Dark days hover over Jesus. He sees it, an amorphic shadow, a writhing wraith with no shape or form. He wrestles with it in the Garden but can get no solid grip. Judas’ kiss makes it visible, but that betrayal and his disciples’ precipitous flight simply love-stabs his heart.
He hears Peter, aka Rocky, deny he ever knew him, but he’d anticipated that pain early on.
Perhaps the high mucky-mucks who spit on and slapped him brought shape to the wraith. Or the Roman soldiers who made great sport of “worshiping” this king of the Jews.
Stripped and flogged, losing control of bodily functions, was the real start.
How bad can humiliation get?
Being dragged before Pilate and Herod provided brief interludes, as did his collapse and rescue while lugging his instrument of torture. But nails fastening hands and feet to the cross, which was then thunked into its hole, brought it back, full bore. Did he scream in pain? Did urine run down his legs? What flashed through his head during this long-foreseen agony for which he had been born?
Those dreadful hours of sagging under the gross weight of sin. This perfect, sacrificial Lamb, on the altar to atone for a planet wracked in wickedness.
Toward the end came his raspy but triumphant bellow,
FINISHED!
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,but]emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11, The Message)
Thank you, sacrificial Lamb, for wearing that heavy robe of humiliation—for ME.
This was a hard one—hard to read, hard to write. Please share your thoughts,either below (scroll down a bit) or on egus@me.com
Love you. Planning a visit soon ❤️
Oh Ellie, you made this so horrifyingly real, and visual. And to think He did it all because He loves us! Praise God!
Liane, I’m glad you see it as horrifying. I think that’s what I felt while writing it. And yes–such love! Thanks much for commenting.
Hi Ellie!💖
But don’t you have to have pride and ego to feel humiliation? I’m sure Jesus felt pain, but I don’t think humble people are easily humiliated. Maybe I’m way off, but in my life, the most humiliating experiences were of my own making. Words that I wish I could take back, and actions I didn’t take when I had the opportunity. I think people humiliate themselves, including those that taunted and ridiculed our beautiful and innocent Jesus on his way to the cross to redeem us by paying the penalty for our sins.
I was recently ridiculed while standing up against cruelty and greed, flipped off directly to my face while black diesel smoke spewed all over me and into my lungs. It seemed hostile and overly aggressive, but I don’t take responsibility for hateful and angry hearts. I didn’t feel humiliation. I felt sorrow for people so separated from God‘s love and lessons. But I know there is always hope in Jesus! Praise Him!!!
In the end, I think I have learned a lot from the intense emotion that comes with true humiliation. I guess God gave us this range of emotions that for good reason.
I noticed something new this week:
“Then Pilate said to him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.’ ” (John 18:37)
which reminds me of this:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
I believe that here we have the humanity of Jesus, and his divinity, in the same Person!
Thanks, Marcia, for making that connection–child and King!
Beautifully written! Such a hard visual but necessary! Thank you!
Thanks much, Martha. Yes, the entire blog was hard, but that was the point.
This is Renea in Kansas….This scripture passage and your commentary takes me back to seeing the film “The Passion of the Christ”. I felt so saddened to think Jesus suffered for me….and even Mary suffered more as a mother than any other in the world.
The scene in which Mary used the cloth given to her by pilot’s wife to wipe up the blood of her son from the street was an eye opener. Even though this event does not appear in the Bible, the depiction of it made me think that there is no other substance more powerful and life-giving than the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Mary knew He suffered all for all, including His own mother. Is there justice on earth?
Thank you Ellie! Writing this for your readers is a reminder; actually a gift of realization of the depth of Christ’s and the Father’s love for the world and the awesome power of Joy that strengthened Jesus to endure the cross. May you celebrate the most joyful Eastertide ever!!
Thanks much, Renea, for reading and grasping the importance of the blood of Christ–for us! And knowing this sets us up for a glorious EASTER!