But besides the scourging, and plucking off his hair, we are told, They spat in his face ; " He hid not his face from shame and spitting." Now in Eastern countries it is deemed an insult even to spit upon the ground in the presence of another: what then must it be to spit in his face ? If a person would be so degraded by it as to be rendered fit to be excluded from the camp of Israel f, what an inconceivable humiliation was it to the Son of God to be so treated ! Yet thus he was treated, both in the palace of the high priest, and in Pilate's judgment-hall.
a
ver. 4. t> John xix. 1, 4, 5, 6. 10, 12, 15.
c Ps. cxxix. 3. " 2 Sam. x. 4, 5. e Luke xxii. 63, 64.
f Numb. xii. 14.
and that too by the lowest of the populace. How amazing it is, that, when Uzzah had been struck dead upon the spot for only touching the ark, which was a symbol of the Deity, such daring offenders as these, who so insulted the incarnate Deity himself, should escape, as it were, with impunity ! But such were the sufferings which, as our Surety, Jesus was ordained to bear ; and they all came upon him in due season.]
But he willingly undertook to sustain them all —
[Because in the verse preceding our text the " wakening of his ear" is mentioned, it is generally supposed that the ex- pression of" opening his ear" is of exactly the same import. But we apprehend that the former expression refers to his ])reparation for his great office, and the latter to the engage- ment which he made to sustain and execute it. In this view there is a peculiar importance in it, especially as introducing the account of all his sufferings ; and it is exactly parallel to a passage in the Psalms, where the same subject is treated ofg. David, beyond a doubt, refers to the appointment of God, that the slave, who, instead of claiming his liberty at the sabbatic year, should choose to continue in his master's service, should have his ear bored to the door-post with an awl by his master, and should never afterwards be free. Thus our blessed Lord undertook to execute all that was necessary for our redemp- tion ; and submitted, as it were, to have " his ear opened," in token that he would never recede from his engagements. Ac- cordingly we find, that, in the most trying circumstances, he "never turned back;" but, on the contrary, when the time for enduring them was arrived, " he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem11." It is true, he prayed for the removal of the bitter cup, if men could possibly be saved without his drinking it : but at the same time he submitted to drink it, saying, '• Not my will, but thine, be done1." And again, when so oppressed in spirit that he knew not what to do, he said, " And now, Father, what shall I say? Save me from this hour ? No : for this cause came I unto this hour : Father, glorify thy nameV At the time of his apprehension in the garden, he proved, by striking all his enemies to the ground with a word, that he could, if he chose, deliver himself from them : but he then meekly gave himself up into their hands, requiring only the peaceful dismission of his servants1. Thus manifestly did he shew that all his sufferings were voluntary, and that he endured them all in obedience to his Father's will™.]
g Compare Ps. xl. 0 — 8. and Heb. x. 5 — 7. with Exod. xxi. 6. 11 Luke ix. 51. i Matt. xxvi. 39. k John xii. 27, 28.
1 John xviii. 4—8. m Phil. ii. 8.
955. J Messiah's sufferings and support. 281
But in this same prophecy we have occasion to notice,