Mocked. Mark 15:16-20.
And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews! “And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.
Dear Royal Priesthood,
Having had Jesus flogged, Pilate handed him over to the soldiers to be crucified.
Palace (v. 16). Jesus was led into the governor’s palace and away from the crowd. The fact that they had a whole battalion – a battalion comprised six hundred soldiers, points to the fact that they anticipated trouble. All the claimants to the throne and those who purported to be messiahs had fought the Romans. Since Jesus had been accused of claiming to be the King of the Jews, a claim he actually confirmed (v. 2), the Romans expected trouble, which trouble would not come because Jesus had a different approach to the issue of the Kingdom.
Purple (v. 17-19).To the soldiers, it was a big joke that anyone would claim to be king in a region under the Romans. They found a purple robe – probably an old one that Pilate or one of the centurions had discarded and put it on, Jesus. Purple was the color of royalty, so the mock crown of thorns and homage was to make fun of Jesus’ claim to royalty.
Path (v. 20). Having had their fun at Jesus’ expense, the soldiers led him out of the palace and on the road to the place of crucifixion. The Romans were in charge, or so they thought. Jesus had told his disciples that this would happen (10:32-34). To his followers, this was the worst possible thing to happen.
To Jesus, things were falling into place exactly as planned. Jesus was destined for the cross but the people who put him there ignored or overlooked the rules of justice, Pilate condemned a man he believed to be innocent and the soldiers mocked Jesus and spat on him. Jesus’ servants will also suffer unfairness, but woe unto them who become the instruments of such persecution. We all ought to be alert to the possibility of being used by the devil in the persecution of God’s people. You beware!
Your Loving Pastor Chris.