Blindfolded Jesus Struck by a Roman Soldierby CBPepper
26:67Matthew 26:67
Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,
In the dark early morning at the palace of Caiaphas, after a secret mock examination meant to condemn Him for His life, those present spat in His face, struck Him with fists and with the palms of their hands, threw a garment over His head, reviled Him with foul names and taunts about His birth and His claim to be Messiah, and challenged Him to prophesy who struck Him. He stood bound at the foot of the judgment seat while Caiaphas sat enthroned in gorgeous robes, surrounded by judges, interested partisans and Roman soldiers holding back the excited multitude, with false accusations heaped upon Him to turn the people against Him. Through it all He remained calm, serene, dignified and meek, without word or look of retaliation, a holy influence going out from Him in sharp contrast to the malignant excitement around Him. Though the blows came from beings He had created, whom He could have laid in the dust by a word or look while heaven's hosts longed to intervene, He restrained His divine power and submitted uncomplainingly out of love for His Father and His pledge from the foundation of the world to become the Sin-bearer. Every insult was recorded by angels, and the face then treated with contempt will one day shine brighter than the sun in the city of God, when those who struck and spat upon Him will remember with terror and pray to be hidden from it.
Trial Setting and Abuse
It was very dark early morning at the palace of Caiaphas the officiating high priest when Jesus was hurried there amid insult and mockery. He stood at the foot of the throne of judgment to be tried for His life, with Caiaphas seated on the throne, the judges and those specially interested on either side, and Roman soldiers ranged on the platform below the throne. The eyes of the multitude were upon Him while the wildest excitement prevailed around.
The proceedings were a mockery of an examination and a mock trial kept secret under pretense of a legal trial so the people could not testify in His defense. Their testimony of His mighty works would have turned anger against the Sanhedrin, undone its actions, and led to His release and renewed honor. His persecutors coarsely accused Him with false statements and accusations to portray Him in the worst light, the priest sneeringly questioned Him, and the whole assembly reviled Him. Priests and rulers sanctioned the violence while Roman soldiers by force held back the mob from tearing Him to pieces.
After His testimony and condemnation came a third scene of abuse, which those who held it to be before He was even accused or condemned described as by a midnight mob. Those present spat in His face, struck Him with fists, and hit Him with the palms of their hands. An old garment was thrown over His head and they struck Him in the face, and when it was removed one spat in His face. The judges forgot the dignity of their office and abused Him with foul names, railing on His parentage and low birth and declaring His claim to be Messiah worthy of the most shameful death. They taunted Him about that claim, challenged Him to prophesy and identify who struck Him, and sneeringly demanded a mighty miracle, with the most dissolute men joining in deliberate humiliation without pity or shame.
Peter and John witnessed the mock trial. Peter saw a hand raised to strike Jesus in the face and realized his denial had added dishonor and grief to his Master's suffering. While enduring the abuse Jesus felt a keener pang than His enemies could inflict when He heard His beloved disciple deny Him with cursing and swearing.
Christ's Patient Endurance
Amid the spitting and blows He stood calm, serene, dignified, majestic and meek, with a holy influence emanating from Him that pervaded the atmosphere. That calm bearing stood in strong contrast to the excited, malignant, sneering bearing of Annas and Caiaphas. For a moment it convicted even Caiaphas that He was akin to God, and it led even the hardened multitude to question whether a man of God-like presence should be sentenced as a common criminal. Caiaphas presided in gorgeous robe, glittering tiara and costly breastplate while Jesus wore coarse, homely clothing, yet He had reigned in the courts of heaven crowned and clothed in brightness and attended by holy angels.
He endured bound and closely guarded, without word or look or angry look of retaliation, with a sinless, patient, gentle heart, keeping to His chosen position as one with humanity. The blows came from beings He had created and came to save, men controlled by Satan acting as fiends. He suffered keenly under them in proportion to the perfection of His holiness and hatred of sin.
