Matthew 27 : 27 - 31 The Death of Jesus - The Mockery.

Mat 27:27  Then the Governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, and called together the whole battalion to make sport of Him.

Mat 27:28  Stripping off His garments, they put on Him a general's short crimson cloak.

Mat 27:29  They twisted a wreath of thorny twigs and put it on His head, and they put a sceptre of cane in His right hand, and kneeling to Him they shouted in mockery, "Long live the King of the Jews!"

Mat 27:30  Then they spat upon Him, and taking the cane they repeatedly struck Him on the head with it.

Mat 27:31  At last, having finished their sport, they took off the cloak, clothed Him again in His own garments, and led Him away for crucifixion.

Introduction.

After the humiliation of the Trial before the Sanhedrin and then Pontius Pilate, now we see Jesus being made sport of by the whole Roman battalion. Jesus, the Saviour, is being crushed and bruised before an ungodly, group of heathen soldiers. Mockery of this nature is specially meant to be degrading and humiliating. Jesus endured the whole affair.

Mat 27:27  Then the Governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, and called together the whole battalion to make sport of Him.

Notes

Into the common hall - The original word here means, rather, the governor’s palace or dwelling.

The trial of Jesus had taken place outside of the palace. The Jews would not enter in Joh_18:28, and it is probable that courts were held often in a larger and more public place than would be a room in his dwelling. Jesus, being condemned, was led by the soldiers away from the Jews “within” the palace, and subjected there to their profane mockery and sport.

The whole band - The “band” or cohort was a tenth part of a Roman legion, and consisted of from 400 to 600 men, according to the size of the legion. Compare the notes at Mat_8:29.

They made sport of Him.

The decision that Jesus should be crucified had already been taken. Now he was in the hands of these ruthless men who had no scruples.

Think in what hands and company our dear Lord now was: now was he encompassed with dogs, and enclosed with the assembly of the wicked indeed; see Psa_22:16. The Persic version renders it, "multitudes of knaves being gathered together to him".J.G.

Mat 27:28  Stripping off His garments, they put on Him a general's short crimson cloak.

Notes

They concentrated on the fact that Jesus was the so-called ‘King of the Jews’.

The soldiers went out of their way to produce trappings of Royalty as a means of ridiculing one who was to be crucified as a King, whereas he was a King in a fuller and wider sense than they  had any idea of.

They decided that his clothing was not suitable for royalty so they replaced it with a scarlet cloak.  A short coat worn by military officers and others in high position. L.M. p. 711

Mat 27:29  They twisted a wreath of thorny twigs and put it on His head, and they put a sceptre of cane in His right hand, and kneeling to Him they shouted in mockery, "Long live the King of the Jews!"

Notes

A king needs a crown so they plaited a crown of thorns and pushed it into his head to make a mockery of Him and to increase His sufferings

and they put a sceptre of cane in His right hand, and kneeling to Him they shouted in mockery, "Long live the King of the Jews!"The Crown of Thorns

After Jesus' sham trials and subsequent flogging, and before He was crucified, the Roman soldiers “twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. gotquestions.com...

Mat 27:30  Then they spat upon Him, and taking the cane they repeatedly struck Him on the head with it.

Notes

And they spit upon him,.... The Syriac and Persic versions add, "upon his face", which he did not hide from spitting; see Isa_1:6, and so what with sweat, by being hurried from place to place, and with blood trickling down from his temples, scratched with thorns, and with the spittle of these filthy soldiers, his visage was more marred than any man's, and his form than the sons of men, Isa_52:14.

And took the reed, or "cane", which was put into his right hand,

and smote him on the head; whereby they drove the sharp points of the thorns into it, which must give him inexpressible pain and torture. J.Gill

Mat 27:31  At last, having finished their sport, they took off the cloak, clothed Him again in His own garments, and led Him away for crucifixion.

Notes

And after that they had mocked him,.... Gone through the whole farce, and glutted themselves with derision of him, and with sport and diversion with him,

they took the robe off from him; it belonging to one of their company,

and put his own raiment on him; partly that he might be known to be the selfsame person that was condemned and committed to them, which they now brought forth to crucify; and partly, that the four soldiers that were appointed to be the executioners, might have the perquisite of his clothes, which belonged unto them:

and led him away to crucify him; for a condemned person was always executed the same day: their canon is (e),

"after that his judgment, or sentence is finished, they do not tarry with him, but slay him, ביומו, "that very day".

Jesus being led away to be CRUCIFIED

Notes

Act 8:32  The passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: "LIKE A SHEEP HE WAS LED TO SLAUGHTER, AND JUST AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS DUMB SO HE OPENED NOT HIS MOUTH.

Act 8:33  IN HIS HUMILIATION JUSTICE WAS DENIED HIM. WHO WILL MAKE KNOWN HIS POSTERITY? FOR HE IS DESTROYED FROM AMONG MEN."

Notes

In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away - He who was the fountain of judgment and justice had no justice shown him (mercy he needed not) in his humiliation; viz. that time in which he emptied himself, and appeared in the form of a servant.