Daily Devotions
Spitting In His Face
Title: Spitting In His Face
Reading for October 14: Mark 1-3
Weekly reading for October 14-20: Hebrews 6-9
For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift... and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
Hebrews 6:4-6
How do I crucify again the Son of God?
To answer that question I must consider how I crucified Jesus in the first place. I didn't drive the nails. I didn't cry, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" But I'm no less responsible. The Bible makes it plain. There is an unmistakable connection between my sins and Jesus' suffering in scripture (Isaiah 53; Rom 3:25; 5:9; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 9:27-28; 1 Pet 1:18-19; 2:24).
I think we all understand this. That's what makes further sin (one callously repeated again and again) so obnoxious. I had a friend describe it this way. He said whenever he's faced with a temptation and feels he's about to sin, he tries to visualize himself going up to Jesus as he's hanging on the cross and spitting in his face. Isn't that a disturbing mental picture? Can you see your own saliva dripping down Jesus' bruised and bloodied face?
See if you can bring that image to mind the next time you want to sin.
Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!
Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.
But drops of grief can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give myself away,
'Tis all that I can do.
