2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, 3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. (John 19:2-3 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Behold here. 1. The crown which they have prepared for him, a crown of thorns; and with great cruelty they press it closely to his sacred temples, whilst those sharp-pointed briars, piercing those tender parts, let out that blood, which in a short time was to be more freely poured forth for the redemption of captive souls.
The next part of our Saviour’s sufferings consisted of cruel mockings: Christ had owned himself to be the King of the Jews; that is, a spiritual king, in and over his church. But the Jews expecting that the Messiah should have appeared in the pomp of an earthly prince, and finding it to be quite otherwise in our Saviour, they look upon him as a deceiver and impostor, and accordingly treat him as a mocking, with all the marks of derision and scorn: for first they put a crown upon his head; but a very ignominious and painful one; a crown of thorns. They put a sceptre in his hand, but it was that of a reed; a robe of scarlet or purple upon his body; and then bowed their knees unto him, as they were wont to do before their princes, crying, Hail, King!
Thus were all the marks of scorn imaginable put upon our dear Redeemer: yet what they did in jest, God permitted to be done in earnest; for all these things were ensigns and marks of sovereignty, and Almighty God caused the royal dignity of his Son to shine forth, even in the midst of his greatest abasement.
Whence was all this jeering and sport, but to flout majesty? And why did the Son of God undergo all this igniminy, disgrace, and shame, but to show what was due unto us, for our sins; as also to give us an example, to bear all the scorn, reproach, and shame imaginable, for the sake of him who, for the joy that was set before him, despised the shame, as well as endured the cross?
Verily, nothing was omitted that either the malice of men, or the rage of devils could possibly invent, either to torment or reproach him.
But with what a lamb-like meekness, with what an astonishing patience, did he undergo all these trials, both for our good and in our stead!