Did you ever wonder why there is such little detail given about what Jesus endured on His way to the cross (Matthew 27:27-31; Mark 15:16-20; John 19:1-3)? Hollywood productions spend a lot of time focusing on the abuse being heaped upon Jesus, but the Bible almost glosses over the torturous details. The specifics we do have should be enough to sicken any decent human being. Perhaps the reason the Spirit did not lead the Biblical writers to provide more details is that the physical pain was nothing compared to the pain of enduring the sins of the world (Isaiah 53:4-6).
If the point of the story was the horrific murder of a good man, then I’m certain we wouldn’t still be talking about it two centuries later. But a man who willingly takes on the sin every human has ever or will ever commit to save those very sinners from eternal damnation? That’s a story worth telling over and over again (1 Peter 2:24).
When we consider that bearing every sin hurt Jesus far worse than the physical abuse inflicted on Him, we should understand how grievous sin is to our holy God (Habakkuk 1:13). The only way weak and finite beings like us can ever hurt God is by sinning. Every time we sin, we reject the One who gave His life in place of ours (Hebrews 6:4-6). We declare our authority over our lives instead of submitting to His Lordship (Romans 6:16). Instead of bringing glory to His name, we disgrace it.
I’ve heard people say every sin is like driving another nail through the hands of Jesus. But it’s far worse than that. Physical pain is fleeting. One way or another, every pain will subside. But spiritual pain? The kind of pain that cuts to the core of the very essence of who God is? That’s not a fleeting pain, it’s a deep and grievous wound we cause. And we do this to the One we claim to love above all else. We do this to the One whom we swore allegiance forever. This goes far beyond any physical pain we might imagine.
Knowing all this, how can we sin (1 John 3:6)? Why are we so weak? That Satan is powerful, there can be no doubt (1 Peter 5:8). That we are weak is perhaps even more obvious. But no excuse sits well with me. I love the Lord, and I never want to cause Him any pain. To know my continued sin is so abhorrent to our holy God is almost too much for me. It should be more than enough to keep me from ever sinning again. Ah, but we both know that will not be the case. I understand and identify with Paul’s words: “What a wretched man I am” (Romans 7:24-25)!
There are no small sins because every sin is an abomination to God (Proverbs 6:16-19). Until we see sin with the same disgust our Father does, we will continue to be slaves to it (John 8:34). The death and resurrection of Christ set us free from the power of sin (Romans 6:6-7) which means it is only our desire to continue in it that allows it to maintain its grip on us (James 1:14-15). We must see the seriousness of the situation and feel the weight of our sin (Psalm 38:4). Don’t cheapen the sacrifice of Christ and make light of His intense suffering on our behalf (Hebrews 10:29; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Peter 1:18-19). Instead, let us cast every sin aside and live for the glory of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).