Matthew the apostle wrote how Pilate the governor, “released Barabbas unto” the multitude of Jewish people, “and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 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”, and in chapter twenty-seven and verse thirty-one of his book, Matthew wrote how the soldiers, “took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him” where we read:
And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him,
and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
The verse reads, “And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, ...” Matthew began words, “and after they had mocked him” which means “and when or as soon as the soldiers played with, trifled, jeered and derided Jesus”, “they took the robe off from him” or “the soldiers lay hold of the scarlet outer garment they put upon Jesus and disrobed Him”. Matthew shared how the “soldiers” continued to abuse Jesus as they stripped Him of the “scarlet robe” they placed upon Him.
The verse goes on to say, “... and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.” Matthew continued with the words, “and put his own raiment on him” or “and the soldiers put Jesus' own clothing upon Him”, “and led him away” which means “and carried Jesus away” “to crucify him” or “to palisade, fortify with driven stakes and hang Jesus upon a cross”. Matthew shared how Pilate's soldiers put His own clothes back on Him and took Him away to be “hung on a cross” till He died.
When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see how the soldiers of Pilate continued taunting and torturing Jesus. After a season of this, they took Jesus away to be “crucified” upon a cross. We cannot even begin imagine how horribly these “soldiers” treated Jesus, and He endured these horrific things so people could have a personal relationship with His Heavenly Father, God. Without Jesus' sufferings, He would not have fulfilled the prophesy of Isaiah where it says, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (See Isaiah 53:5) All this was endured for you and me, and now we are to believe and trust in Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”. May all who read these words carefully consider all Jesus did for them and yield their lives to the only true Christ, Messiah and Lord – Jesus.
Next time Matthew wrote how the governor's soldiers, “found a man of Cyrene” and they “compelled” him “to bear his cross”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
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; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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