Purple Robes and a Thorny Crown 

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple … – Luke 16:19 

Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! – John 19:5 

When I see purple, I think of Lydia who, in the book of Acts, was known as the dealer of purple.

Purple was a precious commodity, the garment of royalty, the symbol of wealth.

Purple is a featured color in the Lenten season as we meditate on the road to the cross that Jesus trod.

It is also an element of two of Jesus’ teachings, one that he spoke and another that he lived. One was a parable and the other was reality.

Jesus spoke of a rich man, clothed in purple, who died and discovered that all he had valued and cherished in life was worthless in light of a Godless eternity. This man begged for a drop of water and someone to warn his brothers. He was simply called, “a certain rich man.”

Later, Jesus would also ask for a sip of water, from the cross. Just prior to that pivotal event in salvation history, Jesus was paraded before Pilate clothed in purple. The soldiers were mocking His message of a spiritual kingdom that transcended all human kingdoms.

Jesus wore the purple unwillingly on His willing path to bear the shame of the world for our salvation. The rich man wore it with a prideful heart proclaiming his superiority and gaining nothing.  One exalted himself and was humbled.  Jesus humbled Himself and was exalted.

And both wore purple.

"Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!" – John 19:5 

“And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them” – Mark 9:3

 

In the Bible, white is often the color of purity and purple the color of wealth, royalty, and authority.

Jesus was clothed in purple to be mocked, humiliated and tortured.  He was clothed in white in the Transfiguration. He clothes His followers in white in the Book of Revelation.

"…These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." – Revelation 7:14

 

The juxtaposition of great power and honor invested in the Messiah and shared with His people against the equal truth of His capacity to purify the humble is a remarkable lesson in holy, confident living.

Sometimes pride seeks the veneer of symbols of power to puff itself up and oppress.

"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day …" Luke 16:19

 

Sometimes, tormentors taunt their “victims” with such symbols. Sometimes, they are unwittingly prophetic.

"And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe …" – John 19:2

 Sometimes, there is an unintentional declaration of truth.

"Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!" – John 19:5

 Sometimes, life strips us of all these symbols in the process of suffering, but we have an example of Jesus who stands by us in white raiment that is dripped in blood.

"And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him." – Mark 15:20

 Purple and white are the flowers that adorn the Christian who has been immersed in the purity of Jesus and endowed with His power to live a victorious life. May that combination always inspire you to look to Him.

“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” -  2 Corinthians 8:9

Grace creates the most profound contrast in history in the cross of the servant King, Jesus, the Son of God.

 “Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! “ -  John 19:5

 The purple robe symbolized wealth, royalty, and majesty. Here was the Creator of the universe, the King of Glory, the Master of the Seas, the First and the Last. Pilate did not believe this. He wanted to rub it in the faces of the Jews, but in the irony where God’s truth so often breaks through, He was absolutely accurate.

“Behold the Man!” 

The crown of thorns symbolized the fallen nature of man which He bore for us. To such a man, God spoke “thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee…" – Genesis 3:18

Love and sorrow met on the cross in the person of Jesus. The contrast was earth-shaking.

“Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed…” – Psalm 85:10 

So much of life is about contrasts and meeting and all those contrasts met together in the passion of Christ to make it possible for us to meet with God.

When you look at the purple and the thorns, think the contrasts between suffering and sovereignty, justice and grace, majesty and mercy, and transcendent holiness and intimate immediacy.

Son of God and Son of Man are one in Jesus Christ and He invites us, through His death and resurrection, to enter into relationship with the Father through Him.

“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 19:27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.” – John 19:26-27

There are few things that are as distracting as pain. Jesus was in pain on the cross for the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). Undistracted from His purpose, He gazed down upon the onlookers and saw there, one who, through pain and travail, had borne Him for the joy that was set before Her.

The heart of Jesus commanded His attention away from the agony of His suffering. He mustered the excruciating strength to deliver words of love and instruction. Giving, He gave more. Bearing universal sin in His body, panting for the souls of all mankind, He focused on two people who were precious to Him and brought them together for their mutual well-being.

