As they lead Jesus to the mockery trials, He displayed such dignity, grace, and love. Hard to imagine when one considers He knew the severity of what He was about to face, taking upon His shoulders all the sin, shame, and guilt of everyone who had lived and all who would come thereafter. Sin, guilt, shame. Not something He had ever experienced. But He did know the depth of wrath that burned within His own righteous spirit against sin. However, now He was going to be the recipient of all that wrath. Even then, He never lost sight of love, joy and all that was to come because of this one act of total surrender and sacrifice.
He endured this travesty for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 But How?
Did He gaze into eternity and rejoice as we joined Him in heaven, preparing for the wedding supper of Christ? What a wondrous marriage banquet that will be! Or did He laugh as He saw that one day we would reign with Him during the millennial reign? Or did His heart overflow with joy just imagining absolute awe as we gaze upon the New Jerusalem. The beauty and majesty of that city, filled with perfect righteousness. I cannot imagine its beauty.
Our Destiny Revealed in Revelations 21
10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the [h]great city, the [i]holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. 12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.
14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the [j]names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand [k]furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. 17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
The Glory of the New Jerusalem-THE DIGNITY, GRACE AND LOVE
22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine [l]in it, for the [m]glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations [n]of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor [o]into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into [p]it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything [q]that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
I CAN HARDLY IMAGINE THE JOY OF SEEING JESUS FACE TO FACE. ALL HIS DIGNITY GRACE and LOVE THAT DAY AT THE TRIAL AND ON THE CROSS BECAUSE HE KEPT HIS FOCUS ON YOU AND ME WITH HIM ONE DAY.
The Pearl Gates
Dr. Criswell was the head of the Southern Baptist Convention for many years. He preached at the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. I was fortunate to have gone there for a time while he was the pastor. He also led the Dallas Theological Seminary. All that to say, he had a very insightful thought regarding the Pearl Gates. He is quoted as saying, “There is a sermon in the fact that the gates are pearl, because heaven is entered through suffering and travail, through redemption and blood and through the agony of the cross. A pearl is a jewel made by a little animal that is wounded. Without the wound, the pearl is never formed”.
And he said that’s the way it is for us when we get to heaven. We’ll walk through the gates of pearl and, as we do, we’ll be reminded that the only reason we’re there is because of the suffering and the pain of the Lord Jesus who paid the wound for us, that we might be redeemed.”[1] I cannot imagine the beauty there.
So, as Jesus prepared to go to the cross, mentally, and spiritually, did He think about the pearl gates He was forming for us. Was that in part how He kept His focus off the injustice and the pain?
ACTS of DIGNITY, GRACE, and Love
- He restored the ear of the Guard (Luke 22:51)
- Standing with head high, He faced the questioning of Annas and then Caiaphas.
- They spit on Him and slapped His face—He did not react with fear, anger, nor any emotional response John 18
- He answers with truth and strength before the Sanhedrin Luke 23: 67-68
- Accused by a mockery court, He is led then to the Roman Court where they even change the charges against Him so the Romans would execute Him because the Jewish law would not permit them to: They had broken every ordinance of law in this trial.
Listen to how Jesus Responded:
John 18: 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.
Further Notes of Dignity, Grace, and Love; plus, a key
Certainly, this list can go on for a long time. But note also how He responded, after being beaten beyond recognition, dehydrated, covered in blood, and wearing a crown of thorns on His brow. Some began to weep as He walked toward Golgotha carrying His cross.
27 And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. 28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ Luke 23
Concluding Thoughts on how to have dignity, grace and love
What Dignity, Grace and Love was demonstrated by Jesus, but note there is a key element here. Where was His focus?
So, How can we face trials in this life by considering our focal point?
Let us be like minded and focus on all that He has done as well as all that we know He will yet do. One day, I will stand before Him completely transformed. Then I will understand the reason for each tear. I will see His tears shed for me and then, there will be no more tears. One day. Until then, let me keep my eyes on the prize, enduring all that I must face here on earth.
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD?
If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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Disclosures
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Credits
New King James Version (NKJV)
[1] Jermiah David, https://sermons.love/david-jeremiah/4444-david-jeremiah-the-heavenly-city.html, quoting Dr. Criswell, accessed 5/15/2021