Jesus Is Scourged
February 24, 2020
Commentary
Pilate tried a new approach: sympathy. If Jesus was scourged (beaten with a whip, knotted and weighted with pieces of metal or bone) perhaps they would be satisfied. Certainly, the sight of Jesus, scourged and humiliated, would arouse some pity in their hearts. He ordered that Jesus be whipped (v. 1). The soldiers made a crown of thorns and put it on Jesus’ head (v. 2). They put a purple robe on him. They mocked Him, slapping him across the face and calling out, “Hail, king of the Jews” (v. 3)! The Jews mocked Him for claiming to be a prophet (Matt. 26:67-68), and the Gentiles mocked Him for claiming to be a king. Again, Pilate spoke to the crowd. “I’ll bring Jesus back out (v. 4), so you can see for yourselves that I have not found him guilty.” Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe (v. 5). Pilate said, “Here is the man!” When the chief priests and officers saw him, they yelled, “Nail him to a cross! Nail him to a cross” (v. 6)! Pilate told them, “You take him and nail him to a cross! I don’t find him guilty of anything.”
According to Roman law, Jesus was innocent, but the Jews appealed to their law (vv. 7-8). They said that since Jesus had claimed to be God, He should die by Jewish law (Lev. 24:16). When Pilate heard that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, he became afraid (v. 8). He had already been warned by his wife that he should have nothing to do with Jesus (Matt. 27:19) because of a dream she had. Pilate asks Him, “Where do you come from?” (v. 9). Jesus didn’t answer. Pilate said to Him, “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or to crucify you?” (v. 10). Jesus then reminded Pilate that his so-called authority was only delegated to him from God (v. 11). Fear and anger often go together. When we are afraid and weak, we often try to appear strong.
Application
When have I been under pressures that have caused me to make decisions that I knew in my own heart were not right? What can I do to prevent this from happening in the future?
John 19:1– 11 (NET)
1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged severely. 2 The soldiers braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they clothed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him again and again and said, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they struck him repeatedly in the face.
4 Again Pilate went out and said to the Jewish leaders, “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no reason for an accusation against him.” 5 So Jesus came outside, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Look, here is the man!” 6 When the chief priests and their officers saw him, they shouted out, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said, “You take him and crucify him! Certainly I find no reason for an accusation against him!” 7 The Jewish leaders replied, “We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God!”
8 When Pilate heard what they said, he was more afraid than ever, 9 and he went back into the governor’s residence and said to Jesus, “Where do you come from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know I have the authority to release you, and to crucify you?” 11 Jesus replied, “You would have no authority over me at all, unless it was given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”