EVENTS OF THURSDAY, NISAN 14, 32 A.D. - [EARLY MORNING]

CHRIST SENTENCED TO DEATH BY GOVERNOR PONTIUS PILATE 

In Matthew 27:22-25, we read: 

“Pilate saith unto them [the Jews], What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.”

 In Mark 15:12-14, we read: 

“And Pilate answered and said again unto them [the Jews], What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.”

In Luke 23:20-25, we read:

“Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.”

ROMAN GOVERNOR PONTIUS PILATE ORDERS JESUS CHRIST TO BE SCOURGED BY THE ROMAN SOLDIERS

In Matthew 27:26, we read: 

“Then [Governor Pontius Pilate] released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.” In Mark 15:15, we read: “And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.” 

In John 19:1, we read: 

“Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him."

What was scourging? – 

The following is a quote from the March 1986 JAMA Medical Journal concerning the scourging [flogging] of Jesus Christ by the Roman soldiers:

[BEGIN QUOTE] - Flogging was a legal preliminary to every Roman execution, and only women or Roman senators or soldiers (except in cases of desertion) were exempt. The usual instrument was a short whip (flagrum, or flagelum) with several single and braided thongs of variable lengths, in which small iron balls and sharp pieces of sheep bones were tied at intervals.

For scourging, the man was stripped of his clothing, and his hands were tied to an upright post. The back, buttocks, and legs were flogged either by two soldiers (lictors) or one who alternated positions. The severity of the scourging depended upon the disposition of the lictors and was intended to weaken the victim to a state just short of collapse or death. 

After the scourging, the soldiers often taunted their victim. As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim’s back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues. Then as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh. Pain and blood loss generally set the stage for circulatory shock. The extent of blood loss may well have determined how long the victim would survive on the cross. 

At the Praetorium, Jesus was severely whipped. (Although the severity of the scourging is not discussed in the four gospel accounts, it is implied in one of the epistles [1 Peter 2:24]. A detailed word study of the ancient Greek text for this verse indicates that the scourging of Jesus was particularly harsh.) It is not known whether the number of lashes was limited to 39, in accordance with Jewish law 

The severe scourging, with its intense pain and appreciable blood loss, most probably left Jesus in a pre-shock state. Moreover, hematidrosis had rendered his skin particularly tender. The physical and mental abuse meted out by the Jews and the Romans, as well as the lack of food, water, and sleep, also contributed to his generally weakened state. Therefore, even before the actual crucifixion, Jesus’ physical condition was at least serious and possibly critical. [END QUOTE] 

THE CROWNING AND MOCKING OF JESUS CHRIST AS KING OF THE JEWS 

In Matthew 27:27-31, we read: 

“Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.” 

In Mark 15:16-20, we read: 

“And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band. And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. 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.” 

In John 19:2-16 we read: 

“And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour [6:00 AM – Apostle John is using Roman time and not Jewish time]: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.” 

In Isaiah 50:5-6 of the Old Testament, we read the following about the crucifixion of Christ: 

“The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” 

The following is a quote from the March 1986 JAMA Medical Journal concerning the crowning and mocking of Jesus Christ by the Roman soldiers:

[BEGIN QUOTE} - The Roman soldiers, amused that this weakened man [Jesus Christ] had claimed to be a king, began to mock him by placing a robe on his shoulders, a crown of thorns on his head, and a wooden scepter in his right hand Next, they spat on Jesus and struck him on the head with the wooden staff Moreover, when the soldiers tore the robe from Jesus’ back, they probably reopened the scourging wounds. [END QUOTE]

 JESUS CHRIST IS LED TO BE CRUCIFIED 

In Matthew 27:32,we read: 

“And as they came out [of the Praetorium], they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.”

In Mark 15:20-22, we read: 

“And when they [the Roman soldiers] had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.. And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.” 

In Luke 23:26-33, we read: 

“And as they [the Roman soldiers] led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.” 

In John 19:16-18, we read: 

“Then delivered he him therefore unto them [Jews and the Roman soldiers] to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.” 

The following is a quote from the March 1986 JAMA Medical Journal concerning the carrying of the cross to the crucifixion site: 

[BEGIN QUOTE] - It was customary for the condemned man to carry his own cross from the flogging post to the site of the crucifixion outside the city walls He was usually naked, unless this was prohibited by local customs.

Since weight of the entire cross was probably well over 300 lb (136 kg), only the cross bar [patibulum] was carried. The patibulum, weighing 75 to 125 lb (34 to 57 kg), was placed across the nape of the victim’s neck and balanced along both shoulders Usually the outstretched arms were then tied to the crossbar. Jesus was so weak from the events that had already occurred that He could only carry the cross bar a short distance Simon of Cyrene was therefore summoned from the crowd by the Roman soldiers to carry Christ’s cross bar the remaining distance to the crucifixion site. 

The processional to the site of crucifixion was led by a complete roman military guard, headed by a centurion One of the soldiers carried a sign (titulus) on which the condemned man’s name and crime were displayed Later, the titulus would be attached to the top of the cross. 

Outside the city walls were permanently located the heavy upright wooden stipes [upright posts], on which the patibulum would be secured In the case of the Tau cross, this was accomplished by means of a mortise and tenon joint, with or without reinforcement by ropes. To prolong the crucifixion process, a horizontal wooden block or plank, serving as a crude seat (sedile or sedulum), often was attached midway down the stipes [upright posts]. [END QUOTE]