My beautiful Tewahedo Orthodox sister, let us slow down and truly behold this sacred moment, not only with our minds, but with hearts awakened to God’s love.
Before the Cross,
before the scourging,
before the nails pierced His holy hands..
They spat on Him.
They covered His face.
They struck Him again and again.
They mocked the very One who formed them from the dust.
As it is written:
“Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, ‘Prophesy!’ And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.” Mark 14:65 (NKJV)
And again:
“Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, ‘Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?’ And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.” Luke 22:63–65 (NKJV)
This was not careless cruelty.
This was deliberate humiliation.
In that time, to spit on someone was not merely an insult, it was a declaration of rejection, of utter contempt. They sought not only to harm our Lord, but to strip Him of dignity, to treat Him as less than human.
The blows He received were not light or momentary. Again and again, fists struck the face of our God.
Then they blindfolded Him and mocked Him, saying, “Prophesy!”
Do you see the depth of this mockery?
They were saying, “If You are truly who You claim to be, tell us who struck You.”
But here is the holy mystery:
He knew.
He knew every hand that rose against Him.
He knew every voice that mocked Him.
He knew every face hidden behind the darkness.
And still,
our Lord remained silent.
Just as it was foretold:
“I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.” Isaiah 50:6 (NKJV)
This was not weakness.
This was willing obedience.
Our Lord was not forced into suffering; He embraced it. He was not overpowered; He surrendered Himself in perfect love, choosing to save us.
As He Himself declared:
“No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.” John 10:18 (NKJV)
Even in that painful moment, Christ had full authority.
He could have stopped it with a word.
He could have called down heavenly hosts, as He said in Matthew 26:53.
But He chose not to.
Why?
Because it is divine love in its purest form.
Not a love based on feelings.
Not a love that withdraws when rejected.
But a love that endures, gives, and sacrifices. A love that chose to save us.
As it is written:
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (NKJV)
The very people who struck Him,
He came to save.
The hands that beat Him,
He created.
The voices that mocked Him,
He longed to redeem.
And He endured all of it,
without retaliation,
without resistance,
without turning away.
This is what sets our Lord apart, my sister.
He did not only reveal His authority through miracles…
He revealed it through restraint.
Through silence.
Through patience.
Through choosing not to repay evil with evil.
This is true strength.
This is divine authority.
And here is the deeper revelation for us:
Before the Cross was ever raised,
before the nails were ever driven in,
Christ had already said yes.
Yes to the suffering.
Yes to the humiliation.
Yes to loving a world that would reject Him.
So when you read that He was struck,
do not only see pain, see purpose.
Every blow He endured
was a step toward your salvation.
Every insult
was carried for you.
Every moment of silence
was filled with love for you.
So today, my sister, let this move you, not only to reflect, but to respond.
When you are hated, remember Him. When you are hurt, remember Him who endured it all for you.
And choose, by His grace, the path He showed us: the path of humility, endurance, and sacrificial love.
Selam Seyoum