293. Jesus Sentenced To Die

Matthew 27:27-31, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:1-16,

Key Verse: Finally Pilate handed Him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

John 19:16

Evidently, John is the only disciple, or writer of a gospel, who witnessed the proceedings. That would explain his ability to give so much detail to what happened to Jesus.

What we do know is that in the hands of the Roman soldiers, Jesus was handled without mercy or restraint. Yes, they continued to mock Him, as everyone else who dealt with Jesus that night had done. They made His famous crown of thorns, Judean thorns with spikes several inches long. They gave Him a robe. Was it the same one that Herod had given Him or another? That is unclear. They mocked Him by kneeling before Him and continuing to make fun of Him. They were probably drunk and angry at having to serve in such a backwoods outpost as Jerusalem with a bunch of stubborn, stiff necked people that they didn't understand. All of that anger and frustration was poured out on Jesus, and He bore it silently.

There was no restraint or concern about respecting God's law here. There was raw emotion, an opportunity to get out pent up frustration without getting into trouble for it. The gospels say that the guards struck Him. They may have been playing a game called, "Hot Hands," in which the victim is blindfolded and then challenged to guess who struck Him. This is also, possibly when the scourge was used.  The scourge was a nasty whip.  Hard material was affixed to multiple thongs to give a flesh-tearing "bite".  Anyway, it is safe to say that when the soldiers were done with His physical body, Jesus was pretty much reduced to something almost unrecognizable. I heard one description that His flesh may have been like raw hamburger, if it was still intact at all.

Now, Pilate brings Him out, in this sorry condition, to the crowd to attempt to plead for mercy one last time, but the crowd, encouraged by the leadership has no mercy for Jesus. They want more of His blood. They want Him dead!

I have often wondered how many of those, in the crowd, who were now shouting for His blood, had received His blessing earlier. Who in the crowd had He healed? Who had He fed? Who had He comforted? What about me? He has blessed me, but I too shove Him aside when what I want, or understand, is more potent in me than His will. When am I guilty of the same?

Finally, Pilate relents and gives them what they want. He hands him over to the soldiers who lead Him off to be crucified. 
(Note, if you read the online version of the NIV Bible it says this was about noon. That is an error, for the following reasons: John adds the detail that Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate was taking place, according to Roman time, “about the sixth hour” (John 19:14, ESV). Since the Romans started counting their hours at midnight, the “sixth hour” would start at 6:00 A.M.

So, using the Roman system:
“about the sixth hour” = about 6:00 A.M. Jesus is sentenced by Pilate.

Then, using the Jewish system:
“the third hour” = 9:00 A.M. The crucifixion begins.
“the sixth hour” = 12:00 P.M. (noon). Darkness begins.
“the ninth hour” = 3:00 P.M. Jesus dies.

Putting it all together, Jesus’ trial ended about 6:00 A.M. His crucifixion began about three hours later, and He died about six hours after that.)

It is beyond our understanding to comprehend how God, the creator of all things, the creator of the soldiers, the Jews, everything, could allow Himself to be treated so savagely. It's impossible for us to understand, with our human, finite minds, how this could possibly undo the sin that Adam and Eve allowed into the world way back on the first day. It's hard to believe that, through patiently building one step at a time, that this is what God had in mind all along. Yet, this is where the map leads, from the Garden of Eden to the real destination. We are arriving at our ground zero, where sin and death will finally be dealt with in full.

Hymn: "O How He Loves You and Me"

also, "Does He Still Feel the Nails"