When, through deceit and betrayal, they managed to seize the Righteous One, they, fueled by malice, subjected Him not only to the most dreadful and disgraceful torments but also shamelessly approached the place of judgment to revel in their victory, relishing the sight of the innocent Sufferer’s anguish, and, if possible, to exacerbate His suffering with their insults and add further bitterness to His cup. The Sadducee chief priests were morally corrupted by their obsession with carnal pleasures, which turned them into wicked men, leading them to gloat over their malicious triumph. The crowd that reviled Jesus Christ, lost in vanity and frivolity, was merely a blind tool of the people's leaders, who sought, as evident from the nature of their blasphemies, spectacular displays—extraordinary and miraculous signs—from Him. They awaited with curiosity the descent of fire from heaven, reminiscent of Elijah, and admired the prospect of Him walking on water and leading His people through the seas, much like Moses. Their vain curiosity anticipated fulfillment, believing a remarkable and unprecedented sign was imminent from the Prophet of Nazareth. They misunderstood His prophecy that the temple, which had taken decades to construct, would be destroyed, and in three days, He would raise it anew, mistaking His reference to His body for mere hostility from His enemies. Nevertheless, vain curiosity was destined to be disappointed; in vain, it sought signs from the Divine Teacher and Miracle Worker—who performed miracles solely for the healing of human woes, the uplifting and moral cleansing of individuals, and the awakening of faith among those able to believe—while He outright declared to the seekers of signs that only the sign of Jonah the prophet would be given to them.
Resentment gripped the crowd, hostility swelled within them, deceived by their unfulfilled expectations, and incited by malicious enemies who painted Christ as a sinner and blasphemer. When the Wonderworker-God-Man was delivered to the chief priests, scribes, and elders, they started to seek false evidence against the innocent Jesus to condemn Him. False witnesses arose from the throng, accusing Him of claiming, “I can destroy the temple of God, and in three days I can rebuild it” (Matthew 26:61). Those who accused Him believed He would face harsh punishment from powerful adversaries for His disrespectful comments about the temple, and thought they would also exact revenge for their dashed hopes of witnessing extraordinary signs. Vengeance and bitterness towards the accused Wonderworker grew alongside Jesus’s humiliation and the triumph of His foes. Complicit in the wickedness of His enemies, the crowd joined in their fierce hatred, echoing all their malicious accusations against the God-Man. When Jesus was questioned by the high priest about His disciples and teaching (John 18:19), one of the servants struck Him, rebuking Him for His truthful response, which affirmed that He taught openly in the synagogues and whispered nothing in secret, suggesting that instead of interrogating Him, it would be more fitting to question those who heard His teachings (John 18:20-21). When before Pilate, the angry crowd vehemently cried out against Jesus, “Crucify Him” (Mark 15:13). And when the cowardly Pilate, succumbing to the terrible insistence of the barbaric crowd, ordered His crucifixion, even this act did not satiate their fury; they avenged themselves on the Wonderworker by mocking His miraculous power. “He who destroys the temple and builds it in three days!” they blasphemed. “Save Yourself; if You are the Son of God, come down from the cross” (Matthew 27:40). This habitual frivolous pursuit of signs and spectacles, which even extended to the religious domain, instead of seeking spiritual growth, correction, and sanctification, as well as their disregard for the moral standards and true dignity owed to others, along with sycophantic behavior before those in power, rendered the Jewish people into malevolent blasphemers against the God-Man.
Ultimately, the soldiers who crucified Him and the robber who hung beside Him became the cruel mockers of Jesus Christ during His passion. The soldiers, hardened by the brutal nature of warfare, indulged in cruelty and were desensitized to the suffering of actual or perceived criminals, relishing the opportunity to fulfill their bloodthirsty instincts. The insensitivity bred in them allowed them to mock those enduring suffering, especially an innocent leader brought low to be counted among wrongdoers. Such a fall ignited their bitterness, pushing them to ridicule the assumed futility of virtue and question the very purpose of moral living when both the virtuous and the wicked faced similar fates. These reflections frequently arose in the hearts of the hardened as they beheld the innocent endure suffering, providing fodder for their mockery.
The cruel soldiers, accustomed to violence, along with the unrepentant robber who suffered at the same time as Christ, scornfully derided the Sufferer of Calvary. Nothing escaped the malicious gaze of the soldiers, who saw that the Sufferer claimed to be the King of the Jews, and they meticulously ridiculed Him as such, subjecting Him to all the trappings of kingship in mockery. They stripped Him of His clothing and dressed Him in a purple robe; they fashioned a crown of thorns and placed it upon His head; they gave Him a reed as a scepter and knelt before Him, taunting, “Hail, King of the Jews” (Matthew 27:28-29). Enduring immense physical and mental torment, He cried out to His Father with a loud voice: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”—that is, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”—and the heartless soldiers seized upon this cry to further mock Him. “He calls for Elijah,” they jeered, scheming to see if Elijah would come to rescue Him, as one soldier prepared to offer Him vinegar on a reed (Matthew 27:46-50). And the robber, despite his own severe agony, showed no compassion toward the Suffering Servant. Instead of reflecting on his fate, he maliciously blasphemed the compassionate Savior, declaring, “If Thou art the Christ, save Thyself and us” (Luke 23:39).
Thus, the cruelty harbored within the soldiers and the thief grew from a small seed to horrifying manifestations of brutality.
