Matthew 27:27-31

In a little over a year someone will once again be sworn in as President of the United States of America. The Presidential Inauguration began as a simple oath-taking ceremony, but now includes a luncheon with Congress, parades, speeches, a presidential medal, and a prayer service among other things. The ceremony itself is attended by the Members of Congress, the Supreme Court justices, high-ranking military officers, former presidents, living Medal of Honor recipients, and many other dignitaries.  Millions around the world watch as our President is treated with the highest amount of respect and honor and welcomed into his office. If this is the kind of honor and respect given to the ruler of a country, what kind of honor and respect would we expect to see given to the King of all creation?   

Certainly not the kind we hear about in our reading today! Instead of standing at attention to show their respect to the One who created the heavens and the earth, the soldiers stripped Jesus of his clothes, dressed him in the robe of a pretend king, pushed a thorn-spiked crown into his head, and put a mock staff in his hand. Instead of falling to the ground in humble thanksgiving to the One who had come to die for sin, they mocked him in their appalling attempt at humor: “Hail, king of the Jews!” What kind of king is welcomed like this? What kind of ruler is given this dreadful treatment?

Exactly the kind we needed. This horrifying scene would do nothing but give evidence to the extreme cruelty of man, if it were not for the fact that Jesus stood there willingly. He stood there for the soldiers who were mocking him. He stood there for the crowds that wanted him dead. He stood there for you and for me. He stood there because this is the only way that sin could be taken care of. He stood there because he loved us even more than he loved his life. And in our Savior’s deepest humiliation we see his greatest love. This is the One who came to win our forgiveness. This is our Savior and our King!