The Crucifixion of the Church    67 

Jesus, Crowned with Thorns (Mark 15:17 20) 

     And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and plaiting a crown of thorns 

they put it on him. And they began to salute him, `Hail, King of the Jews!' 

And they struck his head with a reed, and spat upon him, and they knelt 

down in homage to him.  (Mark 15:17 19). 

    The way that the soldiers treated Jesus during the crowning with thorns is 

a representation of the way that the Church will be treated during the years 

of great suffering. 

Behold the Man (John 19:5) 

     So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. 

Pilate said to them, `Here is the man!'   (John 19:5). 

    Pilate's words,  Here is the man  or  Behold the man  are translated 

from the  Latin,  Ecce homo.  But in  Latin, there is no word  the.  

Therefore,  Ecce homo  could also be translated  Behold man.  This 

phrase has a duel meaning. It means behold this man, Jesus. But it also 

means,  Behold Mankind  or  Behold humanity.  

    Jesus reveals to us our own humanity, because Jesus was fully human. 

Jesus also reveals to us God, because Jesus is God. Our own sinfulness 

prevents us from fully understanding what human nature was meant to be. 

Which tendencies in us come from our nature and which from our 

sinfulness? But Jesus can reveal human nature to humanity, because He is 

without sin. Jesus reveals what humanity ought to be and could become. 

Weep for Yourselves (Luke 23:27 31) 

     But Jesus turning to them said, `Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for 

me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are 

coming when they will say,  Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that 

never bore, and the breasts that never gave suck!  Then they will begin to 

say to the mountains,  Fall on us ; and to the hills,  Cover us.  For if they 

do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?'    

(Luke 23:28 31). 

    Jesus is talking about the time of the Church's Crucifixion. Clearly He is 

describing a time of great suffering. Jesus compares His own time to those 

years of suffering by comparing green wood to dry wood. During Jesus time, 

nature and humanity had much to offer people. But, during the time of great 

suffering, nature will rebel against humanity and humanity will be full of sin 

and conflict. Then society will be like dry wood, ready for the fire. And 

nature will be dying and in decay, for wood is only dry when it is dead.