March 11 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

John 19:1–6

Devotional

Pilate unknowingly spoke a vital truth when he said, “Behold the man.” When Pilate says this of Jesus, his intent is to mock Him who claims to be God, the King of the Jews. After beating Jesus, the soldiers dressed Jesus up in a so-called royal robe, put a royal crown upon His head, and placed a scepter in His hand. The soldiers could easily do that, for now none are left who want to help Him. They gave Him a fake purple robe to let Him be a king of derision to amuse rough soldiers. He who truly was the King of kings, stood alone with a garment of mockery covering His scourged body.

The soldiers pressed a crown of thorns on His head and trickles of blood ran down His face. It was the same face that shone with heavenly glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. The soldiers set a reed in His hand. It was a weak reed that could be broken with one hand. The heavenly scepter of the King of kings could cause all people to perish.

“Behold the man.” Yes, Pilate, that is the man, the man under judgment, the man under the curse, and the man because of sin. God made man to be king in Paradise, clothed in the perfect garment of righteousness, but because of Adam’s sin man now stands before God as a deposed king in a filthy garment. The fact that man still imagines that he is king makes him even more ridiculous and absurd.

God crowned man with glory. The crown is desecrated and thrown to the ground. There are bitter consequences for sin. Man exchanges his crown of glory for a crown of thorns that ridicules the head of king “me.” Instead of placing our glory at the feet of Jesus, we present thorns before God. And in sorrow, we then must be cast into eternal punishment.

As fallen man we also have a reed in our hand. We hold on to something for support. We all seek support in our own virtues. The Pharisee leans on his obedience to the law. The publican excuses himself that at least he is not as hypocritical as the Pharisee. But whatever we lean on is only a broken reed. It is ludicrous to expect support from such weak things.

“Behold the man.” Behold what you once were and what you have become. Ask for the light of the Holy Spirit to guide you in your examination. Truly you can see yourself standing here. Then it was not the soldiers who dressed up Christ, but then it is you who made this crown, who dressed Him in that garment and gave Him that reed.

But who will now be able to express the love of Christ as Surety that God allows all this to happen to Him? He could have done so differently. He could have caused fire to descend from heaven, but He concealed His majesty behind His humanity. The soldiers rejected Jesus. You and I rejected Jesus. Above all Jesus was rejected by His heavenly Father. An angry God poured out His wrath.

Oh, sinner, is that not enough? Behold the man, Jesus. He willingly suffered the punishments of men and the wrath of the Father. God turned His back on the Son and the Son, in grace and love, died for those who were worthy of damnation. Look away from self. Let your self-made garments, crowns, and scepters be thrown out, for God the Father does not want them. But the man Jesus is willing to have them. That is why He willingly took on shame before God and man. He is still willing to exchange with one who is worthy of damnation.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.