Mocked and Crucified by Sinners, for Sinners

15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. 16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18 And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. 21 A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. 22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. 25 It was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews. 27 They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. 29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!” 31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

Introduction

We come this morning to a powerful and exceedingly important passage of Scripture, which presents to us one of the most significant events in all of history (if not the most significant event in all of history), we must stand in awe of the grace-filled, abounding, incomprehensible love and mercy of our God towards us.

This is a passage of Scripture that, if we truly consider it and ponder it deeply, must leave us with our hearts bowed down in humble adoration of almighty God, as we come face to face with the realization of the seriousness of our own sin, and how that very sin of you and I drove Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the perfect, pure, spotless lamb, to the cross as the only hope and remedy for our salvation and deliverance from God’s wrath.

Any familiarity that we may have developed about Jesus dying on the cross, let us leave that familiarity behind us, and let us enter into this text of God’s holy word and pray that God would open our hearts and eyes and ears to recognise the utter sinfulness and depravity of man that necessitated such drastic, pain-inflicting , life-taking measures on the Almighty creator of all things.

We pick up this morning in verse 15, as Pilate has been presented with this man Jesus, who is charged before him with the charge of being the “King of the Jews.”

This title (or charge) of Jesus being the King of the Jews is one that repeats itself throughout this narrative.

Now we know that there was no basis for any charge against Jesus, and that He was in no way coming to subvert any ruling nation or political power.

As Jesus had clearly told Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world...”

And Pilate himself recognised that there was no basis for a charge against Jesus.

And with all of his (earthly) power and authority as a Roman governor, he could very easily have had Jesus released; in fact he should have had Jesus released.

But because of his own lust for power, and him rather giving in to the desires of the crowds around him, and not wanting to upset the crowds, agrees to have Jesus crucified; not because Jesus was guilty of anything, but for political expediency.

In verse 15, we read that Pilate hands Jesus over to be flogged and crucified.

Flogging

It was a normal practice that when a prisoner was sentenced to death by crucifixion, they would first be flogged.

This Roman flogging that is spoken of here was carried out by making use of a short wooden handle to which several thongs were attached, the ends equipped with pieces of lead or brass and with sharply pointed bits of bone.

Two Roman soldiers would stand, one on either side of the victim, and whip them across their bare backs, causing severe lacerations, and even causing the flesh to rip apart.

Often, such scourging would itself result in the death of the victim.

This scourging in and of itself was an immensely painful experience.

All of this infliction of pain, and all of the mockery that would follow and accompany the crucifixion of Christ, was a necessary and vital part of what would be required for you and I to be healed of our own sinfulness before a Holy God!

The inflicting of pain was only another marker in the road of Christ’s suffering.

But we must realise that besides merely the suffering and pain, which in itself was bad (particularly considering the sinless nature and conduct of the Saviour) there was also a gross contempt for Christ, and mockery of Him.

With this in mind...

We turn our attention now this morning to these verses of Scripture, beginning in verse 16, we’re going to look at it under the two broad headings:

The mockery of the King (v. 16-20), and

The Crucifixion of the King (v. 21-32)

As we consider these texts, there will be various sub-points under each, and really I want us to take note of the important emphases that Mark gives us as he masterfully outlines the details of what happened to our Lord.

1) Mockery of the King

Let us turn our attention then to the first major point, and that is the Mockery of the King.

1.1) The mockers (16)

And as we do that, the first thing we consider from our text is “The Mockers” themselves.

In verse 16 we read:

Mark 15:16 NIV84

16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers.

The soldiers that are spoken of here had been present since the arrest of Jesus.

There was a company of Roman soldiers that had been part of the arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane, and these Roman soldiers followed the progression of Jesus as He was led around from one place to the other.

When Isaiah 53:7 spoke of Jesus being led like a lamb to the slaughter, that was a very apt description - He allowed Himself to be led around by these soldiers and others from one place to the next as they sought a way to have Him put to death.

