Mat 27:28-29 | KingComments | STEP | The governor’s soldiers, soldiers over whom he has authority, take the Lord with them into Pilate’s official residence. These soldiers call on all their comrades to gather “around Him”. Before He is crucified, He becomes the target of the mockery of an entire cohort. Everything that constitutes His dignity as Man is taken from Him. The stripping will not have been done gentle. Then they dress Him up as King by putting a scarlet robe on Him. To make His confession that He is a King even more ridiculous, they twist a crown of thorns and put it on His head. The Lord is not spared any humiliation. Thorns are the result of sin that has come into the world ( ). By putting a crown of thorns on Him, it is as if they declare Him to be the cause that sin has come into the world. They also give Him a reed as a scepter in his hand. And the Lord holds it. Mockingly they fall on their knees before Him and greet Him as King of the Jews. And that He is. One day they will fall to their knees before Him. Then it will not be to mock Him, but to confess Him in truth as Lord ( ). Their contempt knows no bounds. They spit on Him with slanderous spittle. He has not turned His face away from it ( ). Is there anything that expresses greater contempt than spitting in someone’s face? The reed they had put into His hand as a mocking symbol of government, they take away from him again, beating Him on His head crowned with thorns. The reed is not one that breaks easily, but a real stick. A sponge can be put on it to lift it up to give in that way a drink to the Lord ( ). When their lust for mockery is satiated, they take off the robe of mockery and put his own garments back on Him. Then they lead Him away to crucify Him. It is poignant that the Lord is completely silent during all the mistreatment and ridicule. There is not even a threatening look. This does not mean that He has allowed everything to come over Himself stoically, numbly, as an inevitable fate. He has felt every mistreatment and ridicule deeply, both physically and in His soul. In several psalms He expresses His feelings about what is done to Him (Psalms 22; 69; 102; 109). He is truly perfect Man, but He is also the perfect Man because He trusts Himself completely to God and knows that He is supported by God in this terrible suffering inflicted upon Him by men.

‏ Matthew 27:28-29

Mocked

The governor’s soldiers, soldiers over whom he has authority, take the Lord with them into Pilate’s official residence. These soldiers call on all their comrades to gather “around Him”. Before He is crucified, He becomes the target of the mockery of an entire cohort. Everything that constitutes His dignity as Man is taken from Him. The stripping will not have been done gentle. Then they dress Him up as King by putting a scarlet robe on Him.

To make His confession that He is a King even more ridiculous, they twist a crown of thorns and put it on His head. The Lord is not spared any humiliation. Thorns are the result of sin that has come into the world (Gen 3:18). By putting a crown of thorns on Him, it is as if they declare Him to be the cause that sin has come into the world. They also give Him a reed as a scepter in his hand. And the Lord holds it.

Mockingly they fall on their knees before Him and greet Him as King of the Jews. And that He is. One day they will fall to their knees before Him. Then it will not be to mock Him, but to confess Him in truth as Lord (Phil 2:10).

Their contempt knows no bounds. They spit on Him with slanderous spittle. He has not turned His face away from it (Isa 50:6). Is there anything that expresses greater contempt than spitting in someone’s face? The reed they had put into His hand as a mocking symbol of government, they take away from him again, beating Him on His head crowned with thorns. The reed is not one that breaks easily, but a real stick. A sponge can be put on it to lift it up to give in that way a drink to the Lord (Mt 27:48). When their lust for mockery is satiated, they take off the robe of mockery and put his own garments back on Him. Then they lead Him away to crucify Him.

It is poignant that the Lord is completely silent during all the mistreatment and ridicule. There is not even a threatening look. This does not mean that He has allowed everything to come over Himself stoically, numbly, as an inevitable fate. He has felt every mistreatment and ridicule deeply, both physically and in His soul. In several psalms He expresses His feelings about what is done to Him (Psalms 22; 69; 102; 109). He is truly perfect Man, but He is also the perfect Man because He trusts Himself completely to God and knows that He is supported by God in this terrible suffering inflicted upon Him by men.