Why did the soldiers mock Jesus by dressing Him in a scarlet robe in Matthew 27:28? Text of Matthew 27:28 “And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.” Historical Setting of Roman Mockery Condemned prisoners slated for crucifixion were routinely subjected to a taunt called the “cohort charade,” a cruel game in which soldiers pretended to enthrone the victim as a make-believe king. Archaeological work in the Lithostratos beneath Jerusalem’s Antonia Fortress (notably the pavement stone exhibited at the “Ecce Homo” convent) shows an etched board for this very “King’s Game,” confirming the Gospel description of gambling, mock enthronement, and brutal jest. Josephus (War 2.14.9; 5.11.1) adds that Roman troops were notorious for mocking subjugated peoples, especially during Passover when nationalist fervor ran high. The Significance of the Scarlet Robe 1. Royal Color. Scarlet (Greek kokkinos) and purple (porphyra) were overlapping luxury dyes in the first century. Both signified imperial authority (cf. Pliny, Nat. Hist. 9.133-138). By draping Jesus in scarlet, the cohort lampooned the posted charge, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Matthew 27:37). 2. Military Issue. Legionary capes (chlamys) were commonly dyed red with the Armenian cochineal insect; a discarded cloak lay ready in the garrison. Thus the soldiers’ choice was practical yet symbolically loaded. 3. Prophetic Echo. Isaiah foretold Messiah’s humiliation: “I offered My back to those who struck Me… I did not hide My face from mocking and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6). Scarlet evokes Isaiah 1:18—“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow”—doubling the irony: the One bearing scarlet mock-royalty would cleanse scarlet sin. Color Variation Among Gospel Accounts Matthew says “scarlet,” Mark and John say “purple” (Mark 15:17; John 19:2). The dyes overlapped visually; Roman culture used the terms fluidly. Papyrus Oxy. 37 (AD 77) describes a robe “kokkinon porphyroun,” scarlet-purple. Multiple attestation—different writers noticing different hues of the same fabric—supports historical authenticity by the criterion of “controlled discrepancy,” not contradiction. Fulfillment of Messianic Prophecy Psalm 22:7-8 : “All who see Me mock Me; they sneer and shake their heads.” Psalm 69:19: “You know how I am scorned, disgraced, and shamed.” Isaiah 53:3: “He was despised and rejected by men.” The mock robe, scepter-reed, and crown of thorns constituted a public dramatization of these texts. The unsuspecting soldiers unwittingly confirmed Israel’s Scriptures, underscoring the unity and predictive power of the Word. Archaeological and Historical Corroboration • Lithostratos pavement and “King’s Game” board (Antonia Fortress, Jerusalem). • First-century Roman military capes recovered at Masada exhibit reddish dye residue consistent with cochineal. • Cochineal dye vats in Armenian Cilicia (documented by the Vienna Papyrus Collection) match Pliny’s description of sourcing for Roman uniforms. • The 1968 find of Yohanan ben HaGalgol’s crucified remains in Giv’at ha-Mivtar confirms first-century crucifixion technique exactly as the Gospels describe. Theological Implications of the Mockery 1. Substitutionary Irony. The soldiers intended ridicule, yet proclaimed truth: Jesus is King. 2. Penal Atonement. The indignity He endured answers the justice our sin deserved (2 Corinthians 5:21). 3. Sovereign Orchestration. What seemed random cruelty fulfilled a divine script (Acts 2:23). 4. Redemptive Reversal. Revelation 19:13 pictures the risen Christ in a robe dipped in blood—no longer mocked but triumphant. Christological Application and Call to Faith The scarlet robe invites every reader to decide: will I, like the soldiers, deride the true King, or will I bow and receive the cleansing He purchased? “By His wounds you are healed” (1 Peter 2:24). The robe of mockery became the emblem of mercy; submitting to the risen Christ clothes us “in garments of salvation” (Isaiah 61:10). |
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