Behold the Man

+JMJ

The following Contemplative Moment was the first one I ever had. It is the moment that changed eveything for me. I had originally intended to share it on Good Friday, but the Holy Spirit moved me to share it today instead.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around Him. They stripped off His clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak about Him. Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And kneeling before Him, they mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat upon Him and took the reed and kept striking Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the cloak, dressed Him in His own clothes, and led Him off to crucify Him.

Matthew 27:27-31

I put myself into the scene and watched the humiliation of my Lord enfold. I am standing in the crowd. There are so many people that I can barely move. Their cries and calls around me are deafening.

I watch as they shove Jesus to the center of the room. He stands eyes turned toward the floor and does what the soldiers demand without a word or protest.

I watch as they shamefully strip Him and the chanting starts. “Hail, King of the Jews! Hail, King of the Jews!”

One soldier rushes forward with a cloak. He thrusts it in Jesus’ face, saying, “You say you are a King? We will make you a King.” They shove Him to His knees and throw the cloak around His shoulders.

Then, forcing Him to His feet, another soldier crams a crown of thorns on His head causing blood to drip down His face. They force Him to hold a reed in His right hand and stand up before them all in complete humiliation. Mocking Him. Shouting obscene things at Him. Spitting on Him. Beating Him.

So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak. And he said to them, “Behold, the Man!”

John 19:5

“Behold, the Man…”

“Ecce, Homo….”

The words echo in my brain.

“Behold, the Man….!”

I look up at Jesus, eyes turned to the floor, standing before the crowd completely disgraced.

“Ecce, Homo….”

Beaten and bloody. His body aching from their blows. Sharp pains radiating from the wounds from the crown of thorns.

“Behold, the Man….”

I watch all of this and my heart breaks for Him.

“Ecce, homo….”

He looks up at me, and it is as if someone presses pause on the whole scene. Everyone in the crowd stops. Only Jesus remains in motion. He drops the reed and walks towards me. No one else in the crowd is moving and there is complete silence. He reaches me removes the cloak from His shoulders and wraps it around my own.

I weep here… for in this moment, I behold the Man. Not in the disgrace, humiliation, embarrassment, degradation, and dishonor.

But as soon as He places the cloak around my shoulders I behold Him in all of His glory. All of His love. All of His mercy. All of His compassion.

I felt all of His love, comfort, peace, and, joy in one instant.

This moment changed me completely. It was the moment I truly knew Jesus. Not just knew “of” Him, but truly knew Him, personally.

I realized that He had been waiting for me to come to Him my whole life. He had been waiting, eyes turned to the floor, as I disgraced and dishonored Him with my sins. As I crowned Him with the thorns of my selfishness and pride, He waited patiently, enduring the pain that I inflicted on Him. Waiting for the moment when I chose to know Him.

This was the moment I fell in love with Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.

He is waiting patiently for you too.

Do you have a single moment where Jesus changed you forever?

I would love to hear about it!

Thrive in Jesus my Friends!