Why Is This Significant?

Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified. [Matthew 27.27-31]

I have never heard this discussed before, but I think it worthy of discussing here now...

The actions of the Roman soldiers described above are not just circumstantial. While the Jewish people are attributed with the responsibility for Jesus being crucified, this additional treatment by the Roman soldiers accomplished something very spiritual on behalf of all Gentiles. 

Had the soldiers merely beaten and crucified Jesus, in deference to the Jewish people's wishes, it could be argued they only carried out the offense of the Jews against Jesus. However, their mockery described above included them, as Gentiles, in the responsibility for Jesus' death. In fact, Pilate's earlier attempt to recuse himself from responsibility for Jesus' death (in his hand-washing demonstration) was rendered ineffective by these soldiers' actions.

Consider this: Jesus was not the only person in these soldiers' lives who 'wore a crown' - Caesar did too! And, that "crown" caused pain! Jesus was not the only one who wore a royal robe - Caesar did too. And that "robe" caused oppression. These soldiers acted out upon Jesus their pent up anger against the oppression of Roman rule.

Why is this significant? Because the Roman soldiers' actions against Jesus secured Gentile involvement the world over in the responsibility for Jesus' death (as Rome was the prevailing world power at the time). As they shared in responsibility for Jesus' suffering, they inadvertently included all Gentiles in the liability for Jesus' death therefore making them candidates for His forgiveness and salvation. 

The ironic thing here is that both Jews and Romans took their frustration out on Jesus relative to their perception of Him as a "ruler." Their joint effort to crucify Jesus availed salvation by faith in Him to all mankind - not just to the Jews.

Wow.

Father, what seemed before like just more gruesome details in Jesus' crucifixion, proves to me today that You planned salvation for all mankind, not just the Jews, from the very beginning!