Indeed, the almighty and powerful Son of God allowed Himself, submitted Himself to being led around like a helpless lamb, despite His power.

But these Roman soldiers are the ones who now take Jesus and begin to heap abusive mockery on Him.

They take Jesus into Herod’s palace, which is where Pilate had been staying as the Passover feast was upon them, and they there called together the entire company of soldiers.

This company of soldiers was equivalent to a group of soldiers numbering 600 soldiers.

And these soldiers are called together with the express purpose of watching as pain is inflicted upon Jesus, and then joining in together at making a mockery of Jesus.

That is the reason that they are there - simply to mock this man.

1.2) The Attire (17)

Further from our text, we notice the attire with which these mockers then clothe Jesus.

In verse 17 we read...

Mark 15:17 NIV84

17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.

A purple robe in that day was a symbol of royalty, the colour that was worn by a King.

And so these soldiers dress Jesus up in this “kingly robe”.

Not only that, but they formed a crown of thorns, and drove this crown of thorns onto Jesus head.

In Genesis 3:18, we read that when God cursed Adam, part of the curse was that the ground would bring forth thorns and thistles for him as he laboured and toiled on the earth.

With this “crown” the soldiers unwittingly pictured God’s curse on sinful humanity being thrust upon the brow Jesus.

They take this mock crown, and press it down onto Jesus’ head, where the thorns would have pierced the skin.

What the soldiers have now done is that they have dressed Jesus up as a King.

They are saying to Jesus: “You want to claim royalty, then we’ll give you the royal treatment.”

Not only has Christ been beaten and scourged, but he now is mockingly dressed in a purple robe, and has a crown of thorns placed on His head.

1.3) The Insults (18-19)

But to add to Christ’s injuries, the mockers throw in insults, both through their words, and through their actions.

Verse 18 says:

Mark 15:18 NIV84

18 And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”

Here was nothing less than unbridled mockery of Jesus.

I think we all know what it is like to be mocked and belittled by others.

Many of us have had words that have pierced our own lives as other people have insulted us and attacked our characters.

Perhaps there are those here today have even gone to the extent of developing self-defense mechanisms in order to cope with the pain that is felt as a result of insults and mockery of our character.

We all know what it is like when those reckless words pierce us.

Christ would have endured this mockery from the soldiers knowing that He was innocent of any transgression of the law of God, and knowing that He had the power available to Him at any moment to call down legions of angels to deal with the soldiers in a just and fair manner.

If Jesus wanted justice, then justice He could give - by putting to death those mocking soldiers as they hurled their insults at Him.

That would have been just.

So often we cry out for justice, and when people speak any kind of harsh or mocking word against us, all we can think of is that we want justice and retribution for the wrongs done against us.

But Christ knew that if justice was truly carried out in this moment, then there would never be a saved people.

And so, He remains silent, allowing them to continue the mockery and the hatred; words pouring out that insult His character and His mission.

In verse 19, we read further...

Mark 15:19 NIV84

19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.

They beat Jesus.

They flog Jesus.

They spit on Jesus.

Here is one man, surrounded by hundreds of soldiers, being beaten - struck on his head by a staff.

And then they fall on their knees as a mock act of worship to Him.

Their usual cry was “Hail Caesar” - but now they mockingly call out “Hail Jesus, King of the Jews.”

In all this they acted out of contempt not only for Jesus personally but for their subject nation - the Jewish people - which had long desired a king of its own.

Here was a blasphemous mockery of God through these soldiers.

The Roman soldiers honestly believed that this Jesus was laughable.

“Do you really think that you’re a king?”

“What kind of king are you, that you cannot even put up a fight?”

“What kind of king are you, that you do not even have a single soldier or follower that you’re ruling over?”

1.4) Preparation for crucifixion

Having gone through this long process of mockery and beating Jesus, we read in verse 20:

Mark 15:20 NIV84

20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

The soldiers have had their fun as they’ve mocked Jesus, and now they take off the purple cloak, and put his own clothes on.

