They dressed Him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and put it on Him. And they began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They kept hitting Him on the head with a reed and spitting on Him. Getting down on their knees, they were paying Him homage. Mark 15:17-19 HCSB
As a child I was occasionally ridiculed and I have observed other children who seemed to be the target of children who made fun of the way they walked, the color of their hair, or because they were more scholastic. The list of characteristics that are used to taunt could be endless. As a student pastor I observed that teenagers could be excessively cruel. They would gather in cliques and ridicule others who they did not accept into in their group. Tragic are the sobering accounts of teens that have even taken their own lives because of the ridicule they suffered at the hands of other teenagers via the internet.
The soldiers mocked and taunted Jesus. They dressed Him in a purple robe which was a color that was often worn by royalty, prophets, or the wealthy. The crown of thorns represented a crown like a king would wear. They even saluted Him and kneeled down to him saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” I can just imagine the laughs and jeers that followed. But Jesus humbly accepted all of the ridicule for our sake. We are the ones who deserve to be mistreated and killed for our sins, but Jesus suffered in our place so we would not have to experience such shame and mockery.
Challenge: Praise Jesus for what He has done for you. Always treat others with dignity and respect. Take up for those who may be suffering at the hands of those who ridicule at their expense. Celebrate the authority and power rightfully given to our Savior, Jesus Christ.