THIS IS JESUS - THE KING OF THE JEWS

Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink. Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet:

"They divided My garments among them,

And for My clothing they cast lots."

Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him:

THIS IS JESUS

THE KING OF THE JEWS

Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who destroy the temple and built it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'" Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.

- Matthew 27:32-44

In yesterday's reading, we read of Jesus' mocking and humiliation by the entire garrison of soldiers at the Praetorium. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. They twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head. They put a reed in His right hand. They bowed their knees and said to Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.

Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. I find something very powerful in the figure of Simon, because it tells us that we may help the Lord in His work in the world. God is almighty, all-powerful, and yet, God works together with us. We are and may become His helpers in the world; this is the way God has chosen to work. Tradition has it that Simon was a Jew from Cyrene, a Greek colony in Libya, northern Africa, and that his children became Christian missionaries. He may have been compelled to bear the cross, but his participation with the Lord led to family life as part of the Body of Christ. This is true of many figures in the Gospels.

And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink. Elsewhere (in Mark) we're told this is a sour wine (like vinegar) mixed with myrrh. This may be a form of numbing or pain-killing. Furthermore, death by crucifixion may result from systemic failure of blood circulation to all the organs and tissues, characterized by low blood pressure, thus a slow and very painful death. Myrrh in medicinal form is said to stimulate blood flow. In its natural state, dissolved in vinegar, it would be extremely bitter (hence, like gall). His refusal here reminds me of His words to the Apostles at the Last Supper.

Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: "They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots." Again, the Scriptures are fulfilled. This is a quotation from Psalm 22:18. The entire psalm is a picture of the Crucifixion, and we will come back to reference it in Jesus' words from the Cross.

Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS - THE KING OF THE JEWS. How ironic is it that the accusation against Him is one in which we believe now? He is King of kings, Lord of lords. He was most certainly not a political king, nor a political Messiah. His entrance into Jerusalem proclaimed Him a man of peace, not one of war and the power of warfare. And yet, in the accusation, there is a truth we hold dear. It is a time out of step with truth, in which truth is mocked, hidden in plain sight, in ridicule, cruelty, torture, crucifixion, degrading and bitter treatment.

Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who destroy the temple and built it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'" Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing. Ultimately, though the prisoner is crucified, really, for the blasphemy declared by the Council, it is a time of blasphemy in itself. Though it is Jesus they crucify and call blasphemer, this picture is one of the soul which seeks to torture and crucify its Creator, to deny the reality of God's presence.

My study bible has an important note on this entire passage: "Jesus endures the weakness of our body in His own body on the Cross to take upon Himself our sufferings. This He does by the reality of the union of His divine nature and human nature in the One Son of God. His humanity is indeed our very humanity. He endures pain, is struck, tortured and crucified: He is wounded on account of our sins (Is. 53:5). And though He has no sin, He Himself was made to be sin for us, that through His flesh He might condemn sin in the flesh (Rom. 8:3; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 2:9)." In this picture of the crucified Christ, I find it very powerful that Jesus has earlier told these men who've condemned Him: "You are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." So this deed of crucifixion indeed does reflect the inner life which He saw within them: the death of dead men's bones, indeed, the murderers of the prophets and those who are sent. Without knowing ourselves, living in the truth Christ gives us about who we are and what we need to do in life, we, too, may fall prey to our own inner desires, the things we hide from ourselves, a hypocrisy which is projected outward in horrible scenes like this one. It suggests a time which is not just upside down, but inside out. The saving grace, even in a time like this one, is with God's power and grace, giving meaning to all things. In Christ's death, we find ourselves. His wounding, His suffering, all are the "stripes" of this world. There is no one who cannot find themselves in Christ. Through Him, our lives are transformed. Thereby the Cross becomes the instrument, the power and the symbol of Resurrection.