Matthew 27:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

NIV: After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

NASB: And after they had mocked Him, they took the cloak off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

CSB: After they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.

NLT: 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.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: 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.

There is deep irony in how Roman soldiers mocked Jesus. On the surface, they were shaming a prisoner who they assumed had claimed to be King of the Jews (Matthew 27:11). Their jeering and humiliation said, to anyone who might notice, that it was laughable to think about overcoming the might of the Roman empire. Likewise, they are sneering at the culture and history of Israel by defiling their claimed leader.

What the soldiers don't grasp is that they are mocking the true and long-promised King of the Jews. Matthew began this book by establishing the fact that Jesus was, indeed, the rightful heir to the throne of David over Israel (Matthew 1:1–17). The soldiers also do not know that Jesus will one day rule as king of all nations (Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:11) or that He is the Lord to whom they will answer for their eternal souls (Revelation 20:11–15).

Jesus' most impressive demonstration of power may be His resolve to do nothing in response to this cruel torture and evil mockery. He did not strike back. He did not defend Himself in word or action (Isaiah 53:7). He merely endured to the very limit of His human body, rather than raining down fire on all who disrespected Him (Luke 9:53–55; Matthew 26:53–54). In fact, as He hangs dying on a cross, Jesus will say of these men, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).

Once the soldiers are done humiliating Jesus, they took back the robe and returned Jesus to His own clothes. Normally, prisoners were stripped naked on their way to crucifixion. This would pile on additional shame and make it easier to inflict pain via flogging along the way. Bible scholars speculate the men may have been ordered to put clothes back on Jesus for the sake of the Passover crowds by which He would pass (Matthew 26:17; John 19:19–20). His clothes will be removed once more, however, when He is placed on the cross (John 19:23–24; Matthew 27:35).

Matthew 27:27–31 describes Roman soldiers abusing Jesus inside the governor's headquarters. Most of this mistreatment occurred before His final sentencing, but Matthew continues to group events by theme more than by time. The soldiers strip off Jesus' clothes and dress Him as a mock king. They place a robe on Him, along with a crown made of thorns, and a reed for a scepter. Then the soldiers kneel before Jesus and sarcastically praise Him as the "King of Jews!" Finally, they spit on Jesus and hit Him with the reed before putting His own clothes back on His tattered body and leading Him off to be crucified. Further details are found in John 19:1–6.

When Judas learns Jesus has been condemned, he regrets betraying the Lord. He throws down his ill-gotten money and hangs himself. Jesus is taken to Pilate, who finds nothing to charge Him with. Given the choice, the people shout for the release of a convicted murderer and insist on Jesus' death. Jesus is mocked by a battalion of soldiers and then taken to be crucified. On the cross, He is mocked for not being able to save Himself. After three hours of darkness, Jesus dies. He is buried by a rich follower in a new tomb. This location is tightly guarded to prevent anyone from stealing the body.

Matthew 27 begins with an official meeting of the Jewish ruling council. They affirm Jesus' condemnation from the previous night, described in chapter 26. Judas confesses his betrayal and hangs himself. Pilate tries to release Jesus, but the mob shouts for Jesus to be crucified. Jesus is humiliated by Roman soldiers and marched to be executed. On the cross, He is mocked by Jewish religious leaders and others. He dies and is buried in a never-used tomb. Extensive efforts to secure His body from being stolen only serve to prove the miraculous nature of His resurrection, which is detailed in chapter 28.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.