He Bared his Back
Here is a very relevant story, re-told, for our spiritual enlightenment. Story; “To illustrate God’s amazing grace to a wretch like you, and like me, is this story about a school, with a class of students that no teacher had been able to handle, two or three teachers had been run off from the school in one year by these unruly students, and a young man just out of college heard about the class, and applied to teach at the school. The principal asked the young man, do you know what you are asking for? No one else has been able to handle these students, and you are just asking for a terrible beating, after a few moments of silent prayer, the young man looked up at the principle and said, sir, with your consent, I accept the challenge, just please give me a trial basis. The next morning the young man stood before the class, and he said to them, young people I’ve come here today to conduct school, but I realize that I can’t do it by myself, I must have your help. One big boy, they called him big Tom, sat at the back of the room and whispered to his buddies, I won’t need any help, I can take this guy down all by myself. The young teacher told the class that if they were to have school, there would have to be some rules to go by, but he added that he would allow the students to make up the rules, and he would list them on the blackboard. This was certainly different the students thought, one young man suggested, ‘No Stealing,’ another one shouted out, be on time for class, pretty soon they had ten rules listed on the board. The teacher then asked the class what the punishment should be for breaking these rules, someone in the room suggested that if the rules were broken, they should receive ten lashes with a rod, and across their back with their coat off, the teacher thought that this was pretty harsh, but this is in an earlier age than today, so the teacher asked if everybody agreed that this was the correct punishment, and the class agreed. Everything went along well for two or three days, then big Tom came in one day very upset, and he declared, that someone had stolen his lunch, after they had investigated, they came to the conclusion that little Timmy had stolen the lunch. Little Timmy admitted that he had in deed taken this lunch, so the teacher asked, do you know the punishment, and little Timmy slowly nodded that he did. The teacher said that you are now going to have to take off your coat. Timmy said that I am guilty, and that I am willing to take the punishment, but please don’t make me take off my coat. The teacher said, but these are the rules, and everybody agreed to abide by them, as Timmy began to slowly unbutton his battered old coat, the teacher saw that he didn’t even have a shirt on underneath, even worse he saw a skinny and bony frame hidden beneath that heavy coat. The teacher asked why he had come to school without a shirt on? Then Timmy explained that he only had one shirt, that his mom and dad were very poor, and today was washing day, and his mom was washing that shirt. The young teacher looked at this frail back, with the spine protruding against the skin, and his ribs sticking out, and wondered how he could lay a rod on that little back, still he knew that he had to enforce that punishment or the children wouldn’t obey the rules. So he drew back the rod to strike little Timmy, just then someone stood up at the back, it was big Tom, and he said, sir, is there anything that says I can’t take little Timmys whipping for him, the teacher thought about it, and agreed, at that big Tom took off his coat, and stooped over little Timmy at the desk, hesitatingly the teacher put that rod on Toms big back, but for some strange reason, only after a few licks, that rod just broke in half, the young teacher buried his face in his hands and began to sob. He heard a commotion and looked up to see not even one dry eye in the room, little Timmy had turned and grabbed big Tom around the neck and was apologizing for stealing his lunch, he begged Tom to forgive him and told big Tom that he would love him until the day that he died, for taking his beating for him.” END
There was a time when Gods champions were treated abusively, and a Champion was locked away, tortured and beaten regularly. Yet another beating was to be administered, he was led out to a large barrel, ropes were tied to his hands, and tied together firmly around the other side, holding him firmly pressed against the barrel. Hello old friend, we meet yet again, he hooked his chin over the rim at the top, added a few more tears to the stains of previous beatings, and then went to God in prayer as he awaited the sting of the lash. God, I have had much more than I can handle, I have nothing left in me, one more of these beatings will finish me off for good, dear Jesus, you were beaten, please give me the strength to take this one as well, and then it happened, the lashes came in powerful and strong, and each blow thumped him into the barrel, but strangely, the sting was not there, that searing and screaming agony was not to be endured, a strange numbness was all he felt. The ropes were loosed, and he was dragged back to his cell once more, and dumped on the floor, the big heavy door thudded closed, keeping him safe once more. In agony he crawled over to his familiar corner at this time, the blood stains upon the wall clearly marked the spot where the stones were the coldest, just right to cool off a battered and bleeding back. Prayer time, gratitude, somehow another beating was survived, Father, thank you for being with me, for helping me to not give up on you, thank you Jesus for your love that has enfolded me, may your name be honoured, thank you for your protection, but this time was very different, as there was no agonizing and searing pain with each lash. Jesus replied, but then that is because I wrapped myself around you, enfolded you, I took your beating for you, they smote me, I bared back for you instead.
Isaiah 53:5 “But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” In the Temple Sacrificial System, your sacrifice is in essence you, it dies in your very place, it bares its back and takes your punishment, Christ took our punishment that he had no part in, that we might receive the glories which we had no part in, and with his stripes we are healed. Christ bared his back to take the punishment for your sins and mistakes, so how do you in turn treat others, Matthew 25:40 “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me.”
Luke 18:31-33 JB Phillips “Then Jesus took the twelve on one side and spoke to them, “Listen to me. We are now going up to Jerusalem and everything that has been written by the prophets about the Son of Man will come true. For he will be handed over to the heathen, and he is going to be jeered at and insulted and spat upon, and then they will flog and kill him. But he will rise again on the third day.” Jesus is “The Lamb of God,” he dies in our very place, and we deserve the beating, but Jesus wraps himself around us, he takes our beating, “He bared his back.”
