[Mat 27:27-44]

The end of Jesus' life contains so much irony it is difficult to unpack it all.  With the benefit of the scriptures as they are currently presented to us, the knowledge of Jesus as messiah and eternal king is easy.  We have been given a much wider view.  Peter, the Roman soldiers, they never once considered themselves to be actors in a larger play; to be characters in an incomprehensibly larger narrative that they were helping to write.  
After Jesus was condemned and badly beaten, soldiers take him into the barracks and abuse him further.  They put a scarlet robe on him, like royalty would wear, and give him a reed for a scepter and a crown of thorns, and kneel down before him in mockery, declaring, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  In their minds they are in control, in power over this powerless rabble-rouser.  They probably don't even care about him - he is simply an object of fleeting sport for them.  As members of the conquering state, they have only derision for the Jewish people, and no knowledge of Jewish prophecy, law, or faith.  "King of the Jews" has no meaning to them.
The bible is filled with these repetitions, echoes that keep resounding from the voice of truth.  That is why it is still applicable to us - because truth does not change.  They offer Jesus tainted wine, and they lift him up high with a sign over him saying "This is Jesus the King of the Jews".  It's this bizarre inversion.  Jesus really is the king.  And at the end, everyone really will kneel and declare it, and lift him up.  It actually happens during his lifetime in this moment, but no one understands it because they each believe that the story is about them.
The chief priests, the scribes, and the Jewish authority all come out to sneer at him.  "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross."  Where have we heard something phrased in that manner before?

Luk 4:3 And the Devil said to Him, If you are the Son of God, speak to this stone that it might become bread.
Luk 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God."
 
Luk 4:9 And he brought Him to Jerusalem and sat Him on a pinnacle of the temple and said to Him, If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here.
Luk 4:10 For it is written, "He shall give His angels charge over You, to keep You;
Luk 4:11 and in their hands they shall bear You up, lest at any time You dash Your foot against a stone."
Luk 4:12 And Jesus answering said to him, It has been said, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God."
Luk 4:13 And when the Devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

This was the time.  The religious leaders are speaking with the voice of Satan.  Prove your identity!  Show them all how wrong they are!  They'll all believe you... they'll all be so sorry...

and there will be no empty tomb.  And you won't have to conquer death and take away the sins of the people.  The priests have no idea what they are demanding.  They are laughing at God, daring Him to condemn the whole world.

- Jux