In Chapter 19 of the Gospel of John, we encounter the ruler of Rome that has been warned by Caesar because of his earlier political mistakes. Pilate, determined to keep the peace at any price, was faced with the uprising of the people in regards to the innocence of Jesus. Pilate’s conscience was speaking that there was no fault in Him. But Pilate, like so many of us, was just going along with the crowd. Tyranny of the majority. A spiritual coward. Jhn 19:1 ”Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged [him].”
Jesus received thirty-nine lashes with the flagellum or flagrum. It was usually comprised of a short whip with several single or braided leather thongs of variable lengths, in which small iron balls or sheep bones were tied in intervals. The roman soldiers repeated struck the victim’s back with full force, it would cause deep contusions and the leather and sheep bones would produce ribbons of bleeding flesh and lacerations. This process would often be enough to kill a man alone. Painful beyond our imagination. Jesus took this for us willingly. Jhn 19:2 “And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put [it] on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, Jhn 19:3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.” I see the necessity of the cross but why this? Why the painful beatings of the flesh. Isaiah tells us: Isa 53:5 “But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”With His stripes we are healed. Mat 8:17 “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare [our] sicknesses.” Through my years of walking with Jesus, I’ve experienced His healing touch in numerous areas of my life. I’ve seen him heal physically, emotionally, and spiritually. How about you saint. How has He healed you?