24 HOURS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD - The Torture and Humiliation of the King (a blogpost for a sermon to be preached on March 2, 2015, at Kenwood Church based on Adam Hamilton's work by the same name)

Torture has become a more common word in the American vernacular since the rise of radical Islamists.  Surprisingly the term is used to describe the actions of both sides of this global conflict.  The amazing part of that fact to me is that we have naively placed this word and its accompanying actions somewhere deep in our minds as if to say that such things certainly cannot happen in our modern world.  The truth is that torture has always been around because it works.  The humiliation, degradation, physical abuse, psychological terror, and unbelievably creative means of inflicting pain have always brought about their desired effect--the breaking of the human spirit.

How does torture work on a human spirit that cannot be broken?  When that spirit is combined with the essence of the God-head, what really happens?  "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" (Mt. 26:41) seems to imply that the body cannot keep up with the willingness of the spirit.

How much more humiliated can the son of God who "being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death--even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:8) be.  The torture was just the beginning.  Humility in the flesh would be humiliated and then some.  

Humility would triumph over humiliation!

6Who, being in very nature^a God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature^b of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

8And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

      to the glory of God the Father. 

(Philippians 2:6-11)