John 19

Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.

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: 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 priest 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.

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.

And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.

Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.

Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.

But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:

But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.

For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.

There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

What does John 19:1 mean?

Explanation

Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. - John 19:1 (KJV)

In this verse from the Gospel of John, we see a depiction of a moment in the Passion of Christ, where Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, orders Jesus to be scourged as part of the process leading up to His crucifixion.

Scourging was a brutal form of Roman punishment that typically involved a whip with multiple leather thonged strips, each having pieces of metal or bone attached designed to tear flesh with each lash.

This act is depicted as events unfold towards the endocrine of Jesus.

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Historical Context

At the time of Jesus, Judea was under Roman rule.

Pontius Pilate was the fifth prefect of the Roman province of Judea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from AD 26 to 36.

Roman law permitted the governor to order torture and execute criminals.

The scourging of Jesus, therefore, reflects the exercise of Roman authority and their methods of punishment.

Scourging was often a preliminary punishment before crucifixion, intended to weaken a victim to hasten death on the cross.

Theological Insights

Different theological perspectives consider this verse to contain significant meaning.

Traditional Christian theology sees the scourging as part of the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about the suffering servant (Isaiah 53:5).
Catholic theology often meditates on the scourging at the pillar as the second sorrowful mystery of the rosary, contemplating the physical suffering of Jesus and its redemptive value.
Reformed theology may focus on the legal aspects, viewing Pilate's unjust judgement as an example of how human legal systems can be corrupted, yet serve God's sovereign plan for salvation.

Practical Applications

Believers can find in this verse an encouragement for endurance and faith in times of suffering. The unjust punishment of Jesus serves as a reminder of the cost of mankind's salvation and may inspire the faithful to bear their own trials with patience and hope.

Additionally, the example of Jesus can provoke a deeper empathy and active resistance against injustices in the world.

Cross-References

Isaiah 53:5 - But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Matthew 27:26 - Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
Mark 15:15 - And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
1 Peter 2:24 - Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Language Study

The key word in the original Greek text for "scourged" is "φραγελλόω" (phragelloō), which indicates a severe form of whipping or lashing.

It refers to the Roman practice of flogging a person with a whip made of leather thongs with pieces of metal or bone, as mentioned earlier, designed to inflict intense pain and bodily injury.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In Roman culture, scourging was a common form of punishment for non-citizens, used for torture, to extract confessions, or to punish.

In a broader religious context, many ancient religions include the concept of a suffering deity or individual who undergoes pain or sacrifice for the benefit of others, but the Christian narrative uniquely connects this suffering directly to the salvation of humanity.

Scientific Perspectives

From a scientific perspective, scourging can cause significant physical trauma.

The injuries from a Roman flagrum would include deep tissue damage, significant blood loss, shock, and could even lead to death.

Modern medical understanding provides insight into the extreme physical torture that such a punishment would inflict and the subsequent implications for the crucifixion that followed.

Commentaries

Commentaries on John 19:1 often emphasize the brutal nature of scourging and its role as a fulfillment of prophecy regarding the Messiah's suffering.

They reflect on Pilate's ambivalent attitude towards Jesus, caught between the desire to release Him and the pressures from the crowd and Jewish leaders.

Scholars may discuss the legality and the ethics of Pilate's actions and the deeper meanings of suffering and redemption that stand at the center of this episode.

John 19

John 19

What does John 19:1 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does John 19:1 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?