Matthew 27:28Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This divine head was tormented, smothered by a crown of thorns, and struck with a staff by vile and impure men. What rational response can we muster when we ourselves become upset over even the slightest grievance, while Christ endured such immense affliction? The derision he faced reached the absolute limits of abuse. Not just a part of Him, but His entire being suffered: His head from the crown, the staff, and the blows; His face from the spittle; His palms from the lashes; His entire body from the scourging, the degrading robe, and the feigned reverence; His hand from the staff which was thrust into His grasp instead of a scepter; His mouth from the bitter vinegar offered to Him. What could be more burdensome than this? What could be more disgraceful? Indeed, the events that unfolded are beyond adequate description. In their relentless pursuit of mockery, those who had slain the prophets with their own hands condemned Christ to death through judicial decree. They committed every act: killing with their own hands, judging and condemning, both in their own courts and before Pilate, shouting, ‘His blood be upon us and upon our children;’ they attacked with rage, they ridiculed, they bound, they stripped away, making themselves culpable for the insults delivered by the soldiers, nailing Him to the cross, reviling Him, spitting upon Him, and mocking Him. Pilate added nothing; they orchestrated it all themselves, acting as informers, judges, executioners, and doing everything that led to this dire outcome. This we have gathered from our communal readings. To prevent the Gentiles from accusing us of presenting only the glorious and wondrous events while hiding the shameful ones, the grace of the Holy Spirit has arranged for us to hear all this during a significant feast—on the great evening of Passover—when men and women gather in great numbers and the whole world convenes to hear it proclaimed loudly. Despite its public recitation and dissemination, we steadfastly affirm that Christ is truly God. For multiple reasons, including our worship of Him, we recognize His willingness to humble Himself for our sake, to face such trials, and to instruct us in every virtue. Yet, we should also consistently engage with this narrative, as it offers profound insights and significant benefits. Indeed, when one witnesses how He is mocked both verbally and physically, how they bow in deceit, how they strike Him fiercely and force Him to endure unspeakable anguish, even the hardest heart would soften and lose all arrogance.

In the contest for the soul, like a conqueror, He first adorns His sacred head with a crown of thorns, having lifted the original curse from the earth and purging it with His divine presence of the thorns multiplied through sin.

Although their actions were directed against Christ, it is essential to grasp that all of this transpired under a deeper significance that Jesus Himself embraced: the scarlet robe represented our humanity, which, stained with blood and inclined towards violence, He took upon Himself and sanctified through His divine embrace; the crown of thorns represented the transgressions arising from earthly concerns, sins that Christ vanquishes through His divine nature, as the head symbolizes the divine essence; the staff represented our frail and mortal flesh that the Lord assumed, echoing David’s words, ‘the right hand of the Lord hath lifted me up’ (Ps. 117:16); and by receiving blasphemies in His ears, the Lord freed us from the serpent’s whispers that first penetrated the ears of Eve.

In His scarlet robe, He highlights the bloody actions of the Gentiles; through the crown of thorns, He addresses the ancient curse; with the staff, He strikes down the venomous serpents, or perhaps the staff He holds symbolizes the transgressions of the Jews.

They kneeled before Him in mockery, proclaiming, “Rejoice, O King of the Jews.” Spitting on Him, they took the staff and struck His head, demonstrating His unparalleled endurance and a profound anger beyond description. John (John 19:3) also recounts that He was struck on the palms of His hands. A multitude of insults was hurled at Him by the lawless who sought to please the Jews that despised God.

John alone (John 19:4-16) details the subsequent events that were overlooked by others, stating, “Pilate went out again and said to them, ‘Behold, I will bring Him out to you,’” etc., concluding with, “Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified.” It is clear that Pilate handed Jesus over to crucifixion twice; initially under the pretense of seeking justice but ultimately realizing their stubbornness. Upon hearing the threat from the crowd, “If you let Him go, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar” (John 19:12), he then truly delivered Him to them for crucifixion. Thus, he first handed Him over and subsequently did so again.

Pilate made numerous attempts to absolve Jesus of any wrongdoing and sought every possible way to prevent His execution. Yet, he was constrained by legal obligation, refusing to yield to those who acted unjustly and not betraying the innocent One (John 12:6). Pilate’s own words reveal that he could not betray Jesus: “Do you not realize that I have the power to crucify you, and I have the power to release you?” (John 19:10). Consequently, Jesus stated that Pilate was not entirely blameless, as “he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin” (John 19:11), implying that his transgression was lesser than that of the accusers. Pilate's failure lay in not challenging the charge against Jesus of claiming royal authority. Upon hearing it, he should have summoned the accusers, required proof, and sought evidence of any intention by Jesus to seize power, such as raising armies, amassing wealth, or preparing for conflict. Instead, he cowardly succumbed to fear and accepted the unexamined accusation while being astonished by it. The more aggressive and audacious the Jews became, the more timid and fearful he appeared, leading him to be both light-hearted and compliant. For further clarity, refer also to the preceding accounts recorded in John, which provide valuable context to the matters addressed here.

