Today’s Devotion
Reflections: The Excesses Of The Trial (Self Assessment 117)
Background: The trial of Jesus was meant to be brutal and unimaginably painful to bear. This was to show the extent of man’s wickedness; the very reason for a Saviour. It was also to demonstrate how Jesus satisfied eternal requirements to merit the title ‘Saviour’. He had to experience the sinful nature of man at its altitude and death; yet come through undented. So that He is worthy to redeem us from the power of sin and death by the shedding of His precious blood, without blemish.
That is why Apostle Paul says in Hebrews 12: 4 that “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” Jesus is the only person who could! He was tempted in EVERY WAY, yet HE DID NOT SIN (Heb 4: 15).
Today’s assessment is to take us through some of the excesses He suffered just to prove WORTHY TO BREAK THE SEALS AND OPEN THE SEVEN SCROLLS (read Rev 5: 1- 10).
THE ASSESSMENT
I. The Guards Mock Jesus
(Luke 22: 63- 65)
63 The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating Him. 64 They blindfolded Him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” 65 And they said many other insulting things to Him.
Question: Explain why this will be a very unbearable experience for anyone to go through.
2. Before Pilate (Luke 23:1-5)
23 Then the whole assembly rose and led Him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.” 3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. 4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” 5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
Question: From the study of Scripture, why are these allegations false except for what Jesus Himself confirmed to be true? Secondly, if these religious people truly regarded God, why were they bearing false witness when that is against the law (Exo 20: 16)?
3. On The Way To Golgotha (Luke 23:27-31)
27 A large number of people followed Him, including women who mourned and wailed for Him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ 31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
Question: What does this last prophecy of Christ mean? How does it expose the unprecedented wickedness that men will exhibit as the years go by if they don’t repent?
4. On The Cross (Luke 23:39- 41)
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this Man has done nothing wrong.”
Question: How psychologically devastating will it be to be innocent and yet get punished with a criminal who mocks “your righteousness to your face”, knowing very well he is guilty and you are not?
5. What have you learnt from today’s reflections?
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