Sermon #87
Series: Matthew
Title: “THEN THE SOLDIERS”
Text: Matthew 27:26-32
Reading: Office:
Rex Bartley Aud: Buddy Daugherty
Subject: Christ Scourged and Mocked by the
Soldiers
Date: Tuesday Evening - July 2, 1996
Tape # S-69
Introduction:
I want you to read my text with me.
It is a short, but very solemn description of the scourging, mockery, and shame
inflicted upon our Lord Jesus Christ by the Roman soldiers before he was
crucified. Let us read these lines with reverence and meditate upon them with
gratitude, realizing that all that our Redeemer endured at the hands of wicked
men he endured for us according to the will and appointment of God, “that he
might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a people zealous of good
works.”
Matthew 27:26-32 "Then released
he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. (27) Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common
hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of
soldiers. (28) And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. (29) And when they had platted a crown
of thorns, they put it upon his head,
and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked
him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! (30)
And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. (31) And after that they had mocked
him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led
him away to crucify him. (32) And as
they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to
bear his cross."
Proposition: The Lord of glory
was humiliated, scourged, and mocked by men, that we might be exalted,
embraced, and honored by God.
Divisions: I
am very reluctant to even outline this passage of Scripture. I do so only to
make it easier for you to follow the message and retain what you hear tonight.
we will look at these verses under three divisions.
1. The Scourging of Our Savior (v. 26)
2. The Sport of the Soldiers (vv. 27-31)
3. The Service of Simon (v. 32)
I. THE SCOURGING OF OUR SAVIOR
Matthew 27:26 "Then released
he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified."
Barabbas was released and the lord
Jesus took his place, was scourged and crucified in the place of a vile
criminal, a man who was guilty and worthy of death. Thus, by an act of divine
providence, we are given a vivid picture of our own salvation by substitution.
·
2 Corinthians 5:21
Luke tells us that Pilate tried to
appease the Jews by scourging the Lord Jesus rather than crucifying him (Luke
23:22). But the Jews wanted his death. Therefore we read here that the order
was given first for our Lord to be scourged and then crucified.
This
act of scourging was almost as cruel, inhumane, and barbaric as
crucifixion. It was done with a multistranded whip. The cords were made of
something like rawhide. Each strand had numerous pieces of bone fragments tied
into it. When the whip was dragged across a man’s back, it literally plowed it
up. One lash would be indescribably painful. Our Lord Jesus received
thirty-nine lashes from the scourge! Thus
the Scriptures were fulfilled.
Psalms 129:3 "The plowers
plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows."
Isaiah 50:6 "I gave my
back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not
my face from shame and spitting."
Isaiah 53:5 "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon
him; and with his stripes we are healed."
Matthew 20:19 "And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to
scourge, and to crucify him: and the
third day he shall rise again."
Note:
This scouring of Christ was an emblem of the scourges and strokes of divine
justice which he endured in his soul as our Surety, when he was stricken,
smitten, and afflicted by the sword of divine justice as our Substitute.
But
scourging was not enough. We could never be saved if our Lord had only been
scourged for us. He must be slain for us, and slain in an accursed manner.
Therefore, once Pilate had scourged him, “he delivered him to be crucified.” No peace could be made, except by the blood
of his cross (Col. 1:20).
II. THE SPORT OF THE SOLDIERS
Matthew 27:27-31 "Then the
soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him
the whole band of soldiers. (28) And
they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. (29) And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his
right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail,
King of the Jews! (30) And they spit
upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. (31) And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off
from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him."
Notice the first word of verse 27 - “THEN.” Normally, a
convicted felon, even in those barbaric times, was given some time between
being sentenced to death and his execution. Usually, he had a few days to be
visited by family members. But the Son of God was hurried off by the soldiers
to be tormented as son as he had been scourged. While they were preparing the
place of execution, an entire band of Roman soldiers (At least 500! Perhaps
1200 or 1300!) got together in Pilate’s palace to have a little fun with this
man who was to be executed. The Lord of glory became an object of sporting
torment for a band of depraved men! Yet, even this was according to the will of
God, for the fulfillment of Scripture, both to assure us that Jesus is the
Christ and that he has ransomed our souls by his great sacrifice for sin. These
barbarians, hardened by a lifetime of bloodshed, tried to make our Lord’s death
a thousand deaths in one. I want us to
go over their actions briefly, with deep reverence. We must never speculate
about such mysteries as these. Yet, these thin are written for our comfort and
learning. May God the Holy Spirit both teach us and comfort our hearts by them.
