Jesus wants us to remember at what cost we have been bought, that is
ransomed, from our own sin. That is why He gave us the simple, yet
perfect observance of eating unleavened bread to represent His body,
and grape juice to represent His blood. You and I may each recall different
aspects of His sacrifice, but consider those things Matthew recorded
in his account, 26:36-27:50:
26:36-46 - He was left to pray alone by His sleeping apostles
26:47-49 - He was betrayed by His own apostle, Judas, with a
kiss
26:50 - He was violently seized by an armed mob under cover of
darkness
26:59-62 - He was set up/framed by the highest Jewish court
made up of the top leaders in Judaism as they deliberately sought
liars to testify against Him
26:63-66 - He was falsely accused by Caiaphas, the high priest
26:67-68 - Caiaphas, the scribes, elders, chief priests and the
“whole Council” blindfolded Him (Mark 14:65), spat in His face,
beat Him with their fists, slapped Him, and mocked Him by
taunting Him to prophesy which of them had struck Him
26:69-75 - His beloved apostle Peter, forcefully denied knowing
Him
27:19 - Pilate, the Roman governor unto whom Jesus is delivered,
is forbidden by his wife to get involved with Jesus’ case,
warning him to “have nothing to do with that righteous Man” as
she had suffered greatly in a dream because of Him
27:15-18 & 20-25 - He is openly denounced and rejected by the
crowd who so vehemently insist on crucifixion that they nearly riot
(vs. 24) and is then denied the slightest clemency in favor of releasing
the robber Barabbas, who is also accused of insurrection
and murder.
27:25-26 - Those in the crowd so lust for the blood of Jesus
that they take upon themselves (and even their children) responsibility
for Jesus’ death

27:26 - Jesus is scourged, a whipping so violent that its victims often died
27:27-31 - Delivered over to the Roman soldiers (who almost certainly had learned to hate
the Jews and likely see Jesus as just one more of these people who hate them and kill their comrades
in ambushes and such) they gather around Him:
Stripping Him of His own garments, they put on Him a scarlet robe
They twist thorns together to make a crown and put it on His head
They put a reed in His right hand as a scepter and kneel before Him in order to mock Him as
“King of the Jews”
They spat on Him
He was beaten on the head with the reed
They took the robe from His scourged back and put His own clothing back on Him
He was led away publicly through the crowd to be crucified
He bore His own cross at first (John 19:17), but for whatever reason the soldiers later compelled
Simon of Cyrene to carry it (no gospel records anywhere that He fell)
Immediately prior to His crucifixion, He was offered wine mixed with gall, but upon tasting it
refused to drink it
He was crucified, being nailed to the cross
He was crucified publicly, put on open display as a criminal, among criminals
The charge against Him was clearly, yet in its context, mockingly written in Hebrew, Latin
and Greek, JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS
Having crucified Him, the soldiers parted his clothing among themselves and then gambled
for possession of His tunic
Rather than leave Him to die in peace, passersby mocked Him, hurling insults along with the
chief priests, scribes and elders who even mocked His faith in His Father… as if these are
not enough, even the criminals crucified beside Him insulted Him with the same words
Thinking He has called out for Elijah, they seem to find entertainment in watching to see
whether Elijah will come for Him
Jesus yielded up His own spirit (see John 10:17-18).
Marty Kessler