By this time his body would have been severely mauled

Blood would have been pouring out from Him, staining His clothes.

Notice that in all this time, there is not a single recorded word of Jesus.

He endures the suffering and the shame.

He endures the mockery.

Then they lead Jesus out to the place where He will be crucified.

According to John 19:23, this team that lead Jesus out consisted of just 4 of the Roman soldiers, although others may have been present.

But this group of four soldiers now leads Jesus out to be crucified in one of the most horrendous forms of killing that the world has ever seen - by crucifixion.

2) Crucifixion of the King

And so this brings us to our second major point of consideration, and that is the Crucifixion of the King.

And again, we will just consider this under a number of sub-headings as we move through these verses.

The time (25)

Fifthly, we are given the time of this crucifixion.

Mark 15:25 NIV84

25 It was the third hour when they crucified him.

In Mark’s use of the hours, this referred to 9am in the morning.

You will recall that the trial of Jesus before Pilate was at some time around the first light of day, maybe just before 6am.

It has been little over 3 hours since his trial began, which time allowed for Him to be handed over for flogging and his mocking.

And so at around 9 in the morning, Jesus is lifted up on the cross.

The place of Suffering (22)

We’ve considered the time of the crucifixion, but next we look at the place of the crucifixion.

Mark 15:22 NIV84

22 They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).

The reason that this place was called Golgotha (place of the skull) is probably because the place had an appearance of a skull.

There was a mound (it wasn’t so much a hill or mountain, but rather an elevated mound) that looked like a skull, and this is where the name came from.

We also often hear of the place where Jesus being crucified as being Calvary.

There is no contradiction here.

The difference in name essentially derives from the transition of words between languages - Aramaic, Greek and Latin.

But in essence, they all refer to the skull.

2.1) The Carrier of the Cross of Jesus (21)

With those details concerning the Time and the Place of the crucifixion, I’d like us to consider seven further details that Mark outlines for us.

The first detail then, as we consider the crucifixion, is the carrier of the cross of Jesus.

Mark 15:21 NIV84

21 A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.

The usual way in which a crucifixion would have worked would be that the condemned man carried the cross-beam of his own cross, which weighed about 45 kg.

The condemned person would carry this cross-beam through the city streets out to the place of crucifixion.

Jesus started to carry His own cross beam, but so severe were the beatings and flogging inflicted on Him, and so weak was He already by this point, that His strength gave out somewhere near the city gate, and He simply was unable to carry the cross any further.

But as His strength failed Him, there was a man named Simon walking past, and they grab him and tell him to take the cross.

With the way in which Mark portrays this account, and the name of the man who was made to carry the cross, it is evident that Simon and his family were known both to Mark and to the Roman audience to whom Mark was writing.

Mark specifies the Simon to whom he refers by giving the names of his sons - Alexander and Rufus.

In Romans 16:13, Paul says to the Roman believers that they should greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord.

It may very well be that this was the Rufus that was the son of Simon, which would indicate an intimate knowledge of the family by the Roman audience to whom Mark writes.

But this Simon is the one that is then made to carry the cross of Jesus.

2.2) The Concoction Offered to Jesus (23)

Secondly, we should note the concoction that was offered to Jesus.

Before the soldiers proceeded to place Christ on the cross, they offered him a drink.

Mark 15:23 NIV84

23 Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.

According to Rabbinic tradition certain Jerusalem women provided sedative drinks for those who were about to be crucified, to decrease their pain.

Even Proverbs 31:6-7 says...

Proverbs 31:6–7 NIV84

6 Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish; 7 let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.

Clearly the idea of strong drink as a kind of escape mechanism is nothing new to our day.

In fact, Historians tell us that the Jews requested that this drink be offered based on this very Proverb.

The wine would therefore be a way to stop numb the pain somewhat.

Myrrh referred to the sap of a plant which had analgesic properties.

