March 3rd, 2026 Daily Devotion

A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW 

HUMBLED

Matthew 27:27-31 “Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. 

Roman soldiers were noted for their barbaric treatment of the incarcerated and enemies of Rome. Once Pilate had sentenced Jesus to be crucified, the soldiers guarding him treated Jesus as they did every other condemned man. They abused Him! They mocked Him ridiculing the idea that Jesus was a king. They dressed Him in a kingly robe, they wove sharp, pointed thorns into a crown and pounded that into His skull and put a staff into His hands to serve as His scepter. Remember, at Herod’s order, they had already administer 39 lashes that had torn Jesus’ flesh and caused Him great pain.   

Once the soldiers had completely humiliated Jesus, they replaced the kingly robe with Jesus own clothing. Then they led Him away to crucify Him. As I wrote in yesterday’s devotion, the soldiers also thought they were in charge of Jesus when in fact what they did to Jesus was in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy: “Surely He took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5-6)   By the soldiers abuse and Jesus’ crucifixion your sins have been paid in full! 

Prayer: Thank You Jesus for suffering so greatly in payment for my sins. Amen. 

Stricken, smitten, and afflicted,
See Him dying on the tree!
‘Tis the Christ, by man rejected;
Yes, my soul, ‘tis He, ‘tis He!
'Tis the long expected Prophet,
David’s Son, yet David’s Lord;
Proofs I see sufficient of it;
‘Tis the true and faithful Word. 

Tell me, ye who hear Him groaning,
Was there ever grief like His?
Friends through fear His cause disowning,
Foes insulting His distress;
Many hands were raised to wound Him,
None would intervene to save;
But the deepest stroke that pierced
Him Was the stroke that justice gave. 

Ye who think of sin but lightly
Nor suppose the evil great
Here may view its nature rightly,
Here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the sacrifice appointed,
See who bears the awful load;
‘Tis the Word, the Lord’s anointed,
Son of Man and Son of God. 

Here we have a firm foundation,
Here the refuge of the lost;
Christ, the Rock of our salvation,
Is the name of which we boast;
Lamb of God, for sinners wounded,
Sacrifice to cancel guilt!
None shall ever be confounded
Who on Him their hope have built.  

Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted // LSB 451

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