Lent Day 38

John 19:1-16

I cannot fully comprehend the suffering that Christ endured out of love for us. I complain about trivial inconveniences and I haven't had to resist attacks on my faith to the point of shedding blood (Heb 12:4), let alone to the point of enduring a fraction of the pain Jesus went through in His last 24 hours before His death. Why did He agree to it? There is no explanation except for love. He was not forced into it; He did not struggle against it; He freely submitted Himself to betrayal and immense pain. All His disciples fled; one of them accepted money for betraying Him; another insisted he would die for Jesus but then actively denied knowing Him; He was dragged through the night from one inquisition to another; He was flogged by Roman soldiers; He was mocked; sharp thorns were pressed into His head; He was forced to carry a heavy cross; sharp nails were hammered into His flesh; He was thirsty; He felt abandoned. No one would choose all of this for fun. This is not for someone's amusement. He was willing to do whatever it took to spend eternity with you. He loves you more than you could ever imagine. He loves you.