These two combined would then be an effective way to stop the severe pain of the person being crucified.

To at least show some kind of sympathy and human-kindness to a person suffering so terribly.

Here was an offer presented to Jesus as a way of numbing the pain, or putting Himself into a state where the suffering would not be experienced so fully.

Remember that already Jesus was so battered, with flesh torn, that he would have already been in immense pain.

To now hang on a cross, with nails driven

Most people being crucified would probably have accepted this… But Jesus did not take it.

Jesus was there for a purpose, and that purpose was the salvation of our souls.

Jesus was not in any way going to compromise the mission that He was on!

The most likely reason that Jesus rejected this drink was that he wanted his mind to be clear when he spoke from the cross and because he wished to endure to the full the pain that was in store for him, in order to be his people’s perfect Substitute! (William Hendriksen).

2.3) The Clothes of Jesus Divided (24)

Thirdly, notice the clothes divided.

Mark 15:24 NIV84

24 And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.

As they crucify the Saviour, He is stripped of all of His garments (apart from perhaps a loin cloth), and these garments are left down below with the soldiers.

And the soldiers then cast lots in order to determine who gets which clothes of Jesus Christ.

The clothes would have been Christ’s headgear, sandals, belt and outer garment.

This casting of lots is the fulfillment of that wonderful Messianic Psalm 22, where it says in verse 18...

Psalm 22:18 NIV84

18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

2.4) The Charge against Jesus (26)

The Fourth detail that Mark records is the charge that is levelled against Jesus.

Mark 15:26 NIV84

26 The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.

You will recall that the chief priests and religious leaders had found Jesus guilty of blasphemy, but the charge that they’d brought before Pilate was (inter alia) that Jesus was the king of the Jews.

And indeed, Jesus was a King like no other, descended from the line of David.

Jesus was the one who would sit on David’s throne forever - this was the Messiah that the Jewish people were looking forward to.

Remember when Jesus was born, the wise men arrived in Jerusalem, looking for the baby Jesus, and as they did that, they said:

Matthew 2:2 NIV84

2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard that question, he became fearful of this new imposter “king” that was coming, and wanted Jesus put to death!

So it was that Jesus’ life was threatened from birth, till its end, with the idea that He was the King of the Jews.

Rulers and leaders were utterly opposed to Jesus from the beginning of his life, till its end.

But we must realise that Pilate hardly had Jesus crucified because he was fearful of this so-called king.

But nonetheless, here is the charge that is written against Jesus.

It’s interesting that this title and this charge that was written about Christ upset the Chief Priests.

In John 19:21-22, we read...

John 19:21–22 NIV84

21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

Even the Jews were upset with Pilate that He wrote “King of the Jews”

The Chief Priests certainly didn’t see Jesus as the one who was truly the King of the Jews.

They merely saw Him as one who claimed to be King of the Jews.

2.5) The Criminals Crucified with Jesus (27)

The Fifth detail that we note from our passage is the fact that Mark describes the criminals that are hung along with Jesus.

Mark 15:27 NIV84

27 They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.

These robbers may have been convicted of treason at the same time as Jesus because they were familiar with His case (Luke 23:40–42). Unwittingly Pilate’s action fulfilled Isaiah 53:12, where Isaiah says that Jesus was “numbered with the transgressors.”

It is a great injustice that Jesus, a man entirely innocent, is hung between two criminals, as if he too were a criminal.

And yet, in another strange sense, did not Christ Christ came in order to identify even with the worst of sinners?

Christ Himself identified with tax collectors and sinners.

Christ Himself was labeled a drunkard, because he spent time with those drank.

Christ Himself was labeled a glutton, because he attended feasts.

And so here, Christ hangs beside common criminals, He Himself being labeled an insurrectionist.

And yet it was for such that Christ entered into the world to save.

It was even one of these who asked Jesus to remember him when Jesus entered into His kingdom.

And Christ assured him: Today, you will be with me in paradise.

