“Behold the Man!” (John 19:5)

Our Lord suffered for us. He did it so we might experience “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). He died for us, so we could “live together with Him” (1 Thessalonians 5:10). He was brought lower than any other man, “who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Behold the man in the Garden of Gethsemane. His bloody sweat distils from every pore of His body, and drops to the ground. He was Judged by sinners, sentenced to torture, and death on a cross. His back laid open with a Roman scourge laced with pieces of metal, bone and glass. Watch as they drive the nails into His hands and feet.

“I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death” (Psalms 22:14-15). The worst of all possible things, was His Father turned His face away as the punishment for all our sin was poured on Him. Was there ever sorrow like His sorrow? Draw near and look upon the spectacle of grief, unique, unparalleled, a wonder to men and angels, a once-in-eternity event, the centerpiece of all history.

It was for us! If we can’t see His love in this, we don’t know what love is. As we gaze at the cross, and see His sorrows, our sorrows seem too few to mention; as we gaze at His wounds, we feel empowered to live for Him.

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:1-2).