He knew the hosts of heaven witnessed His humiliation, and He had supreme power to stop His strikers. By one flash of divine will, by a word or look, He could have laid His tormentors in the dust as dead men, driven them away, and compelled confession that He is Lord above kings, rulers, priests and temple. The angels witnessing every movement longed to consume His adversaries, and the least angel could have dispersed the crowd and freed Him, but they were not commanded to strike.
He restrained His divine power and submitted uncomplainingly because of His love for His Father and His pledge from the foundation of the world to become the Sin-bearer. It was part of His mission to bear in His humanity all taunts and abuse men could heap upon Him. The plan of redemption to which He had consented in becoming man's Redeemer required Him to suffer the scorn and abuse of wicked men, and the only hope of humanity was in this submission to all He could endure from the hands and hearts of men.
This abuse was part of the bitter cup of agony that threatened to separate Him for a time from His Father. He endured it in behalf of sinners when He could have refused to drink it. God knew best and strengthened His only begotten Son to endure the agony and shame to become a propitiation for the sins of a lost world.
Future Glory and Appeal
Every insulting look and word and act in that hour was recorded by angels. The calm, pale face then treated with contempt and spat upon will one day be seen in glory shining brighter than the sun. In that glory it will give light to the city of God. Those who scorned and spat upon it and those who struck Him will then remember what they did with terror and remorse. They will pray to rocks and mountains to hide them from it.
The striking and spitting in the judgment hall, like the taunting on the cross, was a rejection of the Lord of life and glory that needed pardon. Pardon for that rejection was brought to the Jewish nation in the gospel preached in the power of the Holy Spirit after He was crucified. Even those who did this abuse would have been forgiven if they had repented as Saul did.
He suffered that shame at the hands of cruel men who struck Him in the face and spat upon Him while mockingly commanding Him to give a sign that He was the Saviour. It was part of the bitter cup of agony that threatened to separate Him for a time from His Father, which He endured in behalf of sinners when He could have refused to drink it. God knew best and strengthened His only begotten Son to endure the agony and shame to become a propitiation for the sins of a lost world. That endurance rebukes self-pity in service and calls for Christlikeness and suffering for His sake.
In the dark early morning at the palace of Caiaphas, after a secret mock examination meant to condemn Him for His life, those present spat in His face, struck Him with fists and with the palms of their hands, threw a garment over His head, reviled Him with foul names and taunts about His birth and His claim to be Messiah, and challenged Him to prophesy who struck Him. He stood bound at the foot of the judgment seat while Caiaphas sat enthroned in gorgeous robes, surrounded by judges, interested partisans and Roman soldiers holding back the excited multitude, with false accusations heaped upon Him to turn the people against Him. Through it all He remained calm, serene, dignified and meek, without word or look of retaliation, a holy influence going out from Him in sharp contrast to the malignant excitement around Him. Though the blows came from beings He had created, whom He could have laid in the dust by a word or look while heaven's hosts longed to intervene, He restrained His divine power and submitted uncomplainingly out of love for His Father and His pledge from the foundation of the world to become the Sin-bearer. Every insult was recorded by angels, and the face then treated with contempt will one day shine brighter than the sun in the city of God, when those who struck and spat upon Him will remember with terror and pray to be hidden from it.
Trial Setting and Abuse
It was very dark early morning at the palace of Caiaphas the officiating high priest when Jesus was hurried there amid insult and mockery. He stood at the foot of the throne of judgment to be tried for His life, with Caiaphas seated on the throne, the judges and those specially interested on either side, and Roman soldiers ranged on the platform below the throne. The eyes of the multitude were upon Him while the wildest excitement prevailed around.
The proceedings were a mockery of an examination and a mock trial kept secret under pretense of a legal trial so the people could not testify in His defense. Their testimony of His mighty works would have turned anger against the Sanhedrin, undone its actions, and led to His release and renewed honor. His persecutors coarsely accused Him with false statements and accusations to portray Him in the worst light, the priest sneeringly questioned Him, and the whole assembly reviled Him. Priests and rulers sanctioned the violence while Roman soldiers by force held back the mob from tearing Him to pieces.
