Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

Read Mark 15:15

"So Pilate... having scourged Jesus...
delivered Him to be crucified." (Mark 15:15)

Reflection:

Pilate has washed his hands of Jesus. Now
the Roman soldiers take over. The Romans
customarily scourged condemned criminals
before crucifying them. So Jesus is stripped,
bound to a column and scourged mercilessly.
Mark records it briefly then quickly passes on.
For Jesus it was anything but brief.

In the ancient world scourging was a common
punishment for lawbreakers, and it still continues
in parts of our world today. The Jewish Law
provided for the whipping of the guilty, but limited
the punishment to forty blows. Roman scourging
was not nearly so merciful.

Roman floggings were meant to bring a criminal
close to death. Metal and sharp pieces of bone
were tied into the thongs. They dug deeply into
the victim's back and shoulders, tearing them to
shreds. Even when a scourging victim was not
crucified, he often died from the trauma of the
beating. If he survived he was certainly crippled
by it. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah predicted
Jesus' scourging when he wrote, "Upon Him was
the chastisement that brought us peace, and with
His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

Jesus' flogging shows us just how great God's
wrath is at our sins. But in a more powerful way
it shows how much greater His love and mercy is
as He gives His own Son to suffer and die to save
us.

By the time the officer stopped the brutal flogging
Jesus had lost a great amount of blood. Sadly,
Jesus' sufferings were not over, the soldiers were
just getting started.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, in Your brutal scourging I see the
terrible wrath of God I deserve for all of my sins.
Show me Your incredible saving love that made
You willing to receive such torture for me. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Devotional)