The Mockery And Crucifixion of Christ
October 7, 2021
Commentary
Just before Jesus’ crucifixion the Roman soldiers decided to make sport of Him. Evidently this took place before a large “band of soldiers” (v.27) which would have been 600. There they removed His clothing and mocked Him by putting on Him “a scarlet robe” (v. 28) which many commentators say was an old discarded military uniform. They placed a crown of thorns on His head and gave Him a staff (v. 29). Then they spit on Him and beat on Him again and again (v. 30). Finally, they took off the mock regalia, put Jesus’ own clothes back on Him and led Him out to be crucified (v. 31). It was required that the prisoner carry his own cross. After carrying it for some distance, it appears that Jesus was unable to carry the cross and so Simon, a Jew from Cyrene (now Libya), was forced to carry it (v. 32).
The procession came to a place called “Golgotha” or the “place of a skull” located northwest of the city, just outside the city wall (v. 33). Before the act of the crucifixion, the soldiers kept offering Jesus wine mixed with myrrh to dull the senses and pain but He refused to drink it (v. 34). Then they nailed his hands and feet to the cross and placed it in the ground (v. 35). Over His head was written “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (vv. 36-37). Two criminals were hung on each side of Him (v. 38). While hanging there Jesus was subject to continual verbal abuse and mockery by those passing (vv. 39-40), by the religious leaders (vv. 41-43) and by those that were crucified with Him (v. 44). At the beginning of the crucifixion, both robbers made fun of Jesus. But when one criminal saw how Jesus reacted, he was struck to the heart and came to faith (Luke 23:40-43).
Application
If Jesus were here today what do you think would be the charge against Him? Where would I be? When is the last time that I have thanked Him for dying for me?
Matthew 27:27– 44 (NET)
27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s residence and gathered the whole cohort around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe around him, 29 and after braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand, and kneeling down before him, they mocked him: “Hail, king of the Jews!” 30 They spat on him and took the staff and struck him repeatedly on the head. 31 When they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
32 As they were going out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, whom they forced to carry his cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”) 34 and offered Jesus wine mixed with gall to drink. But after tasting it, he would not drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided his clothes by throwing dice. 36 Then they sat down and kept guard over him there. 37 Above his head they put the charge against him, which read: “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.” 38 Then two outlaws were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are God’s Son, come down from the cross!” 41 In the same way even the chief priests—together with the experts in the law and elders —were mocking him: 42 “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! He is the king of Israel! If he comes down now from the cross, we will believe in him! 43 He trusts in God—let God, if he wants to, deliver him now because he said, ‘I am God’s Son’!” 44 The robbers who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him.
Illustration: Preeminence of The Crucifixion
The late R. G. Lee wrote that Christ’s crucifixion is mentioned in every book of the New Testament except Philemon, 2 John, and 3 John. Lee wrote that Matthew mentioned the crucifixion in 141 verses; Mark gave 116 verses to the crucifixion; Luke devoted two long chapters to Christ’s arrest and crucifixion; and John used half his gospel to deal with the events immediately preceding the crucifixion. Lee declared: “Taking the cross out of our preaching, whether that preaching be in a tent, crude tabernacle, the isolated church up the creek, the country church, or the big church in the city. It is like taking heat out of fire, melody out of music, numbers out of mathematics, fact out of history, mind out of metaphysics, words out of vocabularies. (Encyclopedia of Illustrations #6190).