This picture speaks of a Christian who has found perfect peace and eternal salvation through the death of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and so boasts in nothing else except “only about the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; for by means of His cross the world is dead to us, and we are dead to the world” (Gal. 6:14). Jesus died on the cross so that we too, might “die to sin and live for righte ousness” (1 Peter 2:24); a Christian dead to the world. We are commanded to “let the Spirit direct our lives, and we will not satisfy the desires of the human nature” (Gal. 5:16, 25).
The pillar to which the Lord Jesus was bound after they had taken off His clothes, is shown in this picture of the heart, as well as the whips with which they cruelly whipped Him. He was punished for our sins because “we are healed by the punishment He suf fered” (Isa. 53:5). Herod and his soldiers mocked Him, and after having whipped Him, they pressed a crown of thorny branches on His head – instead of crowning Him with a crown of gold, and put a stick in His right hand – instead of the sceptre of a king, and they bowed before Him and mocked Him, saying. “Long live the King of the Jews!” They spat on Him and took the stick from Him, and hit Him on the head. After they had so shamefully and cruelly mocked Him, they led Him away to be crucified (Matt. 27:27-31).
There are many so-called Christians who pray, share in the sacrament of holy communion, sing the songs of God and yet, by their sinful actions, are constantly crucifying the Son of God again (Heb. 6:6). “Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do” (Matt. 7:21-27).
In this picture we also find the bag of money belonging to Judas, who betrayed the Lord Jesus and sold Him for thirty silver coins, because the love of money had taken hold of his heart and that was all he could think of. The lantern, chains, etc., were used by the soldiers who took Jesus prisoner by night. The dice, so often used for gambling, were used by the soldiers when they gambled for His clothes. “They gamble for my clothes and divide them among themselves” (Psalm 22:18). They took everything from Jesus, but Himself they rejected, saying “We don’t want this man to be our king”.
People in general want to receive all the blessings from God, all the rain and all the sunshine, but they do not want to commit themselves to serving God as their Lord and Master. To many, God is only good enough to help in times of trouble and despair.With the spear, the soldiers pierced His side and heart “and at once blood and water poured out” (John 19:33-37). Before the cock crowed, Peter said three times that he did not know Jesus, but later he repented weeping bitterly (Matt. 26:69-75). Do you de clare openly that you have given your heart to Jesus Christ, by what you say and do? Or are you ashamed to let others know? Jesus said, “If anyone declares publicly that he belongs to me, I will do the same for him before my Father in heaven. But if anyone rejects me publicly, I will reject him before my Father in heaven” (Matt. 10:32,33).Jesus also said, “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow in my steps is not fit to be my disciple” (Matt. 10:38). Happy are those who find protection in the Rock, Jesus Christ!
“Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Cleanse me from its guilt and power.”