What can we learn about human nature from the soldiers' actions in Mark 15:20? Setting the Scene “After they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the purple robe, put His own clothes back on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.” — Mark 15:20 What the Soldiers Actually Did • Mocked Jesus with words, gestures, and a false coronation • Ripped off the purple robe that symbolized royalty • Returned His ordinary clothes, erasing every hint of dignity they had pretended to give • Escorted Him to the cross as if leading a criminal to his deserved fate What These Actions Reveal About the Human Heart • Cruelty comes naturally when conscience is seared (Ephesians 4:17-19). • Mockery masks fear; belittling holiness helps sinners feel superior (John 3:19-20). • Groupthink magnifies evil—no one soldier acted alone (Exodus 23:2). • Power intoxicates; possessing swords and authority emboldened brutality (Luke 3:14). • Spiritual blindness keeps people from recognizing the very Son of God in front of them (1 Corinthians 2:14). • Sin strips others of dignity to exalt self (Philippians 2:3). The Pattern We All Share • “None is righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12). • “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). • Outside Christ, people are “dead in trespasses and sins… following the course of this world” (Ephesians 2:1-3). Why This Matters Today • The same impulses that drove those soldiers still lurk in every heart. • Authority, peer pressure, and cultural contempt for truth can quickly silence compassion. • Only a regenerated heart can resist the tide of ridicule and choose mercy (Titus 3:3-6). Living Differently Because of the Cross • Remember what it cost Christ to expose our sin and offer forgiveness (1 Peter 2:24). • Seek the Spirit’s power to “put to death the deeds of the body” (Romans 8:13). • Treat every person, even enemies, with the honor due to God’s image-bearers (Matthew 5:44-45). |
    |