"When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face..." - John 18:22 (NIV)
Jesus said, "I and the Father are One" (John 10:30). Jesus said, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). The Jews desired to kill Jesus, primarily because in their point of view He blasphemed by claiming to be equal with God (Matt 26:65-66). His claim was not empty, for He proved it to be true (Heb 2:4). Who but God can forgive sins? Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven" (Mark 2:5). Who but God could cast out even the strongest of demons (Mark 5)? Jesus said, "Come out, and enter no more" (Mark 9:25). Who but God could raise the dead? Jesus said, "Lazarus, come forth" (John 11:43). Who but God could lay down His life and then take it back up again (John 10:14-18)?
When God descended on Mt Sinai, and the whole mountain trembled, there was lightening and thunder and great fear fell on all the people (Ex 19:16-19), do you think anyone present would have had this thought: "I'm going to walk up that little hill and smack God in the face"?
Or did a single Egyptian, in the midst of the plagues (Ex 7-11), when God defied Egypt and sent curse after curse, succeed in one solid blow to the cheek of the Almighty - to bring harm, or insult - so that God might repent and tremble before Pharoah, his army, or the wrath of man?
When God caused the earth to open it's mouth and swallow up the rebellious Israelites complete with their wives and children (Num 16:31-33), did no one step forward to strike the face of God, so that God might reconsider His actions?
When God brought the great flood in Noah's day (Gen 6-7), was there no one among the condemned that was able to slap God, that He might cease the outpouring of judgment?
When God said, "Come, let Us go down and confuse their language" (Gen 11:7) was there no one at the tower of Babel that thought to slap God to stop Him in His tracks?
Do you believe, on the Last Day, when books are opened and the whole world is judged, when every generation stands before Him (Rev 20:11-15) - how many, at that time, will approach the throne and slap the One who sits upon it?
What about you? Would you raise your hand against the One who gave you life (Gen 1:27), Who has authority to take it from you, Who can destroy both body and soul (Matt 10:28)?
Would you slap the One through Whom all things have their existance (John 1:3) - that exist solely because of His pleasure (Rev 4:11)? The One who is from the Beginning? The One who is self-existant? The One who is Alpha and Omega (Rev 1:8)?
Will you display your courage, your authority, your power, your command over your own life and your own existence by approaching and striking the One who spoke the world into being (Gen 1:3-25), Who will one day judge both the living and the dead (Romans 14:12)?
I have a colony of earthworms in my back yard. They are Alabama Wigglers. They are not smart enough to know they are Alabama Wigglers, but that's what they are. They are worms. Though they have multiple brains, they are not real bright. I feed them. I do my best to take care of them. Not a single one of them has ever slapped me in the face. As unintelligent as they are, perhaps they are smart enough to know better.
Mosquitoes may be different. Who has ever been challenged by a mosquito? It does not take much bravery to get in a slap fest with a mosquito.... They give you an uncomfortable prick, you retaliate by splattering their internal parts in all directions. They should have thought the prospect through, this plan of theirs: Of tangling with you. They quickly go from three dimensional to two dimensional. Four dimensions to two dimensions if you include time... Their time is up. You decided to slap back and it wasn't pretty. To be honest, it was a mismatch to begin with.
When Christ encountered demons they trembled in fear. "What do you have to do with us? We know who you are. Don't send us to the abyss" they pleaded (Matt 8:29). The demons had sense enough not to smack Jesus.
The wind and the waves, the tempests of the sea, more power than you and I have for sure, yet when Christ said, "Be still" even the massive power found in nature bowed without a fight (Mark 4:39).
It is only mankind that is fool enough to slap the face of God. I say "fool enough" because it is not wisdom, it is not authority, it is not bravery, it is not superiority, it is folly. It is to curse your only friend (Heb 2:3).
Think of the one who slapped Christ. Where is he now? His legacy is far removed from the time of this one infamous event. This is the only part of his life that has lasted throughout the ages. Even his name is forgotten. He is now known only for one act of violence against the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Probably even his grave is no longer marked. Life is but a vapor (James 4:14)... he slaps no more. His slappers are forever silenced.
However, the One he stuck, named Jesus (Matt 1:25), who appeared to be just the son of a carpenter (Matt 13:55), with nothing about His appearance that made people desire Him (Isaiah 53:2), today He is seated at the right hand of God (Col 3:1). He has been given a name that is above every other name (Phil 2:9). There is no greater power, no higher authority, He has no predecessor and He will have no successor. He is God yesterday, He is God today, He is God forever.
Did this slap happy man know that even the demons were not so bold? Demons are fallen angels (2 Peter 2:4). Do you know the power of angels? How many angels does it take to guard the way to the tree of life (Gen 3:24)? How many angels would you like to fight against? Even Balaam's donkey had enough sense to steer clear of a single angel (Numbers 22:23). I know that guards at a tomb are not a match for angels (Matt 28:1-4). The men of Sodom were powerless against two angels (Gen 19:11). In Revelation chapter seven, four angels hold back the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor the sea, nor on any tree. Later in Revelation chapter nine, four angels are loosed to slay one third of the earth's population.
