Matthew 27:27-31

Matthew 27:27-31

At that time, the soldiers of the governor brought Jesus along into the governor’s residence.  They gathered the whole cohort upon Him.  And after removing His clothing, they put a scarlet cloak upon Him.  And after braiding a crown out of a thorny plant they placed it upon His head and they placed a reed in His right hand.  And after kneeling before Him, they mocked Him while saying, “Greetings, King of the Jews!”  And after spitting into Him, they took the reed and they were beating His head.  And when they mocked Him, they took off His cloak  and they put on His own cloak and they led Him away in order to be crucified.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The soldiers mock Jesus.  Clearly the soldiers do not have the same reverence for Jesus’ life that Pilate did.  This is not a surprise.  In fact, it serves as another contrast to Pilate.  The soldiers give us the Roman perspective that we would expect.  The soldiers enjoy mocking Jesus and beating Him.  They enjoy being in power and flaunting it before Jesus.  That is again what we not only expect from the Romans but also a crowd.  Pilate truly is a unique enigma in this crucifixion story.

Are you intrigued by the soldier’s reaction to Jesus?  What does it really say that they don’t embody the same kind of respect for Jesus that Pilate did?

Second Thought:

If we look at how the soldiers mock Jesus, we see the same kind of circumstance that we saw in the Jewish crowd.  Here the soldiers have exactly what they need before them.  In order for them to truly know peace and salvation, they do need Jesus as King of their life!  But instead they set up Jesus as king and mock Him.  They demonstrate their blind eyes in their action.  This also shows us that God is still in control.  Only God could manage to arrange it so that these soldiers would have exactly what they need before them and give them a chance to surrender their life.  Unfortunately, they are not interested in what God has placed before them.

Is Jesus the king of your life?  Have you ever seen people who claim Jesus to be king of their life actually live a life of mocking Him?

Third Thought:

You’ll notice one very significant fact that is easy to miss here.  Notice who it is that doesn’t ever speak.  In spite of being beaten, Jesus never speaks.  In spite of being mocked, He never speaks.  In spite of having a heavy cloak being draped around His beating and torn body, He never speaks.  He truly is a silent lamb led to the slaughter.

How does Jesus’ behavior in this section impact your life?  Are you capable of enduring persecution with grace or do you complain and grumble under the pressure?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 27:32-36