Resurrection Life of Jesus Church

THE FLAGRUM
Once Pilate gave the order for Jesus to be crucified, He was taken away by soldiers for scourging. Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1

The Gospel writers do not describe this event, in part because they were not present, but also because everyone was familiar with the significance of such an event. It was a preliminary to crucifixion, intending to weaken the victim to a state just short of collapse, significantly shortening the amount of time spent on the cross.

The Roman scourge (also known as a flagrum or flagellum) was a short whip consisting of three or more leather thongs connected to a handle. Each thong was knotted at the end with iron – sometimes it was barbed – and embedded with indented metal and sturdy bone shards (sheep knuckle bone) at various intervals.

In the hands of a skilled soldier, the flagrum was a brutal form of punishment as the metal ends slammed into the victim and the indented metal and bone shards lacerated the skin. The thongs tore into the underlying skeletal muscles which left the victim quivering with ribbons of bleeding flesh. Pain and blood loss produced shock and the extent of the bleeding determined how long the victim would survive the ensuing crucifixion.

ROMAN STRIPES
The severity of the scourging depended upon the mood of the soldiers. Mosaic law stipulated a maximum of forty lashes and this is why the Jews always stopped at thirty- nine stripes in case of a miscount. Deuteronomy 25:3

Scourging among the Romans however was a more severe form of punishment with no legal limit on the number of lashes the victim received. There is no record that they stopped at forty lashes with Jesus. The soldiers were not concerned so much with quantity as the quality of the stripes inflicted on the victim – whatever number that happened to be!

THE SCOURGING
The soldiers stripped Jesus naked and His hands were tied to a vertical post or between two posts. His back, chest, buttocks, arms, and legs were scourged by two soldiers standing on either side, alternating hits, beating Jesus continuously and mercilessly.

The soldiers enjoyed repeatedly striking the back and chest of the man who claimed to be a king. The weighted ends of the flagrum struck the God-man’s skin forcefully enough to produce a dull thud. That impact bruised internal organs while simultaneously tenderizing His muscles. The indented metal and bone chunks on the thongs struck the skin, tearing into the underlying skeletal muscles, leaving behind ribbons of quivering, bleeding flesh. Then they moved down to His buttocks and legs with the same results.

When the soldiers finally halted the beating, it does not take much imagination to realize that Jesus was a bloody mess. His breathing was labored and much of His skin dangled like ribbons from His body. There was a severe, unrelenting pain from every area touched by the flagrum. Combined with lack of food, water, and sleep, as well as physical and mental abuse, Jesus was in a seriously weakened state.