Crown of Thorns
Kingship is mocked in suffering.
Soldiers clothe and strike Jesus, placing a crown of thorns. The scene exposes both cruelty and the paradox of true kingship through humiliation.
Scripture
27 Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, and gathered the whole garrison together against him.
28 They stripped him, and put a scarlet robe on him.
29 They braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
30 They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.
31 When they had mocked him, they took the robe off of him, and put his clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.
16 The soldiers led him away within the court, which is the Praetorium; and they called together the whole cohort.
17 They clothed him with purple, and weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on him.
18 They began to salute him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
19 They struck his head with a reed, and spat on him, and bowing their knees, did homage to him.
20 When they had mocked him, they took the purple off of him, and put his own garments on him. They led him out to crucify him.
1 So Pilate then took Jesus, and flogged him.
2 The soldiers twisted thorns into a crown, and put it on his head, and dressed him in a purple garment.
3 They kept saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and they kept slapping him.
4 Then Pilate went out again, and said to them, "Behold, I bring him out to you, that you may know that I find no basis for a charge against him."
5 Jesus therefore came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment. Pilate said to them, "Behold, the man!"