What the soldiers did through the passion of Christ were abominable. They were out for blood. They scourged Jesus with the legionnaire's whip. Christ was already close to death when the soldiers finally untied his hands and slammed him to the ground.
The first thing the soldiers did was to mercilessly beat Christ. The third thing they did was to crucify him. But what they did between the whipping and the crucifixion was hateful.
In relation to the whipping and the crucifixion, the soldiers were following orders. But what they did in between is hard to comprehend.
The assignment of the soldiers was simple: "Take the Nazarene to the hill and kill him". But the soldiers had a different idea. They decided to first have some fun at the expense of Christ.
The strong, well-rested, fully armed soldiers encircled the Galilean carpenter and beat him almost to the pulp. They spit on him and publicly mocked him without mercy. Who would get some pleasure at spiting on a man who is already half dead?
Spitting does not wound the body. It can't. It wounds the spirit profoundly. What the soldiers did was to elevate themselves at the expense of Christ. What they did was to make themselves big and make Christ look small.
Have you ever done that figuratively? I have. Maybe you have not spit on any one, but have you gossiped? Have you slandered of libeled anyone? Have you raise your hand in anger and rolled your eyes in arrogance?
That's what the soldiers did to Christ. When you and I act in the same manner toward each other, we do it to Christ. How we treat each other is how we treat Christ.
Christ was offered wine for his throat, but a towel for his face. Simeon helped him carry the cross, but he did not mop Jesus' face. Angels of heaven were a prayer away. Could they have removed the spit from his face? They could have, but he did not ask them to. He did not tell them to do so so that he couldcarry the filth in our heart to the cross.
On the Cross Jesus took the face of a deplorable sinner, in order that we, sinners, could ever grow into the full likeness of God in whose image we have been created.
The first thing the soldiers did was to mercilessly beat Christ. The third thing they did was to crucify him. But what they did between the whipping and the crucifixion was hateful.
In relation to the whipping and the crucifixion, the soldiers were following orders. But what they did in between is hard to comprehend.
The assignment of the soldiers was simple: "Take the Nazarene to the hill and kill him". But the soldiers had a different idea. They decided to first have some fun at the expense of Christ.
The strong, well-rested, fully armed soldiers encircled the Galilean carpenter and beat him almost to the pulp. They spit on him and publicly mocked him without mercy. Who would get some pleasure at spiting on a man who is already half dead?
Spitting does not wound the body. It can't. It wounds the spirit profoundly. What the soldiers did was to elevate themselves at the expense of Christ. What they did was to make themselves big and make Christ look small.
Have you ever done that figuratively? I have. Maybe you have not spit on any one, but have you gossiped? Have you slandered of libeled anyone? Have you raise your hand in anger and rolled your eyes in arrogance?
That's what the soldiers did to Christ. When you and I act in the same manner toward each other, we do it to Christ. How we treat each other is how we treat Christ.
Christ was offered wine for his throat, but a towel for his face. Simeon helped him carry the cross, but he did not mop Jesus' face. Angels of heaven were a prayer away. Could they have removed the spit from his face? They could have, but he did not ask them to. He did not tell them to do so so that he couldcarry the filth in our heart to the cross.
On the Cross Jesus took the face of a deplorable sinner, in order that we, sinners, could ever grow into the full likeness of God in whose image we have been created.
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