Through his prophetic words, Isaiah was able to draw a picture of how Jesus would look like on the cross; He has no form, or comeliness... and no beauty... He was afflicted... wounded ....bruised... stricken..... and smitten. (Isa 53:2-5).
Jesus was physically mutilated from his head to his toes, by a shameless battalion of Roman soldiers, (Matt 27:27) into whose custody he was delivered by Pontius Pilate; the ruler of Judea.
In order to fulfil the words written in the Psalms, “Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.” Ps 22:12, the whole battalion gathered before him to implement his punishment, which was flogging then death by crucifixion. Two soldiers took turns to flog him. The first standing on the Lord’s right to extend whips onto the left side of the Lord’s body; and the second standing on the Lord’s left to implement whips on the right side of his body to fulfil the words: ‘Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long.’ (Ps 129:3). The whips furrowed through Jesus’ body so that blood spluttered out of him and entirely covered him. Other soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head mocking and ridiculing him. (Matt 27:29). Blood flowed from his head and covered all of his face. Yet a third group of soldiers struck him on the head again and again with a staff and lastly they spat on his face (Matt 27:29, 30).
His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness (Isa 52:14). Afterwards the soldiers took him to crucify him on the hill called Golgotha, where they pierced his hand with nails to fix him on the horizontal part of the cross and drove more nails through his feet to fix him onto the vertical part of the cross.... hours passed.... the Lord was in terrible turmoil because of the severe crucifixion pain that he was experiencing, and in the end he gave up his spirit committing it in the hands of the father, and bowed his head. Jn 19:30).
After His body was lowered from off the cross, Joseph and Nicodemus took Jesus’ body, wrapped it with the spices, in strips of linen and laid him in a new tomb in which no one had ever been buried (Jn 19:41). After three days, the Lord Jesus rose from the dead. (Eph1:2). Yes the Lord rose from the dead. He entered the grave shamed and in disgrace but he rose glorious. (1Cor 15:43). Yes He arose in glory. Though the Father had let the Son carry our sins and pay their price in our stead on the cross, He didn’t leave him in the tomb; instead he raised him through the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Glory. (1Pet 4:14). Jesus rose glorious, the glorious victory over the suffering and the pain of death, as it wasn’t possible for death to have any power or authority over Him (Acts 2:24).
Jesus is the Lord of glory (1 Cor 2:8). He is the Lord to whom belongs all honour, praise and exultation. He is the Christ. Jesus is the hope of glory (Col 1:27), He gave us the living hope of having eternal life, a life of glory, with him and with the Father after we leave this life. And because he is the glorified master, he will personally bestow crowns of glory to everyone who honestly fulfils the call to shepherd God’s people (1Pe5:4).
The letter to the Hebrews reveals to us how Jesus is higher than the angels, than Moses, Aaron and Joshua because he is the Son who inherits all things... who is the radiance of God’s glory (Heb 1:3). No one has seen the Father; but in Christ we see the father”...anyone who has seen me has seen the Father...” (Jn 14:9). He is the greatness, glory and light of God to the world. (Heb 1:3).
He came to our world in glory (Lk 2:14), and arose from the dead in glory (1 Cor 15:43), was lifted up to heaven in glory (Acts 1:9-11) and is seated at the right hand of God in glory. (Acts 7:55).
He is the Lord of glory who arose in glory
