The Scourging

Jesus was led a short distance from Pilate's chambers into a courtyard for the scourging. He was stripped of His clothing, except for His undergarment. His hands were tied to a post. Scourging used a whip with nine leather strips called a flagrum. To make the suffering greater and the damage more serious, lead balls, glass, and bone were embedded into the leather so it would cut deeply into the flesh and muscles of the person being scourged.

The executioners were most likely violent criminals from Egypt who were condemned for their crimes to hard labor. They resembled wild beasts that were  half-drunk. They took delight in scourging prisoners. One executioner stood on either side of Him so that Jesus' entire body, front and back from His neck to His feet, was covered with lashes. The executioners alternately swung their flagrums with the force of their entire bodies. At each stroke, Jesus' body shook with an agonized shudder.

The Jews were required to limit the scourging to 40 lashes, and in order to be strictly correct they limited the scourging to 39 lashes. But the Roman soldiers were in control of Jesus and they had no interest in being strictly correct. As the blows continued, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous fatty tissues ripping chunks of flesh and cutting deeply into Jesus' muscles.

Scourging had the potential to kill the victim because of the violence that was inflicted The art of the torture was to bring someone close to the point of death, without having him expire.

Blood spurted from open arteries; the skin and muscles hung in long, quivering ribbons. The entire area was an unrecognizable mass of torn tissue. When the brutal torture was completed and Jesus was nearly unconscious, they untied His hands and He collapsed to the ground.

Every lash of the horrific scourging that Jesus endured was to justify our personal sins. Jesus willingly accepted this suffering so that you and I could have eternal life with Him. Please lake a moment to imagine your Lord and Savior chained to the scourging post having His flesh ripped apart to show His undying love for you!