“Follow Jesus and you will be happy!” Really? Sometimes following Jesus hurts, because it hurts to be Jesus.
As we follow the life of Jesus, we discover that He often suffered, especially in His last days. If you choose to follow Jesus, it is inevitable that you will suffer some of the same hurts.
Let’s look at Mark 15:16-20 and uncover some of the hurts that Jesus suffered…
Jesus suffered Pain.
Following the scourging (Mark 15:15), Jesus continued to be brought physical pain from the Roman soldiers. They put together a ‘crown of thorns’ in mockery of his kingship and smashed it onto his head. And then they hit Him on the head with a stick, driving the thorns deeper into his skull.
For many followers of Jesus in our world, physical pain is a reality. It literally hurts to be like Jesus. According to CNN, Christian persecution reached a record high in 2015. It is estimated 100,000 Christians are killed every year because of their faith, which amounts to 273 per day, or 11 every hour. This does not take into account those who are being tortured, imprisoned, exiled, threatened, excluded, attacked and discriminated.
Jesus suffered Isolation.
Once Pilate gave the order to be crucified, the soldiers took Jesus away and gathered the a whole group together. A ‘cohort’ consisted of 600 men. However, because of the festival days and the fact that Pilate probably had been accompanied by a large contingent of soldiers from Caesarea, the number could have been far greater. Jesus was surrounded by a crowd but felt all alone.
Christians often suffer in isolation. At school, at work, in the neighborhood, even in many homes, Christians are surrounded by those who do not want to obey God’s Word. Maybe you feel like you’re the only one in your environment. But remember, Elijah felt this way too. But God reminded him that there were hundreds just like him. You are not alone. For one thing, you have Jesus. And I am sure there are others that only need a little encouragement to be strong. Stand up for right, righteousness & Jesus and you’ll often find others who will stand with you.
Jesus suffered Mocking.
This is the second time Jesus is humiliated and mocked. The first took place before the Jews. The Jews made fun of Him because for claiming to be their Messiah. The Romans made fun of Him as the king of the Jews.
They put a purple robe on him (royalty), placed a crown of thorns on his head, gave him a stick for a scepter, and bowed their knee in worship. And they spit on him.
Has someone ever made fun of you because of your relationship with Jesus? It hurts, especially when it is someone you love or respect. Some people just don’t understand us. But take note of what Jesus did… actually what He didn’t do. Jesus did not retaliate or mock back. It’s easy to get angry or run from people.
I love David’s attitude when Shimei cursed him. He said, “Leave him alone; let him curse…. perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today.” (2 Samuel 15:11-12).
Sometimes it hurts to be like Jesus. But just as Jesus rose from the dead and lives in Heaven for ever, so will all who follow Jesus. Follow Jesus!
You can read some of my other articles about the hurts of life: What not to do when bad things happen, Looking for the ‘perfect’ church? Try the persecuted church.