“A large crowd of people followed Him; among them were some women who were weeping and wailing for Him.” (Luke 23:27)
This is Luke’s description of that procession to Golgotha. Among the jeering crowd was Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and two other faithful women who had accompanied the two Marys to the tomb when they discovered that it was empty.
The women wept and wailed for Jesus. They bewailed the treatment of innocent Jesus as a criminal. The Jews had twisted the Truth so that it seemed Jesus was staging an insurrection against the Roman empire. They bewailed the Goodness that had been persecuted. Jesus had brought healing both spiritual and physical to the people of God. They bewailed the Love that was now bleeding. Jesus had only acted in love. And they bewailed that in meekness He was now dying. Isaiah had prophesied it. "He was treated harshly but endured it humbly; He never said a word. Like a lamb about to be slaughtered, like a sheep about to be sheared, He never said a word.” (Isaiah 53:7)
As we read about the flogging, do we imagine the horror it was? We should. He was flogged thirty-nine times with a lead-tipped whip which ripped the skin to the bone. He also received the taunting, ridicule and torture at the soldiers’ hands. All of this is good for us on which to meditate. Those stripes that Jesus received are the beatings that we deserved. The taunting, ridicule and torture at the soldiers’ hands are what we deserved. And finally, death on the cross is what we deserved.
Many misguided and unknowledgeable people blame the Jews for the crucifixion of Jesus. But in reality, it was us. It was our sin, our guilt before God, our rebellion and disobedience of God’s standard. He took our punishment and death so that we could be guiltless before God. Our good deeds and sacrifices don’t meet God’s punishment for sin. They don’t declare us sinless and guiltless. That would be what the Law required. “For no one is put right in God's sight by doing what the Law requires; what the Law does is to make us know that we have sinned.” (Romans 3:20) But the atonement of our transgressions and iniquities was made sure by the slaughter of innocent, spotless, pure and holy Blood. It had to be done by a man. But there was no man innocent. All were tainted by the sin nature of Adam. But Jesus didn’t have the Adam’s sin nature because He was born of a virgin, without man. He is the Son of God. The only One worthy Who is all man and all God. His redemptive work was accepted.
He took death for us so that we can live. “But now, by means of the physical death of His Son, God has made you His friends, in order to bring you, holy, pure, and faultless, into His presence.” (Colossians 1:22) That is why we sing about our redemption. It’s a work of Love. We can’t even imagine the love that was required to take our place. Jesus was all God, but He was also all man and felt every stripe, every pain and weakness due to the torture. But it wasn’t for nothing. It was to free us from the claws of the devil. “He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us safe into the kingdom of his dear Son, by whom we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven.” (Colossians 1:13-14) We are free from the power of darkness, free from our sins, free from our guilt and free to come before the Heavenly Father, even to go boldly to His Throne of mercy and grace. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
So yes, we must meditate on the Passion of Christ, which is the week of Jesus’ death and resurrection, beginning with Palm Sunday and ending with His resurrection. And we cannot but be so grateful and joyful also for the victory of Jesus. He has ascended back to the Father. But as He said, He will return for us. “"Do not be worried and upset," Jesus told them. "Believe in God and believe also in Me. There are many rooms in my Father's house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so. And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to Myself, so that you will be where I am.” (John 14:1-3)
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