Behold the man! John 19:5 

Jesus, beaten and wearied, stands publicly before all wearing a crown of thorns and a purple robe. Is it meant only to mock him for the charge that he was a king for his people? Is it meant to elicit sympathy from a hardened crowd that only cried for his death? Are we to see here some poor hapless fellow like so many, shamed and tortured by their oppressors? Or are we to behold something more in this moment? Is Jesus now publicly displayed as the One people longed to embrace—the Messiah who will save us? 

 Jesus is the man of hope for us not because he shirks from the scars of suffering. He is the man of hope precisely because he places himself in the midst of our suffering. He takes our sins with him in his path toward the cross. We may behold that the garments of royalty are a prelude to his coming into his kingdom for us and for all people in their suffering and death. For all who journey through the time of trial, trusting Christ as their Lord and Savior, there is a crown of righteousness laid up for them. Behold, the man—of hope!
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