Mar 15:19 | KingComments | STEP | Pilate gives his soldiers a free hand to do whatever they please with the Lord. This helps to take their minds off things. The whole cohort is summoned, all are gathered to have fun with Him. They mock Him by dressing Him up as a king. They also crown Him, but with a crown of thorns. They make them with their own hands. Without them realizing it, placing this crown of thorns on His head suggests that He is the cause of the curse that came into and over creation through sin. After the Fall, the earth produced thorns and thistles ( ). What a wonderful game! The soldiers are having a great time. And the Lord Jesus allows it, as does His God. The soldiers immerse themselves in their game and mockingly greet Him as “the King of the Jews”. What a shock it will be for them to stand before this King when He sits on His throne. He has endured every torment that could be inflicted on Him. After the scourging, which He has felt intensely and in which His back has become a bloody mass ( ), they beat the thorns of the crown deep into His head with a reed. The reed with which they beat is not a reed, but a real stick. Again He is spit on, the sign of the deepest contempt. They kneel down in so-called tribute to Him. Every defamation He could experience has been done to Him. For Him, no contempt is too crude. Yet there comes no sighing to God or any word of curse on them over His lips. He endures everything in His soul with His God. This is the way He must go, and which He goes without complaining. When they are calmed down, they take off His mocking garment and put His own clothes back on. Then they lead Him out to crucify Him. Now comes the way to the cross, the way the Lord leads for all who want to follow Him. He has spoken about this to His disciples. The world has nothing else for us either if we want to follow the Lord. Every day He asks us to take up the cross voluntarily and to follow Him in His rejection ( ).

‏ Mark 15:19

Mocked

Pilate gives his soldiers a free hand to do whatever they please with the Lord. This helps to take their minds off things. The whole cohort is summoned, all are gathered to have fun with Him.

They mock Him by dressing Him up as a king. They also crown Him, but with a crown of thorns. They make them with their own hands. Without them realizing it, placing this crown of thorns on His head suggests that He is the cause of the curse that came into and over creation through sin. After the Fall, the earth produced thorns and thistles (Gen 3:18).

What a wonderful game! The soldiers are having a great time. And the Lord Jesus allows it, as does His God. The soldiers immerse themselves in their game and mockingly greet Him as “the King of the Jews”. What a shock it will be for them to stand before this King when He sits on His throne.

He has endured every torment that could be inflicted on Him. After the scourging, which He has felt intensely and in which His back has become a bloody mass (Psa 129:3), they beat the thorns of the crown deep into His head with a reed. The reed with which they beat is not a reed, but a real stick. Again He is spit on, the sign of the deepest contempt. They kneel down in so-called tribute to Him. Every defamation He could experience has been done to Him. For Him, no contempt is too crude. Yet there comes no sighing to God or any word of curse on them over His lips. He endures everything in His soul with His God. This is the way He must go, and which He goes without complaining.

When they are calmed down, they take off His mocking garment and put His own clothes back on. Then they lead Him out to crucify Him. Now comes the way to the cross, the way the Lord leads for all who want to follow Him. He has spoken about this to His disciples. The world has nothing else for us either if we want to follow the Lord. Every day He asks us to take up the cross voluntarily and to follow Him in His rejection (Lk 9:23).