Then Pilate said to them in amazement: “What shall I do then with Jesus who is called Christ?”[1] They[2] cried out with savage fury: “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate, still endeavouring to save Jesus, asked again: “Why, what evil[3] hath He done? I find no cause of death in Him. I will chastise[4] Him, therefore, and let Him go.”
He then caused Jesus to be scourged[5]. Immediately the whole cohort [6] was assembled. They stripped Jesus of His clothes, tied Him to a pillar, and scourged Him. Then, covering Him in derision with a purple garment[7], they plaited a crown of sharp thorns, placed it on His Head, and pressed it down, so that the thorns pierced the flesh and entered into the Sacred Head.
Then, placing a reed in His right Hand, by way of sceptre, they bent the knee before Him in mockery, saying: “Hail[8], King of the Jews!” Others spat upon Him, and took the reed that
- ↑ Christ. Instead of saying outright and decidedly: ‘I cannot put Him to death, because it would be unjust, seeing He has done no evil', Pilate in the most cowardly manner left the fate of Jesus in the hands of the people.
- ↑ They. It was not only the chief priests and ancients who said this, but also the people, at their instigation.
- ↑ What evil. At least tell me why you wish to have him crucified, for I can find no cause of death in Him.
- ↑ Chastise. Have Him scourged, just to satisfy you. In order to appease the bloodthirstiness of the clamouring mob, the unjust judge ordered that a man whom he knew to be innocent should be cruelly scourged! This compliance on his part, at the expense of justice, only made our Lord’s enemies more bloodthirsty than ever.
- ↑ Scourged. These few words describe a terrible amount of suffering! A man sentenced to be scourged was secured by both hands to a pillar, and then several executioners together struck blows on his naked body with rods or scourges, made of knotted leather, into which sharp spikes were fastened. This mode of chastisement was so severe that very often those on whom it was inflicted, succumbed, and died under the strokes. We may assume that the scourging of our Lord was of a most severe description, judging from the wanton tortures inflicted on Him by the rough soldiery after the scourging. Moreover, it suited Pilate’s purpose that the chastisement inflicted on Jesus should be severe, as, the more tortured and suffering He was, the better chance would there be of the Jews taking compassion on Him, and renouncing the desire to crucify Him.
- ↑ Whole cohort. All the soldiers who were in the hall of justice or about the premises.
- ↑ Purple garment. This old red cloak was put on His shoulders in mockery of His claim to be king, it being the custom of kings to wear a purple robe on solemn occasions.
- ↑ Hail. They crowned Him with thorns and paid homage to Him in the same spirit of mockery.
