“Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand and knelt in front of Him and mocked Him. ‘Hail, the king of the Jews!’ they said. They spit on Him, and took the staff and struck Him on the head again and again. After they had mocked Him, they took off the robe and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him.” (Matthew 27:27-31)
“Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)
“I looked and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one ‘like a son of man’ with a crown of gold on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand.” (Revelation 14:14)
Jesus is now put into the hands of the soldiers and they begin their cruel games. Now He is surrounded by a company of armed Roman guards. These men had no respect for the Jews or their ancient religious beliefs. They didn’t care if Jesus was or wasn’t the Messiah. They just knew He claimed to be a king so they would give Him the “royal” treatment. They stripped Him which exposed the open wounds of His earlier flogging and then they gave Him a robe, a crown of thorns and a scepter. The soldiers began their mockery by bowing to Jesus and they had no idea that what they were doing was prophetic of a day when “every knee” will bow and acknowledge that Jesus is King.
When the Apostle John got a glimpse into heaven, he saw Jesus sitting on the throne wearing the golden crown of the King of Kings. Do you think any of these scenes were going through Jesus’ mind during this moment? This must have made it even more difficult for Jesus as He endured the abuse of the soldiers ignorant of who He really was. They didn’t have a clue that the man they bowed to in jest they would some day bow down to for real.
Today we come face to face with the some of the deepest suffering of our Savior. I am not talking about the physical torture which was horrific, I am speaking of the heartbreak of watching those you love reject you. They didn’t see it…they missed it…they had no idea what they were doing.
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they’re doing”
Do you get it?