On Account of Us

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

ON ACCOUNT OF US

Matt 27:26-31

26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. 27 Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

NIV

This is the most difficult portion of the gospel message to consider as this is the record of what Jesus had to suffer on account of our sin. Matthew gives us some grace here by not describing in full detail every blow and the lashing with the whip. It was or is by his stripes from the whip that we are healed. Isaiah makes that very clear.

Isa 53:5

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

NIV

We would have to include the complete 53^rd chapter of Isaiah to see all the story foretold, but for now, this is the portion that strikes the heart of the issue. Jesus had to suffer all this because of our sin, although not just ours but the sin of every person who has ever lived and will ever live until the time God has determined the end will come. However, because we make this personal by the fact that we have to personally accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and we cannot do that for anyone else but ourselves, we then have to take the fault personally for the suffering that Jesus had to endure and then be led away to be crucified. The humiliation he had to endure ho his own cross through the streets of Jerusalem had to be horrific to be seen as a common criminal. Although we would also have to believe many in the crowded streets were his followers crying and weeping because their teacher, their Messiah was going to die. Even though he told his disciples that he would rise again, that did not make this moment any better for them or for the mother of Jesus, or the other women who traveled with them. Sometimes we forget how terrible this was, yet at the same time, we do call this day of his crucifixion “Good Friday” because what Jesus did that day brought us eternal life. On that day, on the cross, Jesus redeemed us, reconciled us to God, and restored us to our rightful place in the kingdom of heaven. Still, it was though much suffering and pain all on the account of our sin.