Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. And they stripped Him, and put a scarlet robe on Him. And after weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they kneeled down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.
Matthew 27:27-30 NASB
There can be many single words describing the final hours of Jesus’ life. Brutality is one of them. The scene in Matthew follows the already brutal scourging. The brutality of the Roman soldiers’ demeanor and the brutality of being entertained by it all offends the more refined elements of society. We see ourselves more civil and sophisticated than the Romans of Jesus’ day. The Pharisees are a point of contrast having struggled to accept Jesus’ habit of dining with sinners, yet having no problem however with Him treated as a common criminal. No, they even desired and asked of it for Jesus. Even religious people can be calloused to brutality and what offends them.
The challenge preceding the cross is God’s exposure of man’s brutality upon another man. Even as He exposed it, it was God’s mechanism to bring about payment of man’s sin, much like He hardened Pharaoh’s dead heart to bring forth the exodus of His people from Egypt. Thus would be our exodus from sin.
I would like to deny that I could be so brutal, but I know from the Word of God that I too am just as capable of treating Jesus the man that way. I do not love my neighbor as myself and am capable of feelings toward my brother that Jesus tells me is equivalent to murder. I have two things in common with the soldiers: the blood of the Roman soldiers courses through my veins and on my clothes the blood of Jesus has left its stains.
The good news is that man’s brutality does not win. No the will of God and the blood of Christ overcame man’s brutality for all time. The love of God is greater than the injustices of man, even when it is exercised against His Son. Praise be to God than we are not left to our brutality, my own or that of others. No God used man’s brutality for the furtherance of His salvation plan for man.
“Lord, as I consider the challenge of the cross, I am struggling with what took place even before the cross. And I am offended that it was done willingly. I am even more offended Lord that I could have done that too. Lord, Jesus. Thank you for winning out over brutality. May Your gentleness and compassion replace every trace of the brutal nature of the old man in me. In Your precious name I pray. Amen”
