And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
The verse describes soldiers humiliating Jesus in the judgment hall before His crucifixion, spitting on Him and taking the reed placed in His hand as a mock scepter and striking Him on the head, driving the crown of thorns into His brow until blood ran down His face. He bore the insult with uncomplaining patience and godlike fortitude, refusing to retaliate, to use His divine power against His tormentors, or to call for angels to rescue Him. His unfailed human endurance under such provocation kept His life perfect and His offering complete, so that as the true Isaac not spared at the last moment He could redeem lost humanity. Those who spat on Him, struck Him, and mocked His kingship will see Him again in kingly majesty as King of kings and Lord of lords, and turn from His gaze in terror and remorse. Because He endured without seeking applause or fearing threats, His followers must measure their self-denial by His, and beholding His meekness under the thorns should humble sinners to repentance and consecrate them to patient, self-sacrificing service.
Mockery Before Crucifixion
Matthew 27:30 describes the soldiers humiliating Jesus in His suffering before the crucifixion, when in the cruelty of the judgment hall they spat upon Him, took the reed, and struck Him on the head. It was mockery before His crucifixion, adding suffering and humiliation as He endured spit and blows to the head. His treatment displays the shame and physical suffering He endured in the way of salvation, which He bore without seeking applause or fearing the world's threats. Together with His conflict in the wilderness of temptation, His life of self-sacrificing love, His soul agony in Gethsemane, and His agony upon the cross, it teaches self-sacrifice, patience under affliction, solemn consecration to God, and fitting preparation for holy work. Though He had taken human nature, He was sustained by godlike fortitude, made no murmur, and did not depart from His Father's will.
The reed had been put in His hand as a mock scepter in blasphemous mockery of His kingship as the Prince of life. With it went an old purple kingly robe placed upon His form and a crown of thorns bound upon His sacred head and noble brow. He was mockingly bowed to and saluted with Hail King of the Jews amid coarse jesting and cruel mocking by an infuriated mob, holding the mimic scepter in His unresisting hand. His persecutors striking Him on the head with the reed they had put in His hand belonged to the coming trial of the disciples, for seeing their beloved Teacher so abused would cause them to mourn and fast as their faith, hope, and courage failed.
The reed was then taken from His hand to smite Him upon the head. The blows drove the crown of sharp thorns into His temples. Blood trickled and ran down His face and beard and flowed from His holy brow.
The act belongs to an extended ordeal preceded by a night of prayer to His Father. After His midnight seizure in Gethsemane as a murderer, He who is the truth was scorned as a deceiver and hunted from place to place as a criminal, dragged to and fro from palace to judgment hall and arraigned twice before the priests, twice before the Sanhedrin, twice before Pilate, and once before Herod. His own nation took the most active part in contempt toward Him while His friends and even His own brethren denied and forsook Him. Being spat upon and struck on the head with the reed belongs with being lacerated with stripes, crowned with thorns, mocked and derided as a false king, mocked, scourged, and condemned, ending at last in crucifixion on the cross. He was hurried from Pilate's court with the cross prepared for Barabbas laid on His bruised and bleeding shoulders, and two thieves were also taken to be put to death with Him as He was led out bearing the heavy burden amid the wailing of the daughters of Jerusalem and the jeering of the crowd toward Calvary. His being delivered into the hands of wicked men brought Him mockery and scourging.
Every such cruelty was set in operation as Satan the apostate angel instigated it, joining buffeting temptation to physical torment, working through power over the hearts of men as Heaven beheld. Satan stirred the Jewish leaders and the crowd to mock and abuse Jesus, and the deceiver's control made people act as liars and murderers. The ignorant, hardened and corrupt soldiers who forced the crown of thorns on His head and smote Him amid taunts and revilings acted in comparative ignorance, not knowing He was the Sent of God, unacquainted with Old Testament history and without the abundant light given to the Jewish nation, thinking to please the priests and rulers by abusing Him, and would not have treated Him so cruelly had that light been given to them. The greatest guilt and heaviest responsibility belonged not to Pilate, Herod, or the soldiers, but to those who stood in the highest places in the nation, the repositories of sacred trusts that they were basely betraying. Angels were present in the judgment hall and could scarcely endure the sight, marveling at His bearing of the abuse without using divine power to seal the lips of scoffers, paralyze the smiting hand, or flash forth righteous indignation.
