Mark 15:16-20 A Crown of Thorns
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: April 26, 2018, Mark 15:16-20
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
The soldiers led Jesus into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters) and called out the whole guard. They dressed him in a purple robe, twisted some thorns into a victor’s crown, and placed it on his head. They began to greet him, “Long live the king of the Jews!” They kept hitting him on the head with a stick, spitting on him, kneeling in front of him, and worshiping him. When they had finished making fun of him, they stripped him of the purple robe, put his own clothes back on him, and led him away to crucify him.
(Understanding the Text) I have to ask myself who provided the details here. Was it one of the soldiers who was converted by watching Jesus’ calm bearing as they abused Him? Maybe the Roman centurion from the crucifixion? Was it a servant of the palace? Was one of the disciples (maybe John) there peeking through the gate? Or maybe one of the women who followed Jesus? Someone had to have seen this and reported it to the others.
Before this Jesus had been in the governor’s rooms, then on the steps outside when the people chose, then at the whipping area; it was not yet time to take the three prisoners to be crucified, so they took him into the courtyard of the palace as they waited until it was time to go. Were the two thieves already there? I’ve read that whipping was the standard procedure before crucifixion. Were the two thieves being whipped and that was why the soldiers with Jesus were waiting in the courtyard? This makes more sense to me. The two thieves had already had their trial and sentencing. Jesus was the latecomer who had taken up Pilate’s whole morning. They would not have wanted to whip the prisoners too long before the crucifixion, so it stands to reason that these two men were in a holding cell until it was time to go while Jesus was coming directly from one event to another. Once Jesus had received His lashes, the soldiers would have gotten another prisoner to whip, and then a third. While this was happening other soldiers would be guarding the already whipped prisoners in a holding area, in this case the courtyard.
This was a standard-type procedure that had happened many times, so the soldiers were bored. In addition, they daily received a lot of hatred from the Jews that they could not respond to. The Jews were not their own people, but a subjugated inferior race that the Romans looked down upon. And yet, the Jews acted like they were the superior ones treating the Romans as if they were dirt under the Jews’ feet. This daily disgust with each other would have led to the typical dehumanization these circumstances always lead to. The soldiers did not see the Savior of the world when they looked at Jesus. Instead, they saw a despised Jew who was guilty of leading other Jews against them. They did not see an innocent man wrongly convicted. Instead, they saw a rebel like Barabbas who may have been responsible for the death of some of their fellow soldiers–friends of theirs. Some of them may have been angry that Barabbas was free when they had hoped to get back at him for the murder of their friend(s). However, here was a Jew of the same ilk who was within their reach. This explains their cruelty to some extent.
The whole guard was there in the courtyard prepared and waiting to lead the procession to the place of crucifixion. The crosses were stacked in the courtyard. Everything was ready, except the rest of the prisoners, so the soldiers had nothing to do at the moment. This led some of them to torment the hated Jew in their midst. Where did the purple robe come from? Purple was the color of royalty. Was it one of Pilate’s discarded old robes? Where did the thorns come from? Was there some kind of rose bush or other type of thorny plant growing in the courtyard or outside the palace? Who braided it? I imagine they pricked themselves a few times on it. They then role played worshiping Jesus and then hitting Him in the head with a stick.
(Revelation of God) Jesus was bleeding out from the whipping, but maybe that is not the only reason that He was too weak to carry the cross on the way. When the soldiers hit Him with a stick, maybe He suffered from a concussion also. That would explain His weakness also.
While this was happening, the other condemned men were led into the courtyard one by one. They would have had a chance to watch Jesus’ humiliation and beating. The thief on the cross who repented would have had a chance to see Jesus’ nobility of character shining through. He would have seen the love and forbearance that Jesus had for even these tormentors. Maybe, Jesus’ eyes met his and a silent communication passed between them there in that courtyard. Maybe the thief saw Jesus as the Messiah first in that courtyard.
(Understanding the Text) They took off Jesus’ clothes to whip Him and when they led Him into the courtyard, they dressed Him in the robe instead of His own clothes. When it was time to go, they took off the robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they made Him hold His cross and did the same with the other two thieves and the procession started their trek through the streets of Jerusalem to Golgotha.
(Application) My application to myself is that the people who God wants me to reach might be in the unlikeliest places. The message that reaches their hearts might come through my own humiliation and hurt. I should never feel humiliated by other people but always look to my Savior in love. I am not good at this, so I need to ask Jesus for even this.
(Prayer) God, I pray to reflect your glory in every situation. Forgive me for my selfish, self-centered ways that cause me to show others trash instead of the treasure of your love.