Years ago I saw a picture of Jesus, standing before Pilate. A robe had been placed around his shoulders, a crown made of thorns was on his head, but He really looked quite serene. There were a few drops of blood showing on his forehead caused by the thorns, but otherwise He looked very kingly and unmarred. This is not according to the prophecy in Isaiah 52:14. Here it states that “His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.” To me, this is saying that He was so beaten up He did not look human. This is the effect the brutalities described in Matthew 26:67, 68 and 27:27-30 had done to Him.
The first stop made after He was arrested was before Annias, the old ‘political’ boss and father-in-law of the present High Priest. It was here Jesus received the first recorded “slap”. One of the meanings for “slap” in Webster’s dictionary is “to hit with force.” On His already sensitized skin, it no doubt caused severe pain and even bruising; may have even been with the fist.
Jesus second stop was before Caiaphas, the current reigning High Priest. While Jesus was here, it is recorded in Matthew 26:67 that they spat on His face and buffeted Him, while some ‘smote’ Him with the palms of their hands. According to Webster’s dictionary, to buffet is to ‘hit with the fist’. Luke 22:63-65 states that they “mocked him and smote him”. Webster gives the word for ‘smote’ or smite’ as meaning to strike or attack with powerful or disastrous effect. They even blindfolded Him and then struck Him.
He was then taken to a mock trial before the Sanhedrin, the ‘lawyers’ of the day. Following the trial before the Sanhedrin, He was taken to Pilate, the Roman Governor. By the time Jesus reached Pilate’s courtyard, He was exhausted, dehydrated, beaten and bruised. Pilate did not find any reason for sentencing Jesus, and sent Him to Herod Antipas. (This was the Herod who had kept Jesus cousin, John the Baptist in prison for months, and then had him beheaded at the request of his wife’s daughter.) Herod did not want the final decision, but before sending Him back to Pilate, Jesus was turned over to the soldiers. The soldiers tried to make a mockery and spectacle of Jesus by putting a fine robe on Him and clamping a crown made of thorns on His head. These thorns are from a bush found in Israel with thorns at least an inch long. This was forced down on Jesus head, and with the head being a very vascular area, not only would a few drops of blood show, but also blood no doubt was streaming down Hi face, running into His eyes and mouth.
Luke 23:22 tells about going back to Pilate, and Pilate still did not feel Jesus had done anything to warrant death, so he thought the Jews would be content to just punish Him by having Him flogged. A “flogging” by the Romans was commonly done prior to their crucifixions to help ‘speed’ up death. It was administered by a whip made of calfskin, using several cords or thongs weighted with jagged pieces of bone or metal, and then applied to the bare upper body. The Romans tied their victim to a post and the blows were applied to the back and loins and at times even struck the face and bowel areas. This is the flogging which Christ received according to Matthew 27:36. It was not merely 39 stripes as the Jewish law gives, but by Roman standards, it was indefinite—until the one doing the flogging decided to quit, or the victim died.
At any point Jesus could have called on the angels to save Him and avenge His enemies, but He came as the perfect Lamb of God, willing to take the curse and humiliation that we might be free from the curse of Sin.
One Look at the CROSS and I am humbled!
