Lenten Reader | Day 38

April 17th, 2025

Crucify Him!

“What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

“Crucify him!” they shouted.

“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus

The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 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. 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.

Mark 15:12-20

You just read the turning point in the history of the world.

This section of Scripture is about the moments before Jesus dies. It is the moment of Pilate being passive, the moment the soldiers mock the King, the moment the crowd is full of hatred, and the moments right before the Lamb was slain. It is a dark moment.

Today, you might be reading this and saying, “I do not want to be reminded of this part of the story.” I don’t blame you. It’s a morbid moment in Scripture, but it happened, and it happened for a good reason. Jesus would not have been killed, buried, and risen again if it had not been for this moment. The sad truth is that the world hated Jesus and killed Him out of anger.

And yet…

Jesus died for Pilate who was passive and let the crowd control him. He died for the soldiers who mocked Him. He died for the person who hit Him on the head when the crown of thorns was on His head and drove those thorns into His scalp. He died for everyone in the crowd who yelled, “Crucify Him.” He died for everyone. Jesus died so that you and I could love the unlovable, bear with the unbearable, touch the untouchable…just like He did. Now, He asks us to follow Him and hold nothing back – to be fully poured out for Him and His kingdom.

So today, look to the man who poured it all out so you could be saved, and let us ask ourselves: today, how can we live “poured out”? The woman with the jar of oil took something incredibly valuable and spent it all on Jesus’ feet. How can you take something valuable in your life today and spend it all on Jesus too?

James Hall