Enduring Power: Mark 15:16-20
Jesus has power and He takes death upon Himself so others can live. With Jesus, the focus is on the other person. Jesus is a servant-leader. Jesus makes sacrifices so others can benefit. Even when we see His humanity in force – His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, for example – we see Jesus bend His humanity back into submission to the Father.
Jesus next falls under the whims of the soldiers. These soldiers would be the ones to handle the crucifixion. They were accustomed to fighting. They were accustomed to handling prisoners. They were accustomed to death. A little blood wouldn’t make them squeamish.
These verses bring us back to a Machiavellian understanding of power. Some people understand dominion selfishly. They see dominion as an exercise of power. They don’t find a thing wrong when their impact upon the world results in the belittlement of others. They live by the idea that the more power one possesses, the more abusive and overbearing one may become.
The soldiers decide to mock Jesus. They dress Him in a purple cloak, purple being the political color of royalty. They give Him a crown, ensuring that the crown will cause pain as the thorns scratch through the skin of His head. They bow down to Him, uttering insults and slander as they do.
We aren’t told how long the episode lasted, but I cannot imagine it was a quick moment. I’m sure one soldier had an idea, which was modified by another, and another, and then another. That’s how it goes. The soldiers have dominion over Jesus. Since He is destined to be crucified, nobody cares what happens to Him. They have an unlimited powerbase for abuse and take full advantage.
Jesus doesn’t resist. I can’t believe He enjoyed it, but He doesn’t fight back. I also can’t believe that He was resigned to His death and put up mental barriers enabling Him to psychologically disengage, either. He is the Son of God. He knew the hearts of the soldiers. He knew their disbelief. He knew their misguided understanding of power. He knew them intimately enough to mourn every abuse.
That’s the thing about power. Power creates environments. In some people, that environment is all about themselves and their wishes. In other people, that environment is about the greater good. It is far easier for a leader to create an environment all about their desires than an environment all about the greater good.
The story of the crucifixion is a great snapshot of how those two environments play out. The religious elite believe they have power and send Jesus to His death. The crowd believes they have power and sends Jesus to His death. Pilate believes he has power and sends Jesus to His death. The soldiers believe they have power and lead Jesus to His death. Jesus has power and He takes death upon Himself so others can live.
