Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” . . . And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Matthew 27: 27-29, NKJV.
Dear God, please open our eyes as we study Your Word. Help us to hear Your voice and to respond to Your wooing. This we ask in the blessed name of Jesus. Amen.
I wonder if we know that everything we do, will eventually become a part of history! Maybe we believe that history is only what is written in the history books; or that it is something that everyone knows about. According to some definitions of the word, it is simply: 1) “an account of what has happened; narrative; story; tale.” 2) “a known or recorded past . . .” Everything that happens, after it is past, becomes history! Everyone have portions of their life, that belong only to them. It is a part of their personal history, and it will outlive them.
Little did the soldiers who mocked Jesus that day realize that, they were making history. Jesus had been born into this world as a king. That was not the problem. The problem was that His subjects did not recognize Him when He came into the world, and therefore, they rejected Him, “He came to His own and His own did not receive Him.” (John 1: 11). Yet there were others who were studying the Scriptures and they recognized His star and came to worship Him as the King that He was, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2: 1, 2). Today, we have this historical account of the wise men.
Sacred Scripture informs us that, when He was interrogated by the high priest, ” ‘ “Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” ‘ ” That is history foretold. One of these days, it will come to pass, because the “mouth of the Lord has spoken it!” What the soldiers did not realize as they mocked Jesus, was that they were in a dress rehearsal, preparing for that final day! Indeed, He was the King! And the King is coming back; this time, in His kingly glory! “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen” (Revelation 1: 7, emphasis provided). In the near future, those who slapped Him, and spit on Him, and hit Him in His head with the staff, will rise in a special resurrection, to see Him coming in the clouds of glory! Little did they know, that this time, they will be fulfilling prophecy (history foretold)!
One day it is going to be, the day, for which the soldiers, and all who mocked the Savior, were rehearsing. The Word of the Lord foretells the following: “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2: 8-11, emphasis provided).
That is history that is worth being a part of; the day when they crown Him King of Kings! I want to be a part of that history! What about you?