would be emotional, but I was not prepared for what I for what I was about to see.  I was told the movie was very graphic, and it is, even more than I imagined.  I was completely horrified at the at the depiction of the sheer brutality He suffered at the hands of the Roman soldiers.  The sick pleasure these men derived from torturing Jesus was twisted, perverse, and demonic.  Some of the soldiers laughed hysterically as they mocked, beat and degraded Him.  It never entered my mind the kind of oppressive, relentless punishment He  endured so that we might be saved from death and hell. The beating he received was of the highest degree called the vereberatio.  It was  commonly associated with those about to be crucified, and used as a form of severe punishment.  Jesus received this beating as a result of the last effort of Pontius Pilate to spare Him from the crucifixion.  I saw His precious blood being splattered on the ground, collecting in pools as the soldiers took turns giving Him lash after lash with their flagrum whips especially made for physical torture.

These whips were made from leather lashes and had sharp metal points. They were particularly gruesome compared to the others commonly used by the Roman army.  There was the ferula made from a leather strap, and the scutica a whip constructed of parchment throngs.  The flagrum was used to inflict intense suffering but not to kill.   The soldiers trampled on his blood as they carried out their orders unaware that it was being shed to cover the sins of all mankind.  Though I found it difficult I watched as He was whipped, mocked, spit upon, cursed, and struck about His head and body, and yet He didn’t utter a word.  He never lashed out at those who were throwing stones laughing and taunting Him.  Even so He never even gave so much as a hard look toward the ones who were there to watch Him suffer and die.  The prophecy of Isaiah 53:7 being fulfilled, “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 her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth”.

My eyes welled up with tears as I watched an innocent man be so horribly mistreated and abused.  His body wracked with unimaginable pain, the humiliation of being treated worse than an animal.  I believe that most of us would run to the aid of any animal that was being tortured in such a manner.  We would recoil in astonishment and horror at the sadistic inhumane treatment of a helpless creature.  We would do whatever we could to stop it, and demand the perpetrator be punished.  While many wept and were appalled by the way Jesus was being treated no one dared to speak out against it.  They knew it could easily be them bearing the brunt of the soldiers barbarous acts.  Truly this was God in the flesh for no mere man could have endured this and not died long ago from the severity of his injuries.   I can only imagine Almighty God watching this from heaven.  His heart surely breaking along with the anger and indignation He must have felt as mortal men He created from the dust of the earth, tormented, blasphemed, and reviled His only Son as He bore the burden, and took the punishment for sins He never committed and paying for debts He did not owe.

I can envision the angels of God standing at the ready to destroy every living thing, and even the earth itself for the unjust savagery being inflicted upon Jesus.  All He had to do was say the word. With armies of countless mighty angels at his disposal ready to do battle on His behalf they were not allowed to intervene.  In the midst of this hell spawned maltreatment His great love for you and me is what saved all of us from complete and total annihilation at the hands of a righteous God.  Jesus knew that this was the price that must be paid in order to save men from their sins, to offer us salvation from the wrath of a holy God who could not look upon sin without destroying it and the sinner.  He knew the hurt, sorrow, and anguish His father was feeling.  I believe this is one of the reasons Jesus said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”. Is it possible that this plea from the Master was what kept His Father, and legions of holy angels from destroying all of mankind that very day?

Jesus went through this for you and me.  If you haven’t turned your life over to Him won’t you do it now?  The end of this age is approaching rapidly.  Accept the gift of salvation while there is still time.  It is not God’s will that any should perish.  I know of no one else who would do what Jesus did for us.  Do you?

Father in heaven I pray that someone reading this post today will realize that the world as we know it is coming to an end.  I ask that you touch their hearts and show them that there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun.  I ask in the name of Jesus that you take the spiritual blinders off their eyes, soften hardened hearts, and open deaf ears to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and accept His free gift of salvation now.  Thank you Lord for those that have accepted your invitation and have become adopted into the family of God.  I rejoice along with the angels!

If you have just received Jesus as Lord and Savior please let me know by saying so in the prayer request section of this blog.  I want to rejoice with you, and be of help any way I can.