Verse: Matthew 27:32-44
As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall, but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. 38 Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, “I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
DEVOTION
These are hard verses to contemplate for those of us who love Jesus. I know people that cannot watch movies that depict his crucifixion. We read here that everyone came and heaped insults on him and mocked him while he was dying a horribly painful death. Matthew didn’t need to describe the ordeal of his death on a cross. His readers at the time knew this all too well. Crucifixion was only used on the lowest and the worst in the eyes of the Romans.
But it is important for us to remember that Jesus was not a victim. He decided to give his life. In fact, he could have come down from the cross but would people have believed in him then? They didn’t when he was raised from the dead! He said about his life, in John 10:18, that “no one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself.” He chose to die this terrible death because it was required to pay for all the sins of the world, including yours and mine. How can we doubt God’s love for us? He gave everything.
And he gave it while being ridiculed by the sinful people watching. Those sinful people that wanted prestige, power, position, wealth. He died for them. He was mocked by those that were cruel, by robbers that thought they were better than him (at least one), and by those that couldn’t understand him so chose insults. He died for them. If we put ourselves into this story back then, I am sure we hope that we would not be among those that mocked and insulted.
So where are you today? People still mock and insult Jesus. Do we stand with Jesus or with the mockers? Are we willing to tell others about how much he loves us, even enough to die for us?
PRAYER
Dear Lord, help us to fully understand how much you love us and what you were willing to do to free us from the bondage of sin. Be with us daily as we grow into the people that you have designed us to be.
Author: Brad Dunn
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