Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged Him. (John 19:1)
I have the hardest time thinking of this scene. It was bloody, and it was brutal; people could die under this punishment. When Romans flogged a person, they used a whip with many lashes, with bits of bone and metal attached to the ends. Jewish law limited the number of strokes a person could receive—but not Roman law; the only guideline was basically, "Don't kill the prisoner; keep him alive for the cross."
Jesus bore this for me.
He bore this for you, too—and He thought it was well worthwhile. Because hard as it is to believe, we are His joy. We are the prize He thought it was worth suffering for—the people He desired to have with Him forever, as He said to God the Father on the night before His death (see Hebrews 12:2; John 17:24).
Jesus doesn't regret the price He paid for us. Even though He still carries the scars of this flogging, they are His glory—for they testify to how much He loves us, how far He went to have us—and we know, absolutely, that He will get what He wants in the end.
And we will rejoice with Him forever.
WE PRAY: Lord, I love You. Bring me safely home to You in the end. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* Do you have trouble coping with the details of Jesus' suffering?
* When have you suffered, even a little, for someone you loved?
