From Mark 14:53-65 / Respect – While these verses reveal the utter heartlessness and injustice on behalf of those appointed by God to see justice is done – there is one verse which always grips my own heart the most: “And some began to spit on Him and to cover His face and to strike Him, saying to Him, Prophesy! And the guards received Him with blows.” It is the utter disregard, the disdain, degradation and indignity with which Jesus was treated that makes my heart weep. When Jesus taught us to pray, He placed the hallowing – the reverencing of His Father’s name and reputation as having the highest priority. All of sin and the Fall came from angelic and human creatures not seeing Him for who and what He is, and not giving Him the reverence due His name. Making the very mention of God sacred. And at this point in human history, the whole of that wicked capacity in us to try and shame and degrade God Himself is cast upon Jesus’ sweet shoulders with the utmost contempt. The One who surrendered all of Heaven’s glories to take on the likeness of our fallenness, that He might suffer the Father’s just wrath in our place – spit upon and mocked as a fool. In this my fellow Christian, is the willingness of our Christ to take on the worst of human sin on our behalf – set in its greatest relief. Oh how He loves you and me. Read this passage, and let your heart melt. How we so violently recoil at the pettiest of slights against our persons. And how He uttered not a word of self-defense in this wicked, cruel moment. That we might be reconciled to the Father. What a Savior is this!