Matthew 27:27-31 — After Jesus had been condemned to die, the Governor’s soldiers took Him to their barracks where they violently humiliated Him. They dressed Him up as a king with a purple robe, a crown of thorns and a stick for a sceptre. They bowed the knee and mockingly proclaimed “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on Him and struck Him with the stick and with their hands. This all took place after Jesus had been scourged – He was already bloodied, bruised and barely able to stand.
The soldiers humiliated Jesus for their own amusement and this tells us something about human nature. Jesus didn’t resist or retaliate and that tells us something about God’s love. This is what we ponder as we give our attention to this awful scene in the crucifixion narrative.