Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” (John 19:1-5)
Pilate Has Jesus Flogged
Multiple times Pilate has declared that he finds no guilt in Jesus, and has expressed his desire to release Jesus. Yet, after the Jews cry out for the release of Barabbas instead, Pilate has Jesus flogged. Pilate knows that Jesus is innocent of any crime and yet he still has Christ flogged. It seems as if Pilate thinks that the Jews will be satisfied in seeing Jesus beaten and mocked. Of course they are not, yet Pilate should have done what is right, regardless of what the mobs demand. In this way, it seems as if Pilate is a weak man though he is in a position of great power. It is just like a weak man in power to do injustice to a strong and godly man. Think of the absolute strength and endurance of Jesus during this time. How he endured the lashes and the beatings, the tearing and ripping apart of His flesh by those who only sought to mock Him. Yet in all of this He remained in total self-control. When He was reviled, He reviled not in return. At any moment He could have said a single word and all the hosts of heaven would come to His aid and wipe out the Romans and the Jews and all who opposed the Lord of Heaven and Earth in a single instant. And yet He never did such a thing. O the great temptation that may have been there to complain and be not content with the predetermined plan of God! How often as frail men and women, are we easily angered or brought to complaining against the providence of God when we but face a little bit of physical pain? How often do we do something as small as stub our toes and then carry on to indulge our flesh in letting loose and sinning because of a little physical pain. Yet Jesus here endures great physical agony, as He is beaten to a pulp, bruised and bleeding, in many ways beaten beyond recognition by the time it is all said and done, and He endures all of it without sinning. Not once did he lash out in sinful anger, not once did He curse God or those who struck him, not for one moment was He discontent with the work of redemption given to Him by His Father. All of it He took with the utmost dignity, honor, and righteousness. Talk about a tough man – physically and mentally, to not be broken down by the beatings or the psychological beating He endured. We often don’t think about the psychological torture that accompanies the physical torture, when we think about the suffering of Jesus. He endured it all without sinning.
In the innocence proclaimed, in the continual injustice done to Jesus, and in His continual holy endurance, we see that certainly Jesus was not flogged for His own sins, but for the sins of others. The floggings and beatings done to Jesus were what the Romans did to criminals of various degrees to warn them, make them an example, and set them straight. But Jesus was declared not guilty, and yet received such treatment. He was flogged not for crimes that He had done; rather He was flogged for the crimes of others.
Crown of Thorns Put on His Head
“And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head…” Not only do they flog our Lord, and not only do they mock Him, but they also mock Him with pain and injury by twisting together thorns into a crown to put upon His head to pierce His brow and shed even more of His precious blood.
As we consider the crown of thorns put upon the brow of our Savior, I would have you note, that the crown of thorns and the purple robe are not incidental objects which were used to mock our Lord. Though the Roman soldiers thought of nothing more than mocking Christ, they unwittingly clothed Christ with rich biblical and redemptive imagery which continues to show us that they did all that God’s hand had predestined to take place. The crown of thorns and the purple robe were not simply the closest objects of scorn at hand, they were set forth in God’s redemptive plan as that which Christ would wear in His suffering.
After Adam’s fall in the garden, God cursed the ground because of Adam, and part of the curse of the ground in Genesis 3 was that it would bring forth thorns and thistles, and that by the sweat of his brow he should eat bread. Now I would take this to imply that the ground did not bring forth thorns before the fall, but they are part of the curse. Thorns remind us, when we are pricked by them, that the committing of sin requires the shedding of blood. They remind us of the futility and unfruitfulness of sin. Thorns and thistles are like the opposite of fruitfulness which is blessing from God.
And here in our Lord’s suffering, thorns, the symbol of the fall, are twisted together and shoved upon His head to mock Him. This shows us that in the redemptive work of Christ, He redeemed us by bearing the curse. He bore the curse of sin and the fall. He bore it on His brow as the thorns pierced into His head and were stained with His precious blood. The curse of sin was taken and put upon Christ.
Even in the transfer of the crown of thorns from the hands of the Roman soldiers to the head of Jesus shows us the taking of sins from one and the placing of it upon another. It shows us the curse of sin being put on Christ’s head.
The crown of thorns also shows us that Christ did not only bear the curse of sin, but He reversed it. It was not simply a bundle of thorns, but it was thorns that were crafted into a crown. Christ wearing a crown of thorns is great redemptive irony. Thorns were meant to be a curse and a symbol and reminder of the fall of man into sin. But in the suffering of Christ, the thorns were made into a crown. A crown is not a sign of sin or the curse; it is a sign of authority, rule, glory, and power. But a crown of thorns – what of that? Christ took what was a reminder of the curse and has transformed it into a reminder of His suffering, as our King who laid down His life to bear the curse of His people in order to redeem them unto glory. When we see thorns today, we are still reminded that sin requires the shedding of blood, but we are reminded that the blood for sin was already shed when the thorns pierced our Savior’s brow.