Mothers are like that. They are peacemakers and people builders. They help us develop relationships that are loving and nurturing. They teach us to watch out for each other, to care for each other, and to show respect, concern, and forgiveness. John needed a mother and Mary needed a son. And Jesus wanted to be sure that the woman who had given Him birth and had raised Him in love would be cared for beyond His earthly life.

How like a mother! How like Jesus! How like Jesus is a mother’s love. No wonder that many of us first learned to love Him at our mother’s knee. It was there that we learned of mercy and grace. It was there that we came to realize that we were accepted and beloved – just because. And it was there that we learned what Jesus did for us on the cross.

Praying Through the Seven Last Words of Christ

 Recently, I was seeking God’s Word on my own prayer life and I was led to examine the words of Jesus from the cross to gain insight into how He prayed and what He spoke during those grueling and critical moments where our redemption hung in the balance. Meditating upon them, my own praying was propelling to a higher level. 

 "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do…" (Luke 23:34)

 Our Father, as Thy Son forgave us both our complicity and explicit involvement in His own death, may we receive that forgiveness and forgive others who have wronged us. May our lives be examples of mercy and grace. Because He has gone before, may we carry His message of atonement and freedom into a world of bondage and sin. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

"My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)

Dear Father, we too have sometimes felt forsaken, abandoned, and alone. Yet we know this one thing: because He hung alone on the cross, we shall never be alone. In our loneliest moments, remind us that Thy Spirit is our comforter and guide and that Jesus has both gone before us and come to walk alongside us in every struggle, through every doubt, and through every fear. In His Name, Amen.

When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. (John 19:26-27)

 Lord Jesus, out of the depths of your pain and grief, Thou hast thought of another. May we never be so overwhelmed by our own problems that we draw a circle around our pain and isolate the world. Teach us to love as Thou hast loved. Teach us that relationships matter and that people count. Help us to love sacrificially and openly as Thou hast done so magnificently.  In Your Name, Amen.

"I thirst!" (John 19:28)

 Make us thirsty, O God. Evaporate all the false refreshments with which we fill our senses and create a burn within us for Thyself, Thy Kingdom, and the salvation of the people for whom Thou gavest Thine only Son.  May we thirst so deeply for truth and grace that nothing will satisfy us but the living water poured out by the One who thirsted so deeply for us., In His Name, Amen.

In a court of law, a dying confession carries great weight. In His dying, Jesus was interceeding for humanity, speaking to His Father on our behalf and speaking to us on behalf of His Father. Our own praying can be informed and inspired by the words that our Master spoke in His passion from the cross.

And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43)

 Lord Jesus, we long to be with Thee. There is nothing in this world that holds us compared to the wonder of Thy presence. Penetrate our darkness with the light of hope. Help us to lift up our eyes from our hardships and burdens and see Thee. Create within us a passion for Thy presence. Amen.

 "It is finished!" (John 19:30)

 We trust Thee, Master. We trust Thee that Thou hast finished what Thou hasy begun. We trust Thee that there is nothing we can bring to enhance Thy completed work of grace. It is finished. Out of Thy sacrifice, we have been made whole. Every sin we have ever entertained or brought to fruition, we bring to Calvary and lay it down. Every guilt, every burden, every regret, we nail to the cross. We receive Thy free gift of salvation with gratitude and awe. Come into our hearts and make us complete as Thy work of redemption is complete. In Thine own Holy Name we pray and to Thy calling we commit our lives. Amen.

"Father, into Thy hands I commit my spirit." (Luke 23:46)

 We also come, Heavenly Father, committing our spirits, our bodies, and our lives to Thee. We trust Thee and we declare our devotion to Thee with grateful hearts.  Whatever may lie ahead for us, we trust Thee. Wherever Thou dost lead us, we will go. However Thou dost choose to work in our lives, Thou art our Lord and our God. We thank Thee for the wonderful gift of Thy Son and confess Him as Savior and Lord of our lives. In His Name we pray. Amen.