Verses 27 through 32 show how the Lord Jesus was mocked by the heathen soldiers. They stripped Him and put on Him a scarlet robe (v. 28). Verse 29 says, “And having woven a crown of thorns, they placed it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they kneeled before Him and mocked Him saying, Hail, King of the Jews!” Thorns are a symbol of the curse (Gen. 3:17-18). The Lord Jesus became a curse for us on the cross (Gal. 3:13). After spitting on the Lord, beating Him on His head, and mocking Him, they took the robe off Him, put His garments on Him, and led Him away to be crucified (vv. 30-31). The Lord here, as the Passover Lamb to be sacrificed for our sins, was brought like a lamb to the slaughter, fulfilling Isaiah 53:7-8.
Verse 32 says, “And as they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; this man they compelled to bear His cross.” Cyrene was the Greek colonial city, the capital of Cyrenaica in North Africa. It seems that Simon was a Cyrenian Jew.
Verses 33 through 44 reveal how the Lord was mocked by men and killed. Verse 33 says, “And coming to a place called Golgotha, which is called Place of a Skull.” Golgotha is a Hebrew name (John 19:17) which means skull (Mark 15:22). Its equivalent in Latin is Calvaria, anglicized into Calvary (Luke 23:33). It does not mean a place of dead men’s skulls, but simply skull.
Verse 34 says, “They gave Him wine to drink mingled with gall; and having tasted it, He would not drink.” The wine mingled with gall (and also with myrrh—Mark 15:23) was intended as a stupefying draught. But the Lord would not be stupefied; He would drink the bitter cup to the dregs.
Verse 35 says, “And when they had crucified Him, they divided His garments among them, casting lots.” The Lord suffered the sinners’ robbery to the uttermost, fulfilling Psalm 22:18. This also exposed the darkness of Roman politics.
Although the Jewish leaders rejected the Lord Jesus as their King, it was sovereign of God that they set up above His head as a charge “the King of the Jews” (v. 37).
Verse 38 says, “Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right hand and one on the left.” This was for the fulfillment of Isaiah 53:9.
Verses 39 and 40 say, “And those who were passing by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads, and saying, You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” This was a repetition of the Devil’s temptation in the wilderness. The chief priests, scribes, and elders also mocked Him by saying, “He saved others; himself he cannot save! He is king of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe on him” (v. 42). If He could have saved Himself, He could not have saved us.
When the Lord was crucified, even the robbers crucified with Him reproached Him as the others did. In 27:1-44 we see what unrighteous man did to the righteous One. He was mocked, beaten, and crucified. Pilate and all the mockers and persecutors were unrighteous. Even the soldiers of the Roman Empire were unrighteous. If any of them had been righteous, they would not have done anything to the Lord Jesus. The fact that they did something to this righteous One proves that they were unrighteous.