Christ came to take the place of even the worst of sinners… this was the work that He came to do.

How thankful are we that our sins, even our sins, are taken upon this man Jesus if we trust in Him?!

2.6) The Crowds Passing by Jesus (29-30)

The Sixth detail that Mark outlines is concerning the crowds passing by Jesus.

There are those who are now passing by the cross as Jesus hangs there, and they also mock Jesus and speak evil against him.

It is a shameful picture to think that the one who lived His very life in humble servanthood for these people is now mocked and scorned by them.

AS they walked by, verse 29 tells us that they shook their heads at Jesus - a picture of scorn and mockery.

This again was a fulfillment of the prophetic Psalm 22:7...

Psalm 22:7 NIV84

7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

Furthermore, they not only hurl their insults at him, and shake their heads scornfully, but they mock Him, and put Him to the test, saying “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!”

Here was a test leveled against Jesus.

He had done countless miracles. Everyone knew of the miracles.

He had fed thousands upon thousands of people with little food available.

He had driven out demons, in full public view.

The knowledge of the miracles of Jesus had spread far and wide, such that even Herod had wanted to see Jesus perform some miracle.

Their mockery was based not on the fact that Jesus could not perform mighty works, but rather due to a refusal on the part of these people to acknowledge that indeed, Jesus was the Messiah.

It was pure hardness of heart that stopped these people from believing.

2.7) The Clergy mocking Jesus (31-32)

The seventh and final detail that Mark records for us here concerns the clergy (or the priesthood).

The chief priests were present at this crucifixion.

In the moment, they have an air of superiority.

As they speak to one another, they too mock Jesus, thinking to themselves that they have now finally gotten this Jesus to go to his death.

They think that they are finally rid of this menace.

They too put the test to Jesus:

“He saved others...but he can’t save himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”

They think that they have power over Jesus.

They think that they have this handle over Jesus, and that He is helpless, and subject to their commands and instructions and desires.

They believe that they are powerful, and that they are in control of the situation.

Such is the delusion of the world who hates Christ.

They will mock Jesus, and say that He does not have power over them, or that He doesn’t have any power whatsoever.

But how foolish are the hearts of men, who cannot perceive the ways of God, and the ways He chooses to work.

At all times in this event, Jesus and God were fully in control of every aspect and detail.

Christ had the power at that very moment to change things as He pleased.

But, this happened because it was according to the will of God that things should so unfold

These events didn’t happen by chance, or because this is what man decided must happen.

They happened, because before the foundation of the world, God determined to send His own Son into the world to save sinners.

Application and Conclusion

These events, as I said in my introduction should lead us to a place of deep worship of God, as we humbly recognise the shame, the pain and the mockery that Jesus endured in order that we might be called children of God.

Just some basic points of application.

A.1. Love Christ Your Saviour

The price paid for you is immense.

The suffering endured by Christ has been done on your behalf, if you come to Christ...

John 3:16–21 NIV84

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

Come to Christ the Saviour.

Love Christ your Saviour.

A.2. Suffer with Endurance

One of the distinct things that we can learn through this account is the long-suffering nature of Jesus.

If any of us had such power available to us, we may very well have been tempted to put it into immediate use.

Think about James and John, who immediately wanted to call down fire from heaven when the Samaritan town refused to host them while they traveled to Jerusalem.

At such a trivial matter, due to the mere fact that these people offended them by refusing them a place to stay, these disciples of Jesus were prepared to and desirous to call down fire from heaven and destroy those people.

Not so the Son of God.

He endured the suffering and the shame in the extreme, and for a prolonged and drawn out period, because Christ knew what lay ahead.

Hebrews 12:2 NIV84

2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

And so we must fix our eyes on Jesus, and we must live in this world as obedient followers of Jesus Christ, even when that shame and that abuse are heaped upon us because of our sincere love for Jesus.

1 Peter 2:19–20 NIV84

19 For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.

A.3. Follow Christ’s Example of Love for Others

Christ’s example is one of deep love for others - for those who were in essence unlovable.... That’s you and I!