The verse belongs to His great trial before betrayal and crucifixion, when Christ the Son of God was handed over to the people for crucifixion and subjected to humiliation and insult by a jeering crowd with mockery, jeering, reviling, and blasphemous insults. The disciples were prepared for this treatment and were not to be surprised when the crowd reviled their Master.
Patient Sacrifice for Salvation
He bore the spitting and the blows with uncomplaining patience, gentleness and dignity, meeting insult and suffering without a murmur and without departing from His Father's will. Even when the strokes drove the thorns into His temples so that blood ran down His face and beard and flowed from His brow, He endured with calm dignity and godlike fortitude, sustained though He had taken human nature. His meekness and patience under this test upheld the perfection of His human life.
He refused to retaliate or to use His divine power to escape, though the mockery and violence were meant to provoke Him to complain or to deliver Himself. He would not seal the lips of the scoffers, paralyze the smiting hand, or flash forth righteous indignation upon those who taunted and reviled Him, to the marvel and mystery of angels. Though He could have asked His Father for a legion of angels to assist Him, He opened not His mouth but endured all slight and indignity heaped upon Him. His humanity had to withstand the test without failure for Him to remain the perfect offering.
As the Lamb whose sacrifice could redeem humanity, His unresisting endurance kept the plan of salvation from failing. It behooved Him as the innocent Sufferer to suffer all this — to be spit upon, crowned with thorns, and stretched on Calvary's cross to die an ignominious death for sins — to make a way of escape for lost man. He is the true Isaac offered for the sins of the world, enduring humiliation in the judgment hall and on the way to Calvary through to death on the cross. Unlike Isaac He was not spared at the last moment by an angel's message that He need not die, and though legions of angels waited sorrowfully hoping to prevent His shameful death, they were not permitted to rescue Him until He bowed His head and died amid jeers, taunts and revilings.
His humiliation and suffering reveal the cost of His sacrifice and stand as the supreme proof of God's love for humanity. Though Pilate declared Him without fault, men who hated His reproof and sinless character crucified Him to get Him out of the way, beating Him with rods until the cruel thorns pierced His holy brow. He bore the heaviest humiliations anyone can bear, humiliation all the way through, even to being hung with nails through His hands and feet and counted as nothing more than other dying men.
Future Glory and Discipleship
The spitting and the blows of the reed belong to the humiliation of the Prince of life, when the purple robe was put upon Him, the crown of thorns upon His sacred brow, and the mimic scepter in His unresisting hand in blasphemous mockery. Those who then mocked, smote, and spat upon Him will behold Him again in His glory at His coming, and at the raising of the wicked dead they will see Him in kingly majesty and recognize in Him the One they mocked and crucified. They will turn from His piercing gaze in terror and remorse, seeking to flee from the overpowering glory of His presence, yet they are still to see Him sitting on the right hand of power as King of kings and Lord of lords.
That ordeal of condemnation and abuse became a severe test for His disciples, and they had been prepared beforehand not to be surprised when their Master was reviled by a jeering crowd. The hostility surrounding Him exposed the danger that disappointed, self-seeking followers would abandon Him and draw others away, and Jesus met His disciples in an earlier test while still with them so that His presence might strengthen the faith of those who remained loyal and prepare them for the trial ahead. Seeing their beloved Teacher in the hands of wicked men, crowned with thorns and treated with derision, insult, and mockery, with the reed they had put in His hand used to strike His head, killed their hope that He would deliver Israel. Their faith, hope, and courage failed, giving them cause to mourn and fast, and after He was stretched upon the cross at Calvary as a malefactor and died as a criminal, and was taken down and laid in Joseph's new tomb, they were left in terrible anguish and agony.