After His testimony and condemnation came a third scene of abuse, which those who held it to be before He was even accused or condemned described as by a midnight mob. Those present spat in His face, struck Him with fists, and hit Him with the palms of their hands. An old garment was thrown over His head and they struck Him in the face, and when it was removed one spat in His face. The judges forgot the dignity of their office and abused Him with foul names, railing on His parentage and low birth and declaring His claim to be Messiah worthy of the most shameful death. They taunted Him about that claim, challenged Him to prophesy and identify who struck Him, and sneeringly demanded a mighty miracle, with the most dissolute men joining in deliberate humiliation without pity or shame.
Peter and John witnessed the mock trial. Peter saw a hand raised to strike Jesus in the face and realized his denial had added dishonor and grief to his Master's suffering. While enduring the abuse Jesus felt a keener pang than His enemies could inflict when He heard His beloved disciple deny Him with cursing and swearing.
Christ's Patient Endurance
Amid the spitting and blows He stood calm, serene, dignified, majestic and meek, with a holy influence emanating from Him that pervaded the atmosphere. That calm bearing stood in strong contrast to the excited, malignant, sneering bearing of Annas and Caiaphas. For a moment it convicted even Caiaphas that He was akin to God, and it led even the hardened multitude to question whether a man of God-like presence should be sentenced as a common criminal. Caiaphas presided in gorgeous robe, glittering tiara and costly breastplate while Jesus wore coarse, homely clothing, yet He had reigned in the courts of heaven crowned and clothed in brightness and attended by holy angels.
He endured bound and closely guarded, without word or look or angry look of retaliation, with a sinless, patient, gentle heart, keeping to His chosen position as one with humanity. The blows came from beings He had created and came to save, men controlled by Satan acting as fiends. He suffered keenly under them in proportion to the perfection of His holiness and hatred of sin.
He knew the hosts of heaven witnessed His humiliation, and He had supreme power to stop His strikers. By one flash of divine will, by a word or look, He could have laid His tormentors in the dust as dead men, driven them away, and compelled confession that He is Lord above kings, rulers, priests and temple. The angels witnessing every movement longed to consume His adversaries, and the least angel could have dispersed the crowd and freed Him, but they were not commanded to strike.
He restrained His divine power and submitted uncomplainingly because of His love for His Father and His pledge from the foundation of the world to become the Sin-bearer. It was part of His mission to bear in His humanity all taunts and abuse men could heap upon Him. The plan of redemption to which He had consented in becoming man's Redeemer required Him to suffer the scorn and abuse of wicked men, and the only hope of humanity was in this submission to all He could endure from the hands and hearts of men.
This abuse was part of the bitter cup of agony that threatened to separate Him for a time from His Father. He endured it in behalf of sinners when He could have refused to drink it. God knew best and strengthened His only begotten Son to endure the agony and shame to become a propitiation for the sins of a lost world.
Future Glory and Appeal
Every insulting look and word and act in that hour was recorded by angels. The calm, pale face then treated with contempt and spat upon will one day be seen in glory shining brighter than the sun. In that glory it will give light to the city of God. Those who scorned and spat upon it and those who struck Him will then remember what they did with terror and remorse. They will pray to rocks and mountains to hide them from it.
The striking and spitting in the judgment hall, like the taunting on the cross, was a rejection of the Lord of life and glory that needed pardon. Pardon for that rejection was brought to the Jewish nation in the gospel preached in the power of the Holy Spirit after He was crucified. Even those who did this abuse would have been forgiven if they had repented as Saul did.
He suffered that shame at the hands of cruel men who struck Him in the face and spat upon Him while mockingly commanding Him to give a sign that He was the Saviour. It was part of the bitter cup of agony that threatened to separate Him for a time from His Father, which He endured in behalf of sinners when He could have refused to drink it. God knew best and strengthened His only begotten Son to endure the agony and shame to become a propitiation for the sins of a lost world. That endurance rebukes self-pity in service and calls for Christlikeness and suffering for His sake.