(15) But neither did Herod; For I sent you up to him, and, behold, nothing worthy of death is done by him.
(16) Therefore I will chastise him, and release him." (Luke 23:13-16 Para)
(20) ―Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spoke again to them.
(21) But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him.
(22) And he said to them the third time, Why, what evil have he done? I have found no cause of death in
him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.
(23) And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them
and of the chief priests prevailed". (Luke 23:20-23 KJV)
(15) ―And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas to them, and delivered Jesus, when
he had scourged him, to be crucified.
(16) And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they called together the whole
band.
(17) ―And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,
(18) And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!
(19) And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees
worshiped him.
(20) And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him,
and led him out to crucify him". (Mark 15:15-20 KJV)
The Roman ScourgingRoman scourging was one of the most cruel and horrible kinds of punishment of that time and was known as
the "halfway death" because those who were administering it were supposed to stop just before a person
died from the punishment. The Roman scourging was so deadly that it was supposed to be administered by
a specially trained man called a lictor. The instrument of punishment was called a flagellum, and was a short
piece of wood which had several strips of leather attached to it on which were tied small pieces of bone,
chain, or metal. When the lictor brought the flagellum down hard upon the victim, it would bruise, cut and tear
the flesh, causing internal and external bleeding.
Because of the severity of Roman scourging, it was not to be administered in addition to another punishment
because the scourged person would often die from his injuries.
The broken body:―Just as many were astonished over you – so much was the disfigurement from man, his appearance and his
form from sons of man". (Isaiah 52:14 Para)
The beatings that Messiah Y‘shua suffered at the hands of the Roman soldier bruised and tore his flesh so
much, that it disfigured him to the point that he was unrecognisable as a man.
By His stripes you are healed:―But he was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our lawlessness: the chastisement of our peace
was upon him; and with his wounds we ourselves are healed". (Isaiah 53:5 Para)
The Hebrew words for ―wounded‖ and ―bruised‖ are 'halal' and 'daka' which mean 'to fatally wound', 'bore
through', or 'pierce' and to 'be crushed', 'contrite', or 'broken'. Both of these words foretell the kind of beating
and torturous death that the Saviour would endure as the sacrifice for humanity.
After Y‘shua was scourged, Pilate again brings Y‘shua before the Jews and tells them that he can find no
fault in him. The Scriptures record that Pilate tried to release Y‘shua three times. But, each time he tried, the
legalistic religious leaders and rulers of the Jews refused to accept his decision; and became so forceful in
their demand for the execution of Y‘shua that they even denied the sovereignty of YHWH as their King:
(4) ―Pilate therefore went forth again, and said to them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that you may
know that I find no fault in him.
(5) Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them,
Behold the man!
(6) When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify
him. Pilate said to them, Take you him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him" (John 19:4-6 KJV).
(12) ―And from then on Pilate sought to release Jesus: but the Jews shouted, If you let this man go, you
are not a friend of Caesar: whoever claims to be a king speaks against Caesars.