He is also struck upon the head. It seems that the blows from the staff did not greatly harm His head; a common interpretation suggests that the physical frailty of the Gentiles, which Christ had earlier held in His grasp, is now comforted in the embrace of God the Father, for He is the head (See 1 Cor. 11:3). Amidst the mockery, while Christ is derided, He remains a figure of admiration.

They then knelt and honored Him, proclaiming, "Hail, King of the Jews!" This mockery from both Jews and Gentiles contained a profound heavenly mystery. The Jews exhibited malice, while the Gentiles unwittingly participated in the mystery of faith and grasping the truth. Observe how He is clad in a purple robe as a king and in a scarlet garment as the foremost of martyrs, for His holy blood was dyed a deep scarlet. The purple tunic can also symbolize the Church, which, under the reign of Christ the King, radiates with regal splendor. Hence, John in Revelation refers to her as "the royal priesthood." It is the purple mentioned in the Songs: "His entire bed is made of purple" (Songs 3:10). Christ rests upon that bed, finding royal faith and a precious soul presented in purple. Purple cloth is fittingly regarded as both valuable and royal; although it originates from the earth, its dye transforms both its nature and its appearance. One aspect remains natural, while the other reflects change. While its inherent nature is humble, the transformation it undergoes renders it precious. Similarly, our flesh, though modest, becomes valuable through the transformative power of grace when it is immersed three times in the mystery of the Trinity, resembling the rich dyeing of purple cloth. Therefore, to be considered as precious as purple, we must uphold the grace of our transformation, making ourselves worthy of this great King. Moreover, the purple garment can also signify the honor of the martyrs, who, stained by their sacrificial blood, glow in Christ like fine purple. This is the purple with which God’s Tabernacle was commanded to be adorned, as the martyrs beautify the Church of Christ. Subsequently, it was instructed that double scarlet be included to embellish the tabernacle. For the martyrs of Christ bear a dual grace, offering both their bodies and souls to suffering. Externally, the blood of martyrdom is poured upon their flesh, while internally, their souls are adorned by their unwavering faith. Through this dual offering, the martyrs enrich the tabernacle, becoming cherished in the sight of the Lord, both in body and soul.

Matthew recounts, “the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole battalion before Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him, and weaving a crown of thorns, they placed it on His head and put a reed in His right hand. They knelt before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ And they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head” (Matthew 27:27-30).

This is how our Advocate, Jesus, stands resolutely for us. Sin has stripped us of the divine garment and cloaked us in shame (Genesis 3:6-7, 21). We sought, tempted by the devil's counsel, to seize God's glory and be crowned as ‘gods’ (Genesis 3:5). We offered our enemy a document that condemned us as lawbreakers, binding us as captives in his grip, leading us toward eternal demise. Our consciences are tormented by pains more piercing than thorns and any rod. Yet, Christ takes our place, casting aside His garments to cloak us in the robe of salvation and the garment of joy; He wears thorns upon His head, so He can present us with an incorruptible crown. He grasps the reed in His hand to shred the document of our condemnation; He suffers the blows upon His head that our wounds, rendered by Satan, may be healed, and our guilty consciences soothed. He is draped in purple and endures the mockery and applause as a king, so that He might elevate us to be ‘kings and priests unto God and his Father’ (Revelation 1:6). Thus, our Deliverer was indeed “wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5); “by His stripes we are healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

Those overwhelmed by anxieties, wealth, and temporal pleasures (Lk. 8:14), who have received God’s word, do not produce fruit and instead weave thorns, crowning Jesus with them in dishonor. Yet He, who bore our thorns, conquers them with His own head. They also placed a walking stick in His right hand, mocking those who perceived His kingdom as an illusion.

To accomplish this, they draped a scarlet robe over His bare, injured, and bleeding body, a garment typically secured over the right shoulder and enveloping part of His form while leaving the right arm uncovered. The red robe, reserved for kings and military leaders, symbolized their disdain as they found a discarded, filthy cloak to insult the King of the Jews. Thus, the One who clothed Himself with “light as a garment” (Psalm 103:2) was treated with scorn.