Mark 15:16-20 - The Soldiers Mock Jesus

Mark 15:16-20
16 The soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they *called together the whole Roman cohort. 17 They *dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; 18 and they began to acclaim Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 They kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him. 20 After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they *led Him out to crucify Him.

Message: The Soldiers Mock Jesus

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface - Jesus has been seized on Thursday evening, then taken back and witnesses came but then Caiaphas question Jesus and he admitted he was the Messiah, the Son of God and would sit at the right hand of God. Caiaphas took this as blasphemy and wanted him to die. The people spat on him and beat him. They turned him over to Pilate for Roman authority carried out capital punishment. Pilate questioned him about being King of the Jews and he admitted it. There was an opportunity to pardon someone but the Jewish people wanted Barabbas, a man who revolted against Roman authority pardoned, and despite questions by Pilate of what should come of Jesus, the people responded in the same way the chief priests responded - Crucify Him.

In the scripture, when God deals with a people it is often through Gentiles. The Gentiles became instruments of God to deal with the sins of people - their turning their back on God or serving other God's. He used his chosen people's enemies to bring about judgment on His chosen people. However, these Gentiles were not aware of this, they were all acting for their own reasons. And though each was responsible they were also serving the role of God. God works all things together is what Romans 8:28 says. The sovereign Lord of history uses people for His purposes. It is for his good that often doesn't feel like good. And present day people don't understand this when our highest good is comfort, safety, personal enjoyment and being entertained. We are a people that not only hate to feel bad, but everything in our lives is about making sure nothing hurts. Tolerance is preached from the mountain tops which means we are never to have a hard day and never to pass judgment on anyone.

In this moment with Jesus he is being dealt a blow by his enemies at the time. The Jewish leaders were threatened by Him, not because He was was right, but because he was different. And their authority in that day was being threatened. And they wanted him to die. And they got the people to think the same thing and form a mob. They were responsible, but Jesus also predicted his death. Jesus was to die. He knew it. He prayed I think that he would have the strength, the human strength to go through with it.

He was a man without sin. Did he deserve this? No. But his purpose was carrying out and showing God's wrath for human sin. The Lamb must be slaughtered. God preached substitution atonement. Each person is responsible for their own sin but each person is incapable of enduring the wrath for their own sin. They need a substitute. The world cries out that each person is to "do the best they can" but God says "no one is worthy."

Today, I look at Jesus being mocked. In verse 15, Jesus has been scourged. But now in addition to being beaten in different ways -  twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him - they took a crown of thorns that when we touch a thorn in the garden we put on special gloves to prevent those thorns from pricking our hand because we hate that pain. We hate pain. And Jesus had a crown of thorns placed on His head. Every time he moved a thorn would jab him. Every time someone beat him it would press against his head. I hate thorns. I hate the stinging pain. He had a crown of thorns. What pain he experienced. They kept beating His head with a reed. While the crown of thorns was on his head, the reed was a scepter or instrument that inflicted more pain on him. Again, the reed would hit his head and drive those thorns into his temple. I'm not sure of the makeup of this reed. But, it was used to inflict more pain.

There was spitting on Him. They spit on his face. It was demeaning. And they kneeling and bowing before Him, so they mocked Him. They took his dignity away. O how we hate to have our dignity threatened. Many people spend years dealing through the pain of words.

Summary - Jesus has already been scourged to the point of death, but now he receives a crown of thorns and continued pain is inflicted on him as those thorns continue to prick his head and then he is mocked and spit on and mocked some more. Jesus takes all this pain. He stands their silent. He does not run. He does not try to get away. He accepts it.

Promise: The Lord endures suffering for me. What I am learning day by day to hate more than anything in this life is unease, discomfort, pain, feeling bad -- Jesus endured these things for me. He took the punishment and the pain.

Prayer: O Lord, I am so weak. I am getting trained in this world each day in the wrong way. Lord, I am to toil for you. I am to work hard. Yet Lord, my greatest goal is to protect myself from this to the point that I feel like many times I have graduated from pain. I just want things to be fixed. Lord Jesus thank you for taking my pain. I hate thorns and I protect myself against them but for you there was no protection. You took all the pain. Lord, my words of thanks will never be good enough, but help me to know that I can live my life in a better way. I can submit and surrender to You and give it my all each day to toil for you. Forgive me for looking for the easy road, the road of comfort and ease. Help me instead to surrender to You and accept what You provide. Make me withstand this in life.