Spit, Struck & Slapped

After the betrayal of Jesus’ friends as we read in Matthew 26, we then read this:

“They spit in his face and struck him with their fists.  Others slapped him….”

Jesus was the Messiah, the son of the living God, and he knew it.  These people didn’t know it.  They didn’t get it.  And they were looking for a reason to crucify him. 

Being spit upon, getting hit, and then experiencing  hard slap…what would you do?

I would either cower, run, or spit back. 

How did Jesus stay in the middle of betrayal after betrayal, hurt after hurt, and desertion after desertion?

The answer is found in the knowing of who he was, and whose he was.

I’m convinced that if in our lifetime here on earth we realize who God really is, and that we really belong to him and are loved by him, we can make it through all that life brings us.

Been slapped? Is your face damp from others spitting on you?  Or are you doing the hitting?

We are created in his image, his likeness, to embody his glory.  God loves us.  We belong to him.

Think on this today, and lay down your sword, and wipe off your face.