Beating Him with a reed and spitting on Him

Mark 15:16-19
So the soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium), and they called together the whole Roman cohort. And they dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him; and they began to greet Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting on Him; and kneeling, they were bowing down before Him.

Before the Roman soldiers humiliated Him, Jesus had already been scourged (Mark 15:15).

The Roman scourging was repeated blows on the back by “a whip consisting of three or more leather tails that had plumbatae, small metal balls or sheep bones at the end of each tail.” The effect of the repeated blows of flogging with this instrument were devastating. When it was finally over, Jesus was likely close to death from the shock of blood loss and loss of bodily fluids.

But that wasn’t enough for His torturers.

 
After beating Him nearly to death, they shamed Him in front of the crowd of soldiers who took turns mocking His claim to kingship, wrapping Him regally in a cape. After wedging a wreath of thorns on His head they repeatedly struck Him on the head with a reed staff, spat on Him and kneeled in feigned homage. The Chief Priests’ soldiers had done the same thing prior to delivering Jesus to the Romans, spitting on Him, beating Him and slapping His face (Mark 14:64,65).

 
The behavior of the soldiers towards Jesus should give us pause.

 
The Roman legionnaires had likely been in service since mid-to-late adolescence. They had likely been exposed to beatings and humiliation throughout their training and subsequent service. As soldiers, they had been exposed to violence and had the moral injury of hand-to-hand killing. Some might even have developed an appetite for aggression and cruelty. In this latter case, they might have developed a total lack of empathy and compassion, thus explaining their continued need to violently shame and humiliate Jesus.

 
Moses asked to see God’s glory. But he could not see the face of God and live. Instead, the Lord passed before the patriarch unseen and called out,

“Yahweh, Yahweh God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth” (Exodus 34:6).

 
In the Praetorium on the last morning of His human life, the Son of God confronted “anti-God:” all in mankind that is the opposite of the character of God. Jesus brought His entire life, His character and His teachings into that moment. By mid-morning, His face was bruised and disfigured, stained with His own blood and the spit of His tormentors. He had endured unimaginable shame. And it was only just beginning. 

 It was for us. “The Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him” (Isaiah 53:6).

 
We see what Moses couldn’t. In Jesus  we can see the face of God.
When Moses heard the voice of Yahweh, "He made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship” (Exodus 34:8).

May be join Moses, prostrate in worship before Him.