Well, in the previous study, we looked at "The Rule of The King," the King of kings, this "kingdom not of this world." John 19 turns us to "The Love of the King" in a sad, horrible, dramatic way. This is John 19.
Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him with a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again and said to them, "See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him." So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold the man!" When the chief priests and officers saw him, they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!"
Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" They cried out, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.
You and I must never let ourselves grow so familiar with what Jesus was willing to suffer for our eternal forgiveness and reconciliation and restoration, that we lose the shock and sadness along with gratitude. We should never ever take for granted the extent of the love of the King of kings for us. And there are few passages in Scripture that more powerfully demonstrate the extent of this love than the passage I just read.
Remember, the man standing before Pilate was the God-Man, fully human and fully divine. Before Pilate is the King of kings, the sovereign Lord of the universe, the Creator himself. Now think about this. That means that Pilate had no power over Jesus but the power that Jesus granted to him. As Jesus was being tortured, a crown of thorns jammed into his skull, blood running down his face, slapped in the face, mocked for his position. Hear what I am about to say, "He was giving life and breath to his torturers," totally in control of his creation. We know this, we know from the turning of water into wine, that he was in charge of every molecule of the created world because he was both man and God.
Jesus could have stopped the torture at any moment. He could have called a legion of angels down to defend him. He could have ended the life of Pilate. He could have ended the life of the chief priests. He could have ended the lives of the Pharisees. He could have ended the lives of the Roman soldiers, with a thought. Jesus had the power to stop this travesty of injustice and torture, and he could have preserved his life, but he didn't. Why would the most powerful person who ever walked on earth allow himself to be treated this way?
There's only one answer. Because of the depth and zeal of his redeeming love for you and me. You see, Jesus knew what his job description was. It's there all over the Old Testament. He would be despised and rejected. He would be mocked and mistreated. He would die for sins that were not his own. And his love was so deep and powerful, he was willing. This passage is a powerful argument for the extent and depth of the love of Jesus for his own!
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. When you think about the fact that Jesus could have ended the injustice and torture he didn't deserve but willingly received, in what ways does that increase your affections for him? Knowing that he willingly went through that for you specifically, does it change the way you think about and process this familiar piece of Scripture? If so, in what ways?
2. Why is Jesus' willing endurance of torture proof of his love for you? Why is his rejection ultimately your status of acceptance? Why is Jesus' death your passport to life? Why is the mockery and mistreatment of Jesus over 2,000 years ago evidence of his love for you today?
3. What can the fact that Jesus was in total control of his creation during his torture and crucifixion teach you about the difficult trials and circumstances you endure in the present? If you are suffering and/or enduring hardship right now, how can the truth of this part of Jesus' life bring you comfort and peace even though life might feel completely chaotic?
4. If God used the saddest moment in history (the torture, mockery, and crucifixion of Jesus) and turned it into the greatest moment in history for you, what can that tell you about how the Lord is able to work in your life's torturous moments?
Conversation Prompts to Use with Children
For Younger Children:
• How do you know if someone loves you? What are some of the ways that I show you that I love you?
• How does God show his love for us? What does the mistreatment and killing of Jesus have to do with God's love for you?
For Older Children:
• What are a few ways that you show love to family and friends? How have you seen someone show love in a way that you thought was powerful?
• How can we know that God loves us? What does the torture and murder of Jesus over 2,000 years ago have to do with his love for you right here, right now?
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