“How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame?” (Psalms 4:2)  

Here’s a shameful list of the “honors” the Jews awarded to their long-expected King. 

 1) They gave Him a procession of honor, in which Roman legionaries, Jewish priests, and the common people, took a part, while He, the One who was to give them Life, carried the cross on which they would kill Him. This is the triumph which the world awarded the Savior, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Insults and blasphemy were their acclamations, cruel taunts their tribute. 

 2) They presented Him with the wine of honor. But instead of the best, they gave him vinegar mixed with a drug called gall, the criminal's death-drink, which He refused because He wanted to preserve His senses as He suffered; and afterwards when He cried, "I thirst," they gave Him pure vinegar, thrust to His mouth upon a sponge. What a way to treat God’s Son! 

 3) He was provided with a guard of honor, who showed their esteem of Him by gambling over His garments, which they had seized as their booty. The body-guard of the King of kings considered His garment the only thing of value. 

 4) His throne of honor was a bloody cross. The cross was, in fact, the full expression of the world's feeling towards Him; "There," they seemed to say, "You Son of God, this is the way we would treat God Himself, if we could". “When the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him” (Matthew 21:38). 

 5) Pilate wrote a title of honor, "King of the Jews," but they treated Him as "King of thieves", placing Him between two hoodlums. His glory was turned into shame by the men he came to save, but this was the way prophesy was fulfilled. “We esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted ... the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:4-6).