(Matthew 27: 27-44)

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.  And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.  And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!  And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.  And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.  And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.  And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,  They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.  And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.  And sitting down they watched him there;  And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.  Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,  And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.  Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.  The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. (Matthew 27: 27-44)

 

When Pilate's death sentence was confirmed, Jesus was harassed by many. The soldiers of the viceroy who brought Jesus into Pilate's courtyard were like the main characters of a carnival who was lost in reason and frenzied. Jesus, who was brought into the courtyard, was faced with unspeakable harassment by the humiliating crowd. First, they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.

 The scarlet robe is the clothes worn by the kings. They were dressing Jesus as king. It was not designed as a king, but as a harassment. It is as if people admit the Lord with their mouths but deny it with their actions. In Titus 1:16 『They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.』

 A person who denies God by act means a person who does not obey, who abandons all good things and lives according to his physical passions. They say that they serve Jesus as their king, but they are nothing more than harassing them as kings like the soldiers of the governor.

The people who serve Christ as kings are crucified with Christ, obeying the King's words and pleasing him. Many of the people who followed the Lord followed him to see miracles of the Lord. He wanted to make him king. For material benefit, those who follow Jesus forsake Jesus again because of the material. Jesus told the crowd 『Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.』

When they realized that they could not get bread from Jesus, they retreated. The governor's soldiers put Jesus on a crown of thorns. This crown is what the kings wear with dignity and authority in their heads. Jesus, the Christ of suffering, put a thorn on his head. But he will come back to the earth in a truly amazing way. When he comes back, he will wear a crown on his head. 『And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.』 (Revelation 19:11)

 On the day of Jesus 'return, those who put a crown of thorns on Jesus' head will look at the Lord like this and beat his heart. The governor's soldiers held reeds in his hands to dress him as a more plausible king. This reed symbolizes the hall in the hands of the king. And they knelt and harassed before Jesus, who had been decorated like this. “Make peace, King of the Jews,” then spit on the face, take the reed back and strike the king's head with it.

 

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