John 19:1-8

1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.

2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.

3 Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.

4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”

5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!”

6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”

7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”

8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid.

scourged (v. 1) — Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24. This was probably done with a whip with bits of metal and bone set into the straps.

Pilate had Jesus beaten as a compromise to save Him from being put to death. After the soldiers beat Him, they mocked Him. Pilate may have been trying to save Him by making Him an object of contempt and pity (Luke 23:16).

thorns (v. 2) — a symbol of the curse (Genesis 3:18)

purple (v. 2) — the color of Roman imperialism

The Romans greeted new emperors with “Hail Caesar!” They mocked Jesus (v. 3) with “Hail, King of the Jews!” They also bowed to Him and gave Him a reed as a mock scepter.

struck Him with their hands (v. 3) — probably a beating with a rod.

When the Jews saw that Pilate had found Jesus innocent under Roman law, they charged Him with breaking their own law (Leviticus 24:16) — but their law required stoning, not crucifixion.

When Pilate heard the new charge, he became more afraid (v.8), perhaps because of his wife’s warning (Matthew 27:19).

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