Peter had just denied Jesus (Luke 22:54-62).  It had been a catastrophic failure of faith, and sadness for Jesus, although He already knew Peter would swear he never knew his Master (Luke 22:31-34).  Then, after that personal insult from a friend, the guards turned on Him.  That was no surprise to Jesus either.  It was prophesied in Isaiah 53:3-4 and predicted by Jesus in Matthew 16:21, Mark 8:31, Luke 9:22.  Jesus knew and yet was determined to carry through His Father’s plan (Isaiah 50:7).

Although He had not been sentenced, the soldiers who had been trained to keep the peace abused the Prince of Peace. Mockery and insults poured out of their mouths, as they beat Him up.  Blindfolding the one who could see every heart, the guards demanded that He should name His tormentors.  Why?  What possible reason could there be?  Luke 6:45 says, "A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."  Although they did not know the Saviour of the world, their hearts had an inbuilt resistance to His authority over them.  It was not a thought-out plan to humiliate the most righteous man who ever lived; but His holiness made their hearts say, ‘We want none of that!’

Jesus’ public humiliation was not only the fulfilment of prophecy and an open display of the God-hating human heart, it was also an example which the disciples, including Peter would also experience.  He later wrote, “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6-7).  Faith acts with courage in the hard times because it is assured that it pleases the Lord and He will reward.
 
In the same way, the church worldwide is being persecuted today.  Jesus said, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master’.  If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.  If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.  They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin” (John 15:18-22).  “But this is to fulfil what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.'" (John 15:25).  Although the destructive behaviour of persecution is quite unreasonable, and wicked, if you are confessing Christ and bear His light, it should be expected (2 Timothy 3:12).  When you suffer for the Name of Christ, although it is a wicked thing done to you, it is also an affirmation that you belong to Him.  And, of course, He understands and is able to strengthen and comfort you (Hebrews 2:18).  So do not give up on account of Him, because Jesus did not give up for your sake.