When God cursed the ground with thorns because of Adam, He did not curse that which He did not intend to redeem through His Son. The twisting of the thorns into a crown was one of the early stages of Christ’s redeeming, curse-reversing work.
This also reminds us of the way that God sovereignly directs the events of our lives as Christians. For those in Christ, we are often given a crown of thorns to wear, as it were. Hard providences, persecution, suffering, trials of various kinds. Each one that we endure, though it was at once a thorn in our brow, is now a crown that we wear, so to speak. Those things which prick us and pierce us and bring us great pain, we are assured by the promises of God in Christ that they are for our good – that they are preparing us for glory, they are means through which God sanctifies us and we grow in our trust and nearness to Christ – and any thorns which do that are indeed a crown of thorns – a curse reversed.
Herein is the way of the kingdom. This is how it advances and grows. Christ wears a crown of thorns showing us that His kingdom is not from this world. His kingdom comes through His suffering and His bearing the curse of sin. It comes through what man intended for evil, but God intended for good – this very suffering Jesus endured.
So as the crown of thorns was placed upon our Savior’s head, we see the one who bore the curse of sin – who bore the curse of another upon His brow. Adam’s brow was cursed to sweat in his work, but Christ’s brow bled in His work. Oh how the redemption, and mercy, and grace of Jesus Christ is far greater than our sin and rebellion! What is redeemed and made new and reversed is greater than that which fell in sin. God’s mercy is greater than our sin. When you see thorns, remember the curse of sweat upon our brow, but remember the blessing of blood upon Christ’s brow, and that what Christ has wrought is greater than what our sin has caused.
Remember also that it was the curse and sin of one, that was placed upon another. In this, do we not also see that Jesus Christ is the ram caught in the thicket? Remember how God provided Abraham a ram caught in the bushes instead of sacrificing his son Isaac? As the thorns lodge themselves into the head of Christ, is God not saying to us, “here is the ram caught in the thicket.” He is the one who will take our place in death.
When we see Christ as our ram in the thicket, our curse and sin bearer, He becomes ever precious to us. We love Him. We adore Him. And here, do we not also see that Christ is also the lily among the thorns? Song of Solomon 2:2, “As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters…” For those who see Christ here as their ram in the thicket, they also see Him as the lily among roses. Though there are thorns on His head, blood running down His face, and an ugly scene all around Him, He shines as ever precious and beautiful to His people. Jesus stands far above all the rest, He stands as the only pure and righteous and innocent one among everyone present. He stands as the only one filled with a great and incomprehensible love, with strength, dignity, honor, yet meekness, humility, and gentleness, loving those He suffered for, as He suffered for them.
Is Jesus Christ precious to you? Do you love Him? Are you drawn to Him though everyone around Him in this scene, or though everyone that is about you, despises Him?
Finally, made of thorns though it is, it is yet a crown. As the gospel writer has sought to emphasize by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this shows us once again the authority of Jesus Christ. He is the one in control. Even in His suffering, He is the king.
Arrayed in a Purple Robe
This is also what is shown to us in the purple robe that our Lord was arrayed in, as the soldiers mocked Him. A robe of royalty, of value and wealth and power, was placed upon Him. “…the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe.” Similar to the things I have been saying, the purple robe shows us that there is beauty and preciousness in the suffering of Christ, for the one who beholds Him in faith.
Where else do we see purple robes in the Bible? In the Old Testament instructions for the garments that the priests were to wear, it says that they were to be made of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. Exodus 39:1 says, “From the blue and purple and scarlet yarns they made finely woven garments, for ministering in the Holy Place.” Now, what is interesting is that in Matthew’s gospel it says they put a scarlet robe on Jesus. Mark and John say purple, Matthew says scarlet. There are several possibilities as to how we understand this. It could’ve been that the robe was a bit of a combination, at least in appearance of both of these colors and could’ve been called either one. It could be that there were multiple robes put upon Jesus. Or it could’ve been a scarlet robe, which was the common dress of the soldiers, that the soldiers put on Jesus to pretend He was king, as a way of mocking Him and belittling Him as not really being king even though that was the accusation or claim. Whatever the case may be, we see that purple and scarlet are both valid ways of describing the robe placed upon Jesus.
But when we think of the scarlet robe, I think of Isaiah 1:18 which says, “…though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…” It is a purple robe in that Jesus is king. It is both purple and scarlet, in that Jesus was clothed in the priestly garments for ministering as our High Priest. And it is a scarlet robe in that Jesus was clothed or covered in our sin. As Jesus is about to go be laid upon the altar He is clothed as our Great High Priest who will atone for our sin. And He does so by also being the sacrifice, the One Whom our sin is placed upon. All while doing so with total authority to be the one to lay down His life of His own accord, as a noble king. He is our King that it was done by His authority, He is our Priest as the One who made the sacrifice, and He is our prophet, in that His blood speaks a better Word than our sin.