He bore all this humiliation without seeking applause or fearing the threats of the world, though Pilate declared Him without fault and men who hated His reproof and sinless character crucified Him to put Him out of the way. From Gethsemane through rejection by the murderous throng crying for His blood, to being led away pale, weak, and fainting to crucifixion, stretched upon the wooden cross with nails through tender hands and feet and hung in agony while angels veiled their faces and the sun hid its light, with the reed smiting Him and driving the thorns into His temples till blood flowed from His holy brow, He endured the heaviest humiliations all the way through, beaten with rods, the cruel thorns piercing His brow, even to being counted as nothing more than other dying men. Since He went to no greater depths in humility in behalf of fallen humanity, no self-denial can be called hard and the narrow way is not too strait, for He demands all, entire consecration, separation from the world and from dead heartless professors, and transformation by the renewing of the mind. Those who recognize Him as Saviour and Helper must be willing to do anything the Lord asks, to be partakers of His sufferings in hard places without seeking honor from others, trusting His sympathy and grace to bring them through trials to see Him in His kingdom. As the meek Lamb and innocent Sufferer He opened not His mouth under all slight and indignity, though He could have asked His Father for a legion of angels, being spit upon, crowned with thorns, and stretched on Calvary's cross to die an ignominious death because it behooved Him so to suffer to make a way of escape for lost man, and His patient endurance leaves those saved by Him no room to complain or murmur at any sacrifice for their own sins but calls them to crave the suffering part, to learn to suffer more, to deny self, and to be perfectly subdued by grace from passion and impatience.
Beholding His meekness and loveliness as crowned with thorns and nailed to the cross for sins should humble the sinner and break the heart, bringing shame and humiliation in the dust over a course condemned by God and leading to repentance. Together with His conflict in the wilderness of temptation, His life of self-sacrificing love, His soul agony in Gethsemane, and His agony upon the cross, the cruelty of the judgment hall where He was spit upon and smitten on the head with the reed teaches self-sacrifice, patience under affliction, solemn consecration to God, and fitting preparation for holy work. One whom God has honored by choosing to unite him with the angels in ministering to souls and enlightening them with divine truth must make that great object supreme, put all his energies to its accomplishment, make every other consideration secondary, and feel the solemn obligations resting upon him.
The verse describes soldiers humiliating Jesus in the judgment hall before His crucifixion, spitting on Him and taking the reed placed in His hand as a mock scepter and striking Him on the head, driving the crown of thorns into His brow until blood ran down His face. He bore the insult with uncomplaining patience and godlike fortitude, refusing to retaliate, to use His divine power against His tormentors, or to call for angels to rescue Him. His unfailed human endurance under such provocation kept His life perfect and His offering complete, so that as the true Isaac not spared at the last moment He could redeem lost humanity. Those who spat on Him, struck Him, and mocked His kingship will see Him again in kingly majesty as King of kings and Lord of lords, and turn from His gaze in terror and remorse. Because He endured without seeking applause or fearing threats, His followers must measure their self-denial by His, and beholding His meekness under the thorns should humble sinners to repentance and consecrate them to patient, self-sacrificing service.
Mockery Before Crucifixion
Matthew 27:30 describes the soldiers humiliating Jesus in His suffering before the crucifixion, when in the cruelty of the judgment hall they spat upon Him, took the reed, and struck Him on the head. It was mockery before His crucifixion, adding suffering and humiliation as He endured spit and blows to the head. His treatment displays the shame and physical suffering He endured in the way of salvation, which He bore without seeking applause or fearing the world's threats. Together with His conflict in the wilderness of temptation, His life of self-sacrificing love, His soul agony in Gethsemane, and His agony upon the cross, it teaches self-sacrifice, patience under affliction, solemn consecration to God, and fitting preparation for holy work. Though He had taken human nature, He was sustained by godlike fortitude, made no murmur, and did not depart from His Father's will.
The reed had been put in His hand as a mock scepter in blasphemous mockery of His kingship as the Prince of life. With it went an old purple kingly robe placed upon His form and a crown of thorns bound upon His sacred head and noble brow. He was mockingly bowed to and saluted with Hail King of the Jews amid coarse jesting and cruel mocking by an infuriated mob, holding the mimic scepter in His unresisting hand. His persecutors striking Him on the head with the reed they had put in His hand belonged to the coming trial of the disciples, for seeing their beloved Teacher so abused would cause them to mourn and fast as their faith, hope, and courage failed.
