Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Co 1:3). Amen.
There are some things that seem out of place. Like if I stood before you this morning, wearing a flowery Hawaiian shirt, tan cargo shorts, and worn out flip-flops. That attire is not wrong. Maybe just not in the setting of church or during the season of fall. At least, not for me. (Actually, that might go for any time of the year.) You might concentrate on what I am sporting rather than consider what I am saying. (Plus I hardly have a tan to show off.)
Did the gospel lesson feel like that? Here we are at the end of the church year. It appears as if we have skipped over Christmas and gone straight to Lent. Add to that the emphasis is on Christ the King and we head to Praetorium, Pilate’s official residence in Jerusalem (Mt 27:27). And it is anything but royal or regal. Hands and mouths raised in mockery, not in flattery. That might not fit our picture of a king with an immense castle and an ornate throne.
But it is critical that we contemplate what we regularly confess in the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in Jesus Christ, … who … suffered under Pontius Pilate” (CW p. 41). That is quite clear in this section.
And it can be that it comes down to a matter of inflection, or tone of voice. (It is hard to reproduce in writing. That is why we have to resort to emojis when we email.) Think back to last Thursday at your Thanksgiving feast. You could push yourself away from the table, not completely satisfied with the fixings, and complain: “You are a great cook.” Or you could waddle away from the meal, feeling pleasantly bloated from the food, and contend: “You are a great cook.” The difference is one is in sarcasm, the other in sincerity.
Which is it with Jesus? “Hail, king of the Jews!” (Mt 27:29). Ridicule or reality?
It is not hard to figure out with the Roman soldiers on Good Friday. They had been stationed there to keep the peace. (That tour of duty was hardly a dream assignment for them.) Pilate had already condemned Jesus (Mt 27:26). Now it was their turn to have some fun at Jesus’ expense. This particular entertainment is not easy to watch. We almost want to cover our eyes to their perverse amusement. It if were a movie, there might be a warning that it contains violent and graphic scenes.
And this is no minor embarrassment like when you trip on the sidewalk for no apparent reason. This is all out humiliation. The verbal, physical and psychological abuse was almost as if to express, “Look at him who claims to be king. How puny. How powerless. How pathetic.” This was no king to them. More like a criminal.
There was Jesus, “the whole company of soldiers around him” (Mt 27:27). That was a cohort, consisting of up to 600 men (cf. Ps 22:16,17). And before Calvary, there was definitely cruelty.
Jesus, a king? Well, he had to look the part. So they made sure of it with a bogus coronation ceremony as a vulgar joke. All along they failed to grasp how right they were in all of this.
A king needs a mantel—a sign of the office. “They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him” (Mt 27:28). They took off his clothes and took away his dignity at the same time. The weight must have pressed into his back already shred in bloody ribbons by the earlier flogging (Mt 27:26). The color red replacing the majestic purple.
A king needs a crown—a symbol of honor. “They … then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head” (Mt 27:28,29). This was not made out of bright gold, but braided with sharp points. They were probably not gentle as they jammed it on his skull, drawing blood and causing pain.
A king needs a scepter—an emblem of monarchs. “They put a staff in his right hand” (Mt 27:29). It might have been a thick stalk.
A king needs a following—an entourage of supporters. “They … knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” (Mt 27:29). Their intentions were obvious. They fell to the ground in false and fake reverence. That form of greeting was anything but a wish for happiness. If we paraphrase it to “Long Live the King,” they were well aware that the King would not live long.
Included is a huge demonstration of disrespect. “They spit on him” (Mt 27:30). It may be hard to think of many more things that are that demeaning as far as an indication of disapproval. “My saliva is all that suitable for you.” And “They … took the staff and struck him on the head again and again” (Mt 27:30). Not once. Not twice. Repeatedly. Repetitively.
And what do you do with a counterfeit king? “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” (Mt 27:31). Now they would carry out the order of execution.
“Hail, king of the Jews” (Mt 27:29). The soldiers shouted it in mockery.
All of that dishonor is disgusting. No different today as the world continues its hatred of and hostility against Jesus as they reject and refuse him. But we need to be careful. We drag Jesus off the throne of our hearts when we promote people or pleasure or possessions ahead of him. Or we choose lust instead of purity or coveting rather than contentment and worry in place of trust. There is disgrace from us too. Or there is disappointment with the way he runs our life. We get the idea that there are more failures than successes.
But we don’t want to dwell on the gory details so that we feel sorry for Jesus. (In a way, it is hard not to.) But we focus on this to be amazed at him. Jesus did it. And no surprise. The prophet Isaiah had foretold it 700 years before, quoting the Messiah: “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting” (Is 50:6). And Jesus foresaw it, preparing his disciples: “We are going to Jerusalem, … and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him” (Mk 10:33,34). Jesus didn’t miss much, did he?
And Jesus took it. Every bit of it. Willingly. Gladly. Lovingly (Eph 5:25,26). For us—the innocent One for the guilty ones (1 Pe 3:18). As Peter put it, “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate. … by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Pe 2:23,24).
The concept of Jesus as king runs through Matthew’s Gospel …
from the wise men who came to worship the Christ-child, “the king of the Jews” (Mt 2:2),
to the ones who welcomed Jesus on Palm Sunday, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” [Israel’s great king] (Mt 21:9),
to the one who wrote the inscription on the cross, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Mt 27:37). It is there and it was then that God took out his anger on our sin so that he could take the guilt of it away. And now it is gone, all gone.
Jesus is the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise through Ezekiel: “I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd” (Eze 34:23). Jesus came to preside over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end (Lk 1:32,33). Because Jesus, the Good Shepherd, laid down his life and took it up again (Jn 10:17), we joyfully add our songs as we chanted with the psalmists: “Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises” (Ps 47:6).
And that is because we know the rest of the story. Jesus had predicted it too. “Three days later he will rise” (Mk 10:34). And Jesus did. The apostle Paul makes it plain: “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead” (1 Co 15:20). The King, our King, has conquered death, our last enemy (1 Co 15:26). Right now he manages all things for the good of his church (Eph 1:22,23). One day he will return for us, raise up all those who have died, and relay the blessings of heaven to us. He is the firstfruits, and we will follow (1 Co 15:23). He lives and so will we—eternally.
“Hail, king of the Jews” (Mt 27:29). God shows it in reality. And it is not out of line from our lips: “Hail, King Jesus.”
We read from Matthew 27:27-31:
27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.
28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,
29 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, king of the Jews!” they said.
30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.
31 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.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you (1 Co 16:23). Amen.
November 26, 2017
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