We are specifically told by Matthew of seven things, seven acts of
barbarism these soldiers did to the Son of God.
A. “They stripped him” (v. 28).
It appears that the only thing in
this world that belonged to him were the clothes on his back; but now he was
stripped even of them. The shame of nakedness came into the world with sin
(Gen. 3:7). Therefore, when Christ came to be made sin for us, to satisfy the
justice of God for it, and to put it away.
1. He was stripped naked and put to public shame! He was put to
shame that we might be given honor.
2. He was stripped that we might be clothed with white raiment.
·
Revelation 3:18
B. They “put on him a scarlet
robe” (v. 28).
They took some old red coat of one
of the soldiers, or some old red blanket, and draped it over Immanuel in
mockery, because he claimed to be the King. Thus, they derided him. Yet, in
their derision of him, they fulfilled the will of God and the Word of God. This
is he of whom the prophet declares, he was “red in his apparel” (Isa. 63:1-2),
who “washed his garments in wine” (Gen. 49:11). Our sins are described as being
both scarlet and crimson. Thus, as he was about to be made sin, our Lord was
here providentially draped in the scarlet robe as our sin-bearer.
C. Next, “they platted a crown of
thorns and put it on his head” (v. 29).
Continuing to mock his claims as the Messiah and King of
Israel, they made a crown for his head, but a crown of thorns designed by them
to torture him. But this crown of thorns was also made and shoved upon his brow
according to the purpose of our God.
1. Thorns are the result of sin and part of God’s curse upon it
(Gen. 3:18). Therefore when Christ was being made a curse for us and would
remove the curse from us, wore the emblem of the curse.
2. This was a fulfillment of the typical ram caught in the
thicket that Abraham sacrificed for Isaac (Gen. 17:13).
3. These thorns drew forth blood upon the brow of our great
High Priest, which flow down from his head as precious ointment (Ps. 133:2).
D. “They put a reed in his right
hand” (v. 29.
Again, this was mockery of our Master They gave him a bamboo
scepter, as if to imply that his claim to a throne and his kingdom was no more
than a reed shaken in the wind. How mistaken they are who fail to see that
Jesus Christ is King forever!
·
Psalm 45:6
E. “They bowed
the knee before him and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!” (v. 29)
Like
Joseph’s brethren, they said, “Shalt thou indeed reign over us?” Like
multitudes today, they mocked his claims to sovereignty and dominion. But man’s
mockery will not last for long.
·
Philippians 2:9-11
F. “They spit
upon him!” (v. 30)
I
do not know which is more shocking: that men should dare spit upon his holy
face, or that the Son of God should stoop to being spit upon as one who is
utterly contemptible! Yet, to this great depth our God condescended for the
salvation of our souls!
·
2 Corinthians 8:9
G. Then, “they took the reed, and
smote him on the head” (v. 30).
They beat him on the head, while he was wearing the crown of
thorns, inflicting all the pain they could upon him! Why? Why was all this
done? Why did the Lord of glory submit to it? FOR US! The Son of God endured this misery, this shame, this
torture, that he might purchase for us everlasting life, and joy, and peace,
and glory! But these things were not sufficient to save us. These torments
could never satisfy the justice of God. He must be crucified! Therefore we
read...
Matthew 27:31 "And after
that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own
raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him."
A.
They put his own clothes back on him, that all might
recognize him.
B.
They led him away, as a lamb to the slaughter, to crucify
him.
·
Hebrews 13:10
III. THE SERVICE OF SIMON
Matthew 27:32 "And as they
came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear
his cross."
This man Simon was one of the Lord’s
disciples (Mk. 15:21; Rom. 16:13). Whether the soldiers knew that or not we do
not know. But he was compelled to carry the Master’s cross because they feared
they might be robbed of their final sport of crucifying him. However, even in
this, our God was ruling and overruling, to teach us spiritual lessons.
A.
If we would follow Christ, we must take up his cross and do
so daily (Luke 14:25-33).
B.
If we take up his cross and follow him, we must be compelled
by grace to do so because it is so contrary to our flesh.
Application:
In the light of these things, I urge
you once more, my brothers and sisters in Christ, to give yourselves to him in
unreserved devotion.
1. Remember your baptismal profession (Rom. 6:4-6).
2. Renew your commitment daily (Rom. 12:1-3).