What Great Restraint!

Luke 22:63-65 And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. ⁶⁴ And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee? ⁶⁵ And many other things blasphemously spake they against him.

They did not know they were beating and mocking the very one who had created them. They did not know that within a few short hours this man would hang on the cross taking their sin upon Him.  This man would be bearing on that cross the very sin they were committing against Him at that moment, in addition to every sin they had committed and every sin they ever would commit.

Jesus received this beating and mockery knowing full well that He had created them and the very earth on which they stood.  Jesus could have called legions of angels to come to His rescue.  He could have called legions of angels to annihilate these men. (In the Old Testament many enemies were wiped out by angels of God.)  But Jesus knew this was part of what He came to earth for. Jesus had come to partake of such suffering and go to the cross on the behalf of mankind, on behalf of the men that were administering this cruelty to Him.

Jesus knew what He was about to do.  Jesus knew He was about to take their sin upon Himself and yet He stood there and said not a word.  Out of love for those men and all mankind Jesus willingly received this.  Out of love for you and me Jesus submitted Himself to such suffering. What great love!!  What great restraint!!