But Christ loved us, and as He loved us, so we are called to love others.

I read a very moving article this past week, that was penned by the son of a woman who showed deep love for another, even though that love was undeserved.

Summary of the account...

Lady was married, and they had four sons

The lady, originally from Ireland, moved with her husband to Australia.

When there, the husband left his wife, and got involved with another woman, committed adultery.

He essentially left his wife destitute, and thousands of kilometers away from the comfort of her homeland.

Not only that, but one day when she was at church, he came in, and essentially cleared out the house of most goods.

She was left with nothing, abandoned by someone who ought to have protected her and provided for her.

The son writing the article notes that having been totally abandoned, there was one thing that his mom did: She prayed for him. Every day.

In explaining to her sons why she did this, her words were: “If something should ever happen to him...” knowing that some day something would.

The account goes on to detail how the relationship between the sons, and this man’s new wife, grew and was amenable.

They would keep contact with the dad.

But one day, the communication stopped - they were unable to get hold of the father.

They knew something was wrong, and it was… the father had abandoned his second wife, much like he had his first, but this time by himself, with no one.

Still, this man’s mother continued to pray for her former husband, with no apparent bitterness or hatred.

Then one day, about 20 years later, it was his mom’s 60th birthday, and they were having a party for her at their house.

She phoned and asked if she could bring someone with her.

And when he asked “who?” she said it was his dad.

The dad had phoned her to reconcile, and she said: “I’ve always prayed for this day to come.”

It would obviously be a difficult thing for this dad to get back to his family, getting back to church, back to some old friends who would embrace him.

But over the years, this man, now getting old, had his health begin to fail, and eventually got dementia - a dementia known as Lewy Body Dementia, which is rapid and leads to a complete breakdown of the body and the mind.

Very quickly the dad went from a walking stick, to a walking frame, to a wheelchair, to a bed chair, and finally to completely bedridden, unable to move, speak, feed or clean himself.

His wife, the writer’s mom, would continue to visit him in the care ward, constantly bringing him nice things, reading to him, and praying with him.

The son wrote of the terrible smell that would be in such a room, a mix of antiseptic cleaners and bodily excrements.

One day the son walked into the room, and this smell hit him, and there he saw his mom, on her hands and knees on the floor, cleaning up a mess.

His dad had soiled himself, and the adult diaper had not worked effectively, and there was now this mess on the floor, that his mom was now cleaning.

The son writes, as he considers this scene that he was confronted with:

“It still blows me away to think about. Tears still come when I think about that. It’s just such a huge thing.

Yes it is huge. But how much more then, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ who, looking down at us lying there helpless, dying and wallowing in our [our own mess], held up his hand and said “I’ve got this. I’ve got this.”

It’s that grace of Jesus, and that grace of Jesus alone, that softened mum’s heart down the years to pray for dad. And it was grace, and grace alone, that saw a broken, but still beautiful reunion between them in their later years.

Perhaps you’re hurt and broken because of the actions of someone you loved; actions that have, like a stone in a pond, caused bitter ripples to spread out in ever increasing circles. Or perhaps you’re the person who broke someone, and like my dad, you see those ripples and you know, technically you can be forgiven, but you cannot forgive yourself.

Whatever it is, let me assure you that there’s truly something amazing about God’s grace in Jesus. Something amazing about God in Christ stooping down to us. Amazing enough to melt your heart. And in my mum’s costly forgiveness and years of prayer for my dad, I’ve been able to see that grace. And perhaps it’s pulled me away from being as graceless as I could have been.” [https://stephenmcalpine.com/the-day-jesus-said-ive-got-this/]

Friends, the grace of God is truly profound, not only in what that grace has done in order to reconcile us to God, but what that grace does in our hearts and lives such that we can love others in such a way.

Let us all be moved to love others deeply and with great affection and appreciation, because we recognise the great love that has been shown to us.

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