The Trials of Jesus

When reflecting on Jesus' crucifixion, many are brought to tears and feel shame, knowing that they are part of the reason it ever happened. I want to take a deeper look into the trials and tribulations Jesus endured, all for our sake, starting with the kiss of betrayal.

The Kiss of Betrayal. Jesus' friend, someone He chose as an apostle, betrayed Him for something as worthless as money. He didn't just point Him out to the guards either – he kissed Him on the cheek, something that seems very similar to a slap in the face. He took a kiss – something that is a sign of love and affection – and used it to betray the love Jesus offered him. How much worse it must have been for Jesus to know that His friend hung himself in the end.

Omniscience. Jesus must have felt so much fear, knowing His death would come and how it would happen, before anyone had ever even convicted or betrayed Him. Being fully God and fully man, He had to live with the knowledge that He would be crucified. While praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus sweated blood, probably due to His extreme fear.

His Friends Fell Asleep When He Needed Them. Jesus was scared of dying, and He wanted His friends to keep watch while He prayed. But they fell asleep when He needed them. Jesus knew that they were trying to stay awake, but were just too tired. To just imagine how Jesus must have felt, knowing He was about to be arrested and killed and that His friends had no idea... If they had known, surely they could have forced themselves to stay awake. But Jesus accepted that they were human, and as such, had human weaknesses. So, once again, Jesus was merciful and understanding when He could have easily gotten angry. But still, it must have hurt Him to know that His friends weren't mentally there when He needed them.

Peter Denied Jesus x3. Even after assuring Jesus that he would never deny Jesus, he denied Him anyway out of fear for his own life. Peter knew that Jesus was being killed and was afraid if he admitted to being one of Jesus' followers, he too would be killed. And so he chose the safer, easier route: he denied Jesus, claiming that he was not one of the twelve.

Unfairly Judged. Although Pontius Pilate found Jesus not guilty and clearly did not want Him crucified, he was not brave enough to go against the people's wishes. So, although Jesus did nothing deserving of punishment, let alone the death penalty, he was sentenced to death anyway. Not only that, but a criminal was set free rather than Jesus. Let that soak in for a moment. The people He was going to die to save chose to set a murderer free rather than Him.

Crown of Thorns. Jesus was crowned with thorns, no doubt as a form of mockery. Not only was it a crown of humiliation, but it also brought him extra pain – something that can serve as a reminder of the hurt He must have been holding inside, bleeding forth.

Spit On. Jesus was spit on as He carried the very cross He would be nailed to. Not only is this gross, but it is also degrading and insulting. Over and over I ask myself why God thought we were worthy of such a sacrifice. The answer is simple: we're not. Even though we don't and never did deserve a second chance, the Father sent His only Son to die so that we could have not only a second chance, but a third chance, and a fourth, and a fifth...

Watching His Mother and Loved Ones Cry. Have you ever tried to imagine what it must feel like to go home to your family and tell them that you are dying? Not only would you have to face and endure your own fear, but you would have to try to act strong as you saw the people you love the most lose a piece of themselves. And Jesus had to look down at His mother from the cross, while in pain and torment, and watch her fight her inner battle of losing her only Son. His heart must have broken for her, knowing that she probably didn't understand how everything would turn out for the better in the end (although she trusted in God's goodness and knew everything would happen as God planned).

Humiliation. Jesus, a man who was (and is) the definition of purity, was stripped of his garments for the entire crowd watching to see as He hung from a cross in plain view.

Nails in Hands and Feet. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to have laid down on a cross made out of wood while someone nailed me there. It sounds like something from a horror story. And yet Jesus endured this willingly for our sake.

Suffocation. Part of the horror of crucifixion is that once the person is nailed to the cross and lifted into the air, he has to pull his body up (putting pressure on their nailed hands and feet) in order to get air. Crucifixion is really a death sentence of suffocation. Eventually the person being crucified won't be strong enough to pull himself up for air anymore. And then he would die. Horribly, some people didn't die fast enough for the soldiers' liking, so they would break leg bones so that they could no longer lift themselves up for air. Fortunately, Jesus did not to have to bear the soldiers breaking His legs – He had already died by the time they had considered doing so. (“He watches over all his bones; not one of them shall be broken.” -Psalm 34:21).

Insulted by a Criminal. Jesus, sinless and crimeless, was crucified beside two criminals. One asked Jesus' forgiveness, which Jesus willingly gave. The other demanded that Jesus save them and prove Himself (“Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “'Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.'” - Luke 23:39). He should have followed the other criminal's example, asking for forgiveness, but instead he criticized Jesus. (We should all learn something from him. We may not always understand God's way, but God's way is always best).

Beaten While He Was Down. Jesus was whipped – something that was excruciatingly painful – and then expected to carry a heavy cross that would be used for His own crucifixion. And when He fell, He was beaten, which would only make it harder for Him to stand back up.

Asked God to Forgive His Murderers. '“Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.'”- Luke 23:34. Even after all they had done to Him, Jesus asked God to have mercy on His killers. If that isn't love, I don't know what is.

Chose Death. Jesus chose to die. He could have saved Himself anytime during His crucifixion or He could have prevented it from ever happening in the first place. But He chose to die. For us. Because He loves us unconditionally. “'No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.'” - John 15:13