Who would slap an angel? Who has ever thought of doing such? The angels, as powerful as they are, submit to the One who is the commander of all the heavenly hosts. He is the Commander in Chief of all the armies of heaven, and all the power, in all the angels combined is no match for the One enthroned in Heaven.
Did the slap happy man know that the wind and the waves were subject to Him (Mark 4:41)? Did this man know the blood that Christ was about to shed, would be shed that this slap happy man might live (Hebrews 9)?
I don't think he knew. I don't think he knew at all. To be fair (and I like to be fair), the earthworms may not appreciate me, but perhaps they don't slap me because they don't have any hands - and also they may not be tall enough.
The mosquitoes, when they pick a fight with you, they don't understand that they are dealing with a being that has exceptional sensitivity to the presence of blood suckers, nor do they understand the power that is found in our 'mosquito squashers,' nor do they grasp our superior hand-eye coordination, nor our tendency to repay inconvenience and slight discomfort with sudden judgment and the death of any winged leech.
This slap happy man could surely claim ignorance. He did not know who he was slapping. Surely he would not intentionally slap God in the face, nor the Son of God. He may have not even hit him hard enough to leave a mark, who knows? But Christ would sure enough be stricken and marked (Isaiah 53).
Soon the sins of the world would be dumped upon Him (1 John 2:2). The full vengeance of the Law of God would be set against Him. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), and justice would soon place Christ in it's cross hairs. Sin can not go unpunished (Proverbs 11:21). Justice would soon strike Christ a blow that must not relent until death is carried out. The Father was about to strike Him, for it was written long before this, that it pleased God to bruise Him (Isaiah 53:10). The ancient serpent from the Garden was about to strike His heel (Gen 3:15). Soon enough, Christ would be smitten (Mark 14:27).
In contrast, this slap from the guard was no significant blow to Christ. It was a blow only to the aggressor. We can only hope that this slap happy man saw the error of his ways and accepted the forgiveness of the One who was about to face the full wrath of the Holy Father... Who was about to carry the full penalty for all sin (Isaiah 53:5), and yet still recover (Hebrews 7:16), still rise again (Luke 24:6), still ascend into heaven (Acts 1:9), still be seated at the right hand of God (Hebrews 8:1)... this was the wrong Man to slap!
In Him was life (John 1:4) and in no one else (Acts 4:12). In Him was hope for all mankind and in no one else (Hebrews 2:3), in Him was the fullness of God (Col 2:9), and all authority in Heaven and on earth (Matt 28:18) belongs to Him - this was the wrong man to slap!
In Him is love, and not in part, but in full. Despite our past, our failures, our faults, our weakness, our arrogance... His love remains unstoppable, unconditional, untamable, unhindered by even the worst of filth (1 John 2:1-2). This proverb we learn when we are young: Do not slap the hand that feeds you. Here is a proverb more worthy of your study: Do not slap the face of God.
Would you raise your hand against Him? Maybe because He took on human flesh (John 1:14) and descended to your level, thus placing Himself within the reach of the puny hands of men (1 John 1:1)? (As opposed to Mount Sinai (Exodus 19), the pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21), or the burning bush (Exodus 3:5)...)
Born in a stable (Luke 2:7), born into a poor family, a man of sorrows (Isaiah 53:3)... Would you slap Him because He fails to defend Himself from your repeated blows (Acts 9:4)? The man in our text struck Him just once, and did so out of ignorant zeal. The mosquitos and the earthworms are also clueless, but what excuse do you think you and I have (Romans 1:20)?
When you love, you make yourself vulnerable. It is impossible to love without making yourself vulnerable. God descended because of love (1 John 4:10). God descended to make Himself vulnerable (John 19:11). God descended so that man could embrace Him... but that put Him within arms length, and you can strike Him. Christ descended so we could love Him... He descended so that we could reject Him. He loves you! He desires your embrace, please, put your slappers away.
Do we know the One we strike when we push Him away? Do we realize He is our only friend, our only hope, our only help? His love is amazing: Despite the blows of man, He still died for you and me. Despite the slaps in the face and the rejection, He still reaches out to us.
"Lord, God, forgive me for striking the Son, may I never raise a hand against Him again, and may I do all within my power to make Him known among this generation, so that they may not raise their hand against the One who came to give them life."
"Thank you God, for making yourself lower than the angels and descending to our level. Thank you for taking the blows of ungrateful mankind in order to save even the worst among us. From this day forward, may we never raise our hand against you, but only raise it in unashamed testimony, that we are for you, and you have proven yourself as 'for us'."