The reed was then taken from His hand to smite Him upon the head. The blows drove the crown of sharp thorns into His temples. Blood trickled and ran down His face and beard and flowed from His holy brow.
The act belongs to an extended ordeal preceded by a night of prayer to His Father. After His midnight seizure in Gethsemane as a murderer, He who is the truth was scorned as a deceiver and hunted from place to place as a criminal, dragged to and fro from palace to judgment hall and arraigned twice before the priests, twice before the Sanhedrin, twice before Pilate, and once before Herod. His own nation took the most active part in contempt toward Him while His friends and even His own brethren denied and forsook Him. Being spat upon and struck on the head with the reed belongs with being lacerated with stripes, crowned with thorns, mocked and derided as a false king, mocked, scourged, and condemned, ending at last in crucifixion on the cross. He was hurried from Pilate's court with the cross prepared for Barabbas laid on His bruised and bleeding shoulders, and two thieves were also taken to be put to death with Him as He was led out bearing the heavy burden amid the wailing of the daughters of Jerusalem and the jeering of the crowd toward Calvary. His being delivered into the hands of wicked men brought Him mockery and scourging.
Every such cruelty was set in operation as Satan the apostate angel instigated it, joining buffeting temptation to physical torment, working through power over the hearts of men as Heaven beheld. Satan stirred the Jewish leaders and the crowd to mock and abuse Jesus, and the deceiver's control made people act as liars and murderers. The ignorant, hardened and corrupt soldiers who forced the crown of thorns on His head and smote Him amid taunts and revilings acted in comparative ignorance, not knowing He was the Sent of God, unacquainted with Old Testament history and without the abundant light given to the Jewish nation, thinking to please the priests and rulers by abusing Him, and would not have treated Him so cruelly had that light been given to them. The greatest guilt and heaviest responsibility belonged not to Pilate, Herod, or the soldiers, but to those who stood in the highest places in the nation, the repositories of sacred trusts that they were basely betraying. Angels were present in the judgment hall and could scarcely endure the sight, marveling at His bearing of the abuse without using divine power to seal the lips of scoffers, paralyze the smiting hand, or flash forth righteous indignation.
The verse belongs to His great trial before betrayal and crucifixion, when Christ the Son of God was handed over to the people for crucifixion and subjected to humiliation and insult by a jeering crowd with mockery, jeering, reviling, and blasphemous insults. The disciples were prepared for this treatment and were not to be surprised when the crowd reviled their Master.
Patient Sacrifice for Salvation
He bore the spitting and the blows with uncomplaining patience, gentleness and dignity, meeting insult and suffering without a murmur and without departing from His Father's will. Even when the strokes drove the thorns into His temples so that blood ran down His face and beard and flowed from His brow, He endured with calm dignity and godlike fortitude, sustained though He had taken human nature. His meekness and patience under this test upheld the perfection of His human life.
He refused to retaliate or to use His divine power to escape, though the mockery and violence were meant to provoke Him to complain or to deliver Himself. He would not seal the lips of the scoffers, paralyze the smiting hand, or flash forth righteous indignation upon those who taunted and reviled Him, to the marvel and mystery of angels. Though He could have asked His Father for a legion of angels to assist Him, He opened not His mouth but endured all slight and indignity heaped upon Him. His humanity had to withstand the test without failure for Him to remain the perfect offering.
As the Lamb whose sacrifice could redeem humanity, His unresisting endurance kept the plan of salvation from failing. It behooved Him as the innocent Sufferer to suffer all this — to be spit upon, crowned with thorns, and stretched on Calvary's cross to die an ignominious death for sins — to make a way of escape for lost man. He is the true Isaac offered for the sins of the world, enduring humiliation in the judgment hall and on the way to Calvary through to death on the cross. Unlike Isaac He was not spared at the last moment by an angel's message that He need not die, and though legions of angels waited sorrowfully hoping to prevent His shameful death, they were not permitted to rescue Him until He bowed His head and died amid jeers, taunts and revilings.
