When The World Slaps You in the Face

(Read John 18:15-22)

This morning we continue our “Passion Week” mini-series.  Yesterday we left off with Jesus being arrested.  Let’s pick up the story from there.

The Roman Soldiers took Jesus away to see the High Priests.  Peter and another disciple followed behind.  Peter stood outside the High Priest’s home while the other disciple went in.  Annas interrogated Jesus, questioning His teachings and actions.  Jesus responded, “I’ve spoken openly in public.  I’ve taught regularly in meeting places and the Temple, where the Jews all come together.  Everything has been out in the open.  I’ve said nothing in secret.  So why are you treating me like a conspirator?  Question those who have been listening to me.  They know well what I have said.  My teachings have all been above board.”  Jesus’ response was straightforward.  While it was strong (Jesus was no coward), I don’t think it was disrespectful.  However, one of the policemen standing by did not like the way Jesus spoke to the High Priest, so he slapped Jesus across the face.  Just imagining that scene makes me cringe.

When we think of Jesus, most of the time, we think of the miraculous Jesus.  We think of the God-man who stopped a funeral procession when He met a woman who was at her wit’s end.  Her husband was dead and she was enroute to burying her only son.  Jesus had compassion on her and raised her boy from the dead.  We think of the God-man who looked out at a vast crowd (5,000 men, not counting the women and children) and had compassion on them when they were hungry.  He took a little boy’s lunch (2 fish and 5 loaves of bread) and fed the entire crowd until they were full.  We think of the God-man who showed up at His friends’ house (Mary and Martha) after their brother had been dead for four days.  His body was already stinking.  He had so much compassion for them that He cried.  He went to the tomb, raised Lazarus from the dead, and loosed him from his grave clothes.  We think of the God-man who walked on water and met His disciples in the fourth watch of the night (3am-6am), when they were tired, frustrated, and fearful.  He met them where they were and He invited Peter to walk on water with Him.  We think of the God-man who met a woman in church who wanted to straighten herself up, but she couldn’t.  She had been bent over for 18 years, but she was still worshipping God.  Jesus looked at her, had compassion, and healed her that very moment.  Her back straightened up and her praise went to another level.

Most of the time we think of the miraculous Jesus, the powerful Jesus, the wonder-working Jesus.  But what about the Jesus who was whipped 39 times with a cat of 9 tails for us?  What about the Jesus who was beaten so badly that He was almost unrecognizable?  What about the Jesus in our text this morning who was slapped in the face for us?  This was also part of His life.  Jesus endured these and many more painful situations on the Road to the Resurrection.

So what does this mean to you today?  A few things.

1.  Life in Christ is not always easy.  Life in Christ is not always full of water walking, crowd feeding, healing the sick and raising the dead.  Sometimes life in Christ means you have to face the unpleasant with divine resolve.  Sometimes you are saying the right things, like Jesus did in the text, and you are living in the center of God’s will, like Jesus was in the text, and life will still reach out and slap you across the face, like it did to Jesus!  But don’t be moved.  Like Jesus, you have the grace to face whatever comes your way!  This world can hit you with it’s best shot, and as a believer, you can STAND, WITHSTAND, and OVERCOME by the grace of God!  God never promised it would be easy, but He did promise to give you the grace overcome everything you face on the path to your purpose!

2.  You can find Pleasure in the Pain.  There will be pain associated with your purpose, but just as long as you know you the pain came  BECAUSE of your divine assignment, you can find divine pleasure in it.  There is a difference between facing opposition to your divine purpose and reaping a bad harvest from bad seed.  Just as long as you know you are not reaping the consequences of bad decisions, you can find peace in being in the center of God’s will.  Paul said, “I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ.  For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10).  

3.  You have the Grace to keep going.  Paul said, “We often suffer, but we are never crushed.  Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up.  In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again” (2 Cor 4:8,9).  Has the world slapped you across the face this week?  Have you been facing challenges to your divine purpose lately?  Are you in the middle of a storm?  If so, look at Jesus.  Jesus made it through every challenge and SO WILL YOU!  When the world hits you with it’s best shot the Holy Spirit gives you the power to take it and still make it!  You are an overcomer and you will COME OVER everything the enemy brings your way!  Not by your power, but by God’s grace!!!

Closing Confession:  Father, I thank You for reminding me of the Jesus I don’t like to think about.  The Jesus I often think about is the wonder-working Jesus, the miraculous Jesus, the powerful Jesus.  I love to think about my Jesus who healed the sick, raised the dead, caused the blind to see, lame to walk, dumb to speak, and deaf to hear.  That’s my Jesus.  But my Jesus is also the Jesus who was wounded for my transgressions and bruised for my iniquities.  My Jesus is also the Jesus who took 39 lashes with a cat of 9 tails.  My Jesus was slapped across the face, even though He had done nothing wrong.  My Jesus was dragged from mock trial to mock trial, in the middle of the night, without any true charges, and without any witnesses against Him.  The world convicted the only innocent to ever live.  That Jesus is also my Jesus.  So when I face challenges I remember that Jesus and I keep going.  Jesus faced pain on the Road to the Resurrection, and I will face pain on the road to my purpose.  But like Jesus, I will never give up.  Because You have given me the grace to keep going.  I declare this by faith.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper.