Jason Bedell Online

Sharing my thoughts this morning's daily Bible reading...

Mark 15 is a chapter that pains me to read. I've preached dozens of messages on it, I've read commentaries on it, I've studied it and it hurts to relive the moments that took place. I even have a copy of "The Passion of The Christ" on DVD that took me over a year to open because it's such a painful thing to drop yourself into.

One thing in all this that really hits me is encapsulated in verses 16-20:

16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18 And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

There are a lot of things I can handle, but this brings tears to my eyes.
Mocking Jesus.
Toying with my Lord.
Taking my King and dragging Him through the mud with their words and beating.
Spitting on my Savior.

I can totally understand why Peter took out his sword and cut that soldiers ear off in the garden when they came to arrest Jesus. It stirs things up in me I didn't know were there. When I read the Bible it winds me up and I can't contain it. Glad I could share this morning before I flipped out like Peter... having one less ear would cause my loved ones to have a pretty bad day.