His humiliation and suffering reveal the cost of His sacrifice and stand as the supreme proof of God's love for humanity. Though Pilate declared Him without fault, men who hated His reproof and sinless character crucified Him to get Him out of the way, beating Him with rods until the cruel thorns pierced His holy brow. He bore the heaviest humiliations anyone can bear, humiliation all the way through, even to being hung with nails through His hands and feet and counted as nothing more than other dying men.
Future Glory and Discipleship
The spitting and the blows of the reed belong to the humiliation of the Prince of life, when the purple robe was put upon Him, the crown of thorns upon His sacred brow, and the mimic scepter in His unresisting hand in blasphemous mockery. Those who then mocked, smote, and spat upon Him will behold Him again in His glory at His coming, and at the raising of the wicked dead they will see Him in kingly majesty and recognize in Him the One they mocked and crucified. They will turn from His piercing gaze in terror and remorse, seeking to flee from the overpowering glory of His presence, yet they are still to see Him sitting on the right hand of power as King of kings and Lord of lords.
That ordeal of condemnation and abuse became a severe test for His disciples, and they had been prepared beforehand not to be surprised when their Master was reviled by a jeering crowd. The hostility surrounding Him exposed the danger that disappointed, self-seeking followers would abandon Him and draw others away, and Jesus met His disciples in an earlier test while still with them so that His presence might strengthen the faith of those who remained loyal and prepare them for the trial ahead. Seeing their beloved Teacher in the hands of wicked men, crowned with thorns and treated with derision, insult, and mockery, with the reed they had put in His hand used to strike His head, killed their hope that He would deliver Israel. Their faith, hope, and courage failed, giving them cause to mourn and fast, and after He was stretched upon the cross at Calvary as a malefactor and died as a criminal, and was taken down and laid in Joseph's new tomb, they were left in terrible anguish and agony.
He bore all this humiliation without seeking applause or fearing the threats of the world, though Pilate declared Him without fault and men who hated His reproof and sinless character crucified Him to put Him out of the way. From Gethsemane through rejection by the murderous throng crying for His blood, to being led away pale, weak, and fainting to crucifixion, stretched upon the wooden cross with nails through tender hands and feet and hung in agony while angels veiled their faces and the sun hid its light, with the reed smiting Him and driving the thorns into His temples till blood flowed from His holy brow, He endured the heaviest humiliations all the way through, beaten with rods, the cruel thorns piercing His brow, even to being counted as nothing more than other dying men. Since He went to no greater depths in humility in behalf of fallen humanity, no self-denial can be called hard and the narrow way is not too strait, for He demands all, entire consecration, separation from the world and from dead heartless professors, and transformation by the renewing of the mind. Those who recognize Him as Saviour and Helper must be willing to do anything the Lord asks, to be partakers of His sufferings in hard places without seeking honor from others, trusting His sympathy and grace to bring them through trials to see Him in His kingdom. As the meek Lamb and innocent Sufferer He opened not His mouth under all slight and indignity, though He could have asked His Father for a legion of angels, being spit upon, crowned with thorns, and stretched on Calvary's cross to die an ignominious death because it behooved Him so to suffer to make a way of escape for lost man, and His patient endurance leaves those saved by Him no room to complain or murmur at any sacrifice for their own sins but calls them to crave the suffering part, to learn to suffer more, to deny self, and to be perfectly subdued by grace from passion and impatience.
Beholding His meekness and loveliness as crowned with thorns and nailed to the cross for sins should humble the sinner and break the heart, bringing shame and humiliation in the dust over a course condemned by God and leading to repentance. Together with His conflict in the wilderness of temptation, His life of self-sacrificing love, His soul agony in Gethsemane, and His agony upon the cross, the cruelty of the judgment hall where He was spit upon and smitten on the head with the reed teaches self-sacrifice, patience under affliction, solemn consecration to God, and fitting preparation for holy work. One whom God has honored by choosing to unite him with the angels in ministering to souls and enlightening them with divine truth must make that great object supreme, put all his energies to its accomplishment, make every other consideration secondary, and feel the solemn obligations resting upon him.