Leslie M. John
“And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted
a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and
they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!”
(Matthew 27:28, 29)
After following the illegal arrest of Jesus, few incidents took place. When it
was morning all the chief priests, elders of the people took counsel against
Jesus to crucify him. (Matthew 27:1) There is elaborate description about the
incidents that took place before his crucifixion. This meditation is about the
mockery Jesus faced on behalf of us at the hands of the people who shouted that
Jesus should be crucified.
There are three points that need our meditation. One is that they stripped him
and put on him a scarlet robe. Second one is about the crown of thorns that they
put upon his head. And, the third one is about a reed that they gave in his
right hand and insulted him.
There is reason why God instructed Moses to use colors viz. Blue, Scarlet and
Purple for curtains in the Tabernacle. The color Scarlet indicates sin and
redemption. We claim the promise of redemption as for Israel as it is written in
Isaiah 1:18 where it states “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the
LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though
they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool”.
The people’s desire was to insult Jesus by stripping him and putting on him a
scarlet robe (Matthew 27:28). It was divine desire that he bears our sin upon
him in order to redeem us from the sin. He paid the price for our sake and bore
insult on behalf of us.
Secondly they put on his head a crown of thorns. In the beginning when God
created heavens and earth and herbs, plants, animals everything was good. God
saw that it was good. In Genesis 1:26 to 31 there is a description as to how God
created man in his own image and gave him the authority over every living
creature and he saw that it was good. There is no mention any where that thorns
and thistles were made for man. But when man transgressed God’s command, God
cursed the earth for man’s sake and it started bringing forth thorns and
thistles from then onward.
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to you; and you shall eat the
plants of the field; (Genesis 3:18)
When people put the crown of thorns on the head of Jesus they exhibited their
insult toward him but it was divine purpose that He should bear our curse upon
his head on the cross in order that we may be redeemed of that curse.
Thirdly they gave a reed in his right hand and bowed the knee before him and
insulted him saying “Hail, King of the Jews”
A reed is common name for many aquatic plants, most of them large grasses with
hollow stem or a very weak flexible strip of cane. They gave this grass piece in
the right hand of Jesus and insulted him saying ‘Hail, King of the Jews”
Apostle Paul shows the importance of right hand. Speaking about Lord Jesus
Christ who is now seated at the right hand of the Father he writes…
“Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at
his own right hand in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:20)
Psalmist wrote about right hand of God whom he trusts as the only help and rock
of refuge.
“Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me”. (Psalm
139:10)
The writer of Hebrews writes about Lord Jesus Christ in Hebrew 1:3 “Who being
the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding
all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat
down on the right hand of the Majesty on high”
He writes in Hebrews 1:8 “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for
ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom”.
Israelites sang a song after crossing the Red Sea. “Thy right hand, O LORD, is
become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the
enemy”. (Exodus 15:6)
David gave his mother seat on his right hand (Ref: 1 Kings 2:19)
The King of kings, Lord of lords, and the God of gods, Lord Jesus who will be
seen sitting on the right hand of power and comes in the clouds of heaven
(Matthew 26:54) was seen here bearing a reed in shame in his right hand so that
we may not be put to shame. He bore shame for our sake.
Let us be always thankful to our savior Jesus for taking upon himself our sin
and bearing insult on our behalf. Let us worship him in spirit and truth.