The Sufferings of The Savior- Part 1

During this week leading up to Resurrection Sunday, I believe it is important to think on the sufferings Jesus went through as our substitute.

 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. Matthew 26:36-38 (KJV)

Gethsemane means wine press. Jesus felt the weight and pressure of the torture of what was ahead for Him. He went from being sorrowful to exceeding sorrowful. He felt His soul being pressed to the point where He sweat drops of blood (Luke 22:44). Jesus pressed through by prayer. Judas sold Jesus. Peter denied Jesus. He had no earthly help to turn to. He suffered through mock trials from the religious leaders and from the Roman government, and He was physically abused during the trials.

Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, Matthew 26:67 (KJV)

The Jewish religious leaders spat in His face, which was intended to shame Him, degrade Him, mock Him and show complete disgust for Him. They buffeted Him. Buffet in Greek means to strike with the fist, to beat violently, to strike with clenched hands. They also smote Him. This can refer to striking with the hand or fist or to hit with a rod. So, we see that after spitting on Jesus, they began to punch and hit Him in the face over and over. He was blindfolded during this so He could not anticipate or brace Himself for their blows.

And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Matthew 27:2 (KJV)

Jesus was bound like the worst criminal. As a matter of fact, the word for bound refers to tying a rope around the neck of an animal to secure it. They led Jesus away to see Pilate like a shepherd would have tied a rope around the neck of a lamb to lead it. Jesus, already tired and in pain, was drug by the neck to face Pilate.

Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Matthew 27:26 (KJV)

And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. Mark 15:15 (KJV)

After Jesus had stood before Pilate, then Herod Antipas, then Pilate again, Pilate sentenced Jesus to be scourged, then to be crucified. Scourging meant to be flogged, or whipped, with a Roman scourge. Keep in mind that the Jews had a limit of 39 lashes, but the Romans had no limit to the number of stripes they could inflict. The Roman method of scourging meant that Jesus was stripped completely naked, tied to a short pillar, in a bent over position. The scourge was made out of many leather thongs, or strips, bound together and on the ends of the thongs we tied sharp pieces of bone, glass, or metal. Some have referred to it as a cat-o-nine-tails. With each lash, the tips would embed in the flesh and would rip across the back, front, face of the victim. It would tear out hunks of flesh, opening arteries and veins and often exposing internal organs. Typically scourging was done by two men, well-trained in this sadistic form of punishment, alternating their blows and doing everything they could to bring about the most intense torture and suffering possible. Some died under this cruel form of punishment and never even made it to the cross. Note that after the scourging, Jesus would be expected to carry His cross to the place of execution, but would collapse under the weight of it, likely due to the blood loss He experienced during His scourging.

This is just the suffering Jesus went through up to and including Hs scourging. Tomorrow we will continue our discussion of the sufferings of Christ- and remember that He willingly endured all of this for you and me.