Though the soldiers intended this for mockery and shame, it is necessary that we indeed have our sin and our shame and our guilt laid upon Jesus Christ. He must have it placed upon Himself to atone for it. It does you no good to hold on to your sin. It does you no good to think you are better than the mockery of the soldiers and keep your robe of sin for yourself to deal with. It must be laid upon Jesus Christ. As Martin Luther once said, “Either sin is with you, lying on your shoulders, or it is lying on Christ, the Lamb of God. Now if it is lying on your back, you are lost; but if it is resting on Christ, you are free, and you will be saved.”
What sin are you holding on to? Bitterness, anger, lust, resentment, discontentment, jealousy, guilt – let it go. Lay it upon Christ.
Mocked and Struck
After they arrayed Him in a purple robe, “They came up to him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ and struck him with their hands.” The soldiers mocked and disgraced Him. They treasured Him not. They ridiculed and beat Him. He did not return it. He remained composed. He entrusted Himself to the one who judges justly. Maybe you find yourself in a position where you are surrounded by some who mock or ridicule or continue to treat you unjustly – they continually treat you wrong and sinfully, and you are continually wounded and hurt by the words they strike you and flog you with. What are you to do? Are you to return the favor? Never. You, likewise continue to entrust yourself to the One who judges justly, knowing He will do what is right. All will be taken care of. And you are not capable or called to take His seat as sovereign. Look unto Jesus Christ in His sufferings for strength by the Holy Spirit to endure patiently with hope.
But just as the soldiers mocked and ridiculed Christ, so also this is how the world views the sufferings of Christ. To them, they think how foolish it is. It is a joke to them. But to others, the same sufferings are not foolish, but the power of God. They cause us to look upon Him in His sufferings and love Him. How does it look to you? Was His suffering and shame unbecoming and beneath a king? Or was it exactly what a good and kind and merciful and strong king was supposed to do?
Just like with the group of soldiers, it is so often today that Jesus is still mocked by groups of foolish men filled with pride, sin, and rebellion. I’m sure most of the men have been around groups of guys like that in their life. But what about in your own life? Do you make a mockery of the sufferings and death of Christ in the way you live? Not overtly, but subtly? Do you hold on to sin, anger, bitterness, or grudges? Are you discontent with God’s providence in your life, and thus fail to believe the promises of God? Or fail to value the sufferings of Christ, or the way of the kingdom through a crown of thorns? Do not mock His suffering thinking you ought not to share in it.
Church, even these failures and sins, Christ bore upon His shoulders for His people. He suffered for these sins as well. Do you believe that? I am sure that there were some present during the beatings of Christ who mocked Him, who were later converted and forgiven of their own mockery of Him. I can’t help but think of the Roman Soldier who said as Jesus breathed His last on the cross, “surely this was the Son of God.” Almost certainly he was also present as Jesus was crowned with thorns and arrayed in purple robe. He may have even been one to deliver blows to His body. Yet there he is at the cross beholding the Son of God.
Behold the Man!
“Pilate went out again and said to them, ‘See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.’ So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, ‘Behold the man!’”
Once again Pilate declares that he finds no guilt in Him, showing us that Christ endured perfectly, remaining pure and righteous in His sufferings, the pain and mockery He endured from the brutal soldiers.
But once again, I am sure you noticed Pilate utters other words that are so unwittingly prophetic. “Behold the man!” He declares to the crowd. Certainly we would see Pilate as mocking Christ here, being sarcastic even. Yet better instructions, there are not. Christ has been brought out, beaten and bruised. Bleeding and suffering. A crown of thorns upon His head and purple robe upon His shoulders. A brutal sight to behold. For some it is not enough that He be beaten beyond recognition. They want Him dead. They want Him crucified. They cannot stand the sight of Him. They cannot stand the crown of thorns and purple robe. They do not like anything about the sight that they see. Even in mockery, the instruction to behold the man stirs rage up within them. They want nothing whatever to do with Him. But this is a sight we cannot escape. This is our King. This is our Christ. It was necessary for our atonement and redemption that He be a suffering servant. A self-sacrificing king. A humiliated man, beaten, whipped, bruised – brow pierced with thorns, mocked with a garment of purple. This is how God presented His Son to the world – as the One who suffered, not out of weakness, but out of great self-sacrificing love for the world. For God so loved the world, that He sent His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. The suffering, mocked, humiliated Christ doesn’t look like an attractive thing. But it is necessary. And it is precious to those who have also been crucified with Christ. For those who love Him as their ram in the thicket. We may not pick the parts of Christ that we like and leave the parts we don’t. We take Him all or we take nothing. We must receive Him as the One who suffered and was humiliated for us.
Herein we see His compassion and heart toward sinners. He endured suffering for us, and even humiliates Himself to present Himself to the world in this fashion, many of whom mock and deride and hate Him all the more. We must take Him as He holds Himself out to us, as a sufferer for us, as humiliated before the world. Here He is, with a crown of thorns, and a purple robe, behold the man!
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