Today’s devotion reminds us of Christ’s suffering on the cross of Calvary, who delivered us from the penalty of sin. Knowing how much Christ suffered for us, don’t let the gospel die in you!

Bible Reading of the Day

AM – 2 Chronicles 34-36

PM – John 19:1-22

𝕿𝖎𝖙𝖑𝖊: 𝕯𝖔𝖓’𝖙 𝖑𝖊𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕲𝖔𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖑 𝖉𝖎𝖊 𝖎𝖓 𝖞𝖔𝖚!

𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝟏𝟗:𝟏𝟔 𝐊𝐉𝐕

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒅. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚.

Christ’s suffering began before the cross. He is called a man of sorrows and endured deep spiritual anguish in Gethsemane before His journey to Calvary. After His unlawful arrest and mock trial by the Sanhedrin, His physical suffering began. First, they spit in His face (𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝟐𝟔:𝟔𝟕). Hardly anything is more degrading than spitting in someone’s face.

Then came the Smiting and buffeting. Others also struck Him with their hands, demanding, “𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒚 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕, 𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒆?” (𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝟐𝟔:𝟔𝟕-𝟔𝟖). Isaiah 50:6 foretold that Christ would turn His back to the smiters and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: He hid not His face from shame and spitting.

Next was the Scourging. After He was whipped, He was handed over for crucifixion (𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝟐𝟕:𝟐𝟔). Usually, 39 lashes were administered as per Jewish law (𝟐 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟏𝟏:𝟐𝟒). However, Jesus was whipped under Roman law. The following is an excerpt from an article in The Journal of the American Medical Association (March 21, 1986, Volume 255) titled ‘On The Physical Death of Jesus Christ’:

The typical instrument was a short whip consisting of several single or braided leather thongs of varying lengths, with small iron balls or sharp sheep bone pieces tied at intervals. During scourging, the man was stripped, and his hands were bound to an upright post. His back, buttocks, and legs were flogged either by two soldiers or by one who switched positions.

As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim’s back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues. Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh. Pain and blood loss generally set the stage for circulatory shock.

Finally, there was the Scorning. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand: and they bowed the knee before Him, and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit upon Him, and took the reed, and smote Him on the head (Matthew 27:29-30).

The thorns were approximately the size of a 16-penny nail. The Scripture says they took a reed and pounded the crown onto Jesus’ head. This would cause the thorns to penetrate the flesh and scrape the skull. Some people sat down and watched Him there.

What did those who gathered around the cross see at Calvary on that crucifixion day some 2000 years ago? They witnessed the greatest expression of love this world has ever known. 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒔𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 [𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆], 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝑺𝒐𝒏, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒐𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒉, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆! – 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝟑:𝟏𝟔.

Have you believed in this One who suffered in your place so you could be saved? Trust Him as your Lord and Saviour TODAY. If you are saved and reminded by this message, how will you respond? Will you be inspired to go and continue and faithfully do the mandate that is given to all believers to 🅶🅾 🅰🅽🅳 🅿🆁🅴🅰🅲🅷 🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅾🆂🅿🅴🅻 🆃🅾 🅴🆅🅴🆁🆈 🅲🆁🅴🅰🆃🆄🆁🅴!