Spit, No Towel

 I remember one Sunday night a few years back I was in a rush to get to Church. I grabbed my coat put on my shoes and off I went; no, I didn’t look in the mirror. Okay, maybe a glance but I would have never saw what I would see later at Church. Arriving a few minutes early I talked with those I came in contact with and soon made my way to the platform sitting down beside the Associate Pastor. I looked down and noticed in my rush I had put on one black shoe and one brown shoe. My first thought was to go out the side door and escape from my embarrassment, but what would I say was the reason? Then I thought no one will probably even notice anyways. I felt safe by my friend and Associate Pastor so I thought he might get a good laugh so I reach over and told him; that was a mistake. When he went to the pulpit the first words that fell from his lips were words of telling everyone to be sure to look at my shoes. I had to walk around the rest of the night with everyone looking at my shoes and there was nothing I could do but just smile and laugh; it wasn’t that bad. As I was reading in Matthew Chapter 27 I noticed something I have never seen before, Jesus has been undressed and redressed, He had been beat in the head with a reed; strong says that a reed is some type of plant maybe a stick anyways Jesus was beat in the head with it. A crown of thorns had been put upon His head. He had been mocked, made fun of, slapped and they also spit upon Him. Jesus was so weak and the cross so heavy they found a man named Simon and he carried the cross. As they went to the place called Golgotha they gave Jesus vinegar to drink mingled with gall but he refused it. These soldiers did something else and why they did it I don’t know; who would get pleasure out of spitting on a half dead man? Spitting upon another person, especially onto the face, is a universal sign of anger, hatred, disrespect or contempt. Did these soldiers hate Jesus or did they disrespect what He stood for or were they just angry with Him? I don’t know but what is interesting about this spittle that no where do we read of Jesus reaching and wiping it from His face. Wow stop and think for a minute spitting on someone is filthy; could this spit symbolize the filth in our hearts? Then with the filth of the spit Jesus carries it to the cross. Is this why Isaiah said this about Jesus;  

Isaiah 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

Why did the Lord Jesus allow all of this, He could have stopped it; here’s why?

 Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

His wounds were for our transgressions (our rebellious acts.) His bruises were for our iniquities (sins.) He was punished so we could have peace and we receive healing from His stripes. All; you and I have all gone astray, we have done what we wanted to do, when we wanted to do it and how we wanted to do it, but God has laid all the sin of the world upon the shoulders of Jesus Christ. With the spit on His face He made His way to the cross where He there died for mine and your sins. No towel for Him, not only did Jesus choose the nails He also chose the saliva.