The crown of thorns, flagellum, wrought iron nails, and heaven’s silence remind us that every injustice in our life, no matter how malicious or painful, could never parallel what Christ undertook. We sent Him to the cross. Our sin held Him there. However, He so kindly embraced it.

When I was a boy, a visiting pastor taught us about humility He opened his Bible and began, “Any preacher not wise enough to tremble when asked to preach on humility should not be preaching at all.” The congregation chuckled.

The pastor’s preaching then echoed through the church, enveloping the congregation in a sense of reverence and awe. The hush that followed was broken only by the soft rustle of pages turning as those gathered opened their Bibles to the passage about Christ’s humility.

Paul records the humiliation of Christ as:

…although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8, NASB)

As they read, the words seemed to take on their own life, painting a vivid picture of the Son of God laying aside His majesty to suffer for His creatures. They pictured Him leaving the glory of heaven to enter a world of violence, malice, and injustice. They imagined Him laboring for years as a carpenter, submitting to John’s baptism, and patiently enduring the taunts of religious leaders.

And then they saw Him, betrayed by His closest friend, arrested, and beaten mercilessly during an illegal trial. They saw Him stripped naked and hung on a cross, dying alongside common criminals. Moreover, they felt the weight of the darkness that covered the earth as the wrath of God was poured out on Him.

However, even amid this darkness, there was a glimmer of hope, for they knew that the truth of Christ’s sacrifice would permeate and protect them and that the theology of Calvary would encourage them and strengthen them in their faith. They knew that when they lived daily in the shadow of the cross, they would be surrounded by God’s holiness and immense love.

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