As time approached for his death, Jesus had other pressures come on Him.

He had to interact with the one who would betray him, a sad, awkward situation, knowing thatin betraying Him  Judas was choosing Hell.

In the last supper, His disciples still didn’t get the things He was teaching them.

And then there was the great battle in the Garden where He was utterly distressed as a human being, facing the horrors before Him.

This was followed by the betraying kiss, the arrest, the degrading trip to the High Priest.

There he suffered the mocking and beating from the soldiers.

This was followed by the unbelief and attacks of the Jewish leaders, those who failed to recognize His majesty

Then the trip to Pilate, and to King Herod, being mocked all through it.

And finally the flogging. This is far worse than we can imagine:

The whip  of leather straps with bone fragments tied to their ends, ripping away the skin and flesh, exposing the bones.

And last was the crown of thorns, pushed down on His head, causing the blood to flow down his face.

In accepting that crown, Jesus took on Himself the heavy, ugly curse Adam brought on all of us, causing  the land to produce thorns.

And these events opened the way for the far worse suffering that was to come, which we will contemplate tomorrow.

Picture: Jesus facing His sacrifice for the world