Do you bare the cross you wear around your neck, or do you just wear it as an ornament? This is a question I’ve asked myself in recent days.
Not until a couple of months ago did I dig deeper into one particular part of the Biblical account of the crucifixion of Jesus. For many years, I’ve been a follower of his, but I had not looked into what actually took place during the time Jesus was scourged before Pilate had him crucified.
This act, perpetrated against Jesus, is recorded:
Matthew 27:26: “…and when Pilate had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.”
Mark 15:15: “…and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged Him, to be crucified.”
Luke 23:22 reads that Pilate “chastised” Jesus.
John 19:1: “Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged Him.”
I think the reason I haven’t is because in only one sentence in each of the four gospels is it recorded that scourging was done to Jesus. I’m not excusing myself for not looking into this more deeply before — it’s just the truth. But this time, it caught my attention and I was drawn to know more.
To scourge means, “to severely whip” and it was only done to men.
In JAMA’s “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” we learn more.
The instrument used to do this to Jesus was “a short whip with several single braided leather thongs of variable lengths, in which small iron balls or sharp pieces of sheep bones were tied at intervals.
“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 or by one who alternated positions for 39 lashes. The severity of the scourging depended on the disposition of the lictor and was intended to weaken the victim to just short of death. Afterwards, the soldiers taunted their victims.”
“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.
“The Roman soldiers, amused that this weakened man 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 staff as a scepter in his right hand. Next, they spat on Jesus and struck him on the head with a wooden staff. The severe scourging, with its intense pain and appreciable blood loss, most probably left Jesus in a pre-shock state.”
This is only part of what was done to Jesus before He was forced to carry his own cross to Calvary and be crucified on it.
He hung there, by God’s plan, for you and for me!
Knowing more than you did know before you read this column about what Jesus endured in order for your sins and mine to be forgiven, I ask you the same question I’ve ask myself and this is, “Do you bare the cross you wear around your neck or is it just an ornament to you?”
Today, I wept as I wrote this column for you and I pray that you will never, ever, ever wear the cross around your neck as an ornament. Your cross cost you only a few dollars but Jesus’s cross cost him horrific scourging and death on the cross.
Nita Evans of Columbus is host of “The Chat” Saturdays on WYGS Radio, owner of Confidential Christian Counseling, a national conference speaker, and Columbus Police Department chaplain. She can be reached at her website at specialspeaker.com. Send comments to [email protected].
