JOHN 19: 2 “And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe.” You’ve heard the old expression, “That’s adding insult to injury.” Well, that is what the Roman soldiers were doing here. He claimed to be a king, let’s make him look like a king. Every king deserves a crown. Every king deserves to wear “the purple.” Purple was the color only worn by royalty. So, they mocked him. They made fun of him. As the prophet said, “They brought him low.” Sometimes it’s just not enough to physically injure someone, we have to taunt them as well. The bully always picks on the weakest, on the one who won’t fight back. So, the Roman soldiers took out all their hated, all their anger, all their disdain for all the Jews on one man. And yet, even as they mocked him, even as they ridiculed him, they were still declaring him the King. Little did they know that even in their mocking they were declaring the truth, that Jesus is the King of all people and that when the time is right he will institute his kingdom in which there will be no more hatred, not more death, no more illness, no more war. We pray for that day. Amen.