Matthew 27:26-30

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

Then Barabbas was finally released to the people and the crucifixion of Jesus had begun. Under Roman law a condemned prisoner is normally scourged with a special whip. This leather thongs contained pieces of metal which were at various intervals. It also contained bits of bone and pieces of bronze. Bronze is a very heavy metal and it would help drive the scourge deeper into the body causing extreme pain with every lash. It was a short whip designed intentionally for torture. The majority of the prisoners never made it to the cross because they died under the lash of the scourge, also known as a flagrum or flagellum. Under the Jewish law a person could receive no more than 39 lashes but under Roman law there was no prescribed amount. The Roman lictor who would oversee the flogging could stop it at any time if they wanted the prisoner to live and face the cross. Jesus was scourged with this type of whip and it was also designed to cling on to the prisoner so when the executioner pulled it away, it would bring out large chunks of flesh exposing the ribs or other bones. Jesus received many lashes with this scourge but did not die from it because the lictor stopped it in time. Then when the scourging was over, Jesus was then handed over to the other executioners to be crucified on a cross.

Mat 27:27 (KJB)
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.

Then the crowd, Jesus, and the soldiers were still outside of the judgment seat where he just sat. This place would have been the former palace of Herod in the western part of the city. This is where Pilate resided during the days of the feasts. Jesus would definitely have been in a weakened state from the loss of blood and the pain from the scourging. There were only a few hundred soldiers in Israel at the time which was a cohort or 1/10 of a legion which would be 600 soldiers. So quite a number must have been assembled because of the ferocity of the crowd. They took Jesus from the place where He was scourged to the common hall.

Mat 27:28 (KJB)
And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.

In the palace Jesus was again stripped of all His clothing and they placed upon Him a scarlet robe. Now when we realize the amount of openings in the skin from the scourging, the red robe would adhere to the cuts and start to help heal them like a scab. When the robe would be removed, then it would be like He was scourged all over again because the cloth would rip out of the wounds and cause the pain. The color purple was the color of royalty and the robe of red they placed on Jesus was nothing more than an act of ridicule. We could look at this scarlet robe as the robe of sins which He bore for the Elect of God.

Mat 27:29 (KJB)
And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

Then the next element of humiliation was they placed a crown of thorns on His head. These would have been long thorns woven together in a crown of some type of grass or hedge. The thorns would have been placed on His head very hard to cause the thorns to go into His scalp and cause pain and bleeding. Then they placed a reed in His right hand which represented a royal scepter. Then they bowed the knee before Him mocking Him by calling Him the King of the Jews. All that they did was to mock the kingship of Jesus. Just as the Judaizers became the thorn in the flesh to Paul, Jesus also felt the thorns of the Judaizers, the ones who rejected and hated Him and His followers. (2 Cor 12:7 KJV) And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

Mat 27:30 (KJB)
And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

The soldiers then continued their humiliating treatment of Jesus as they began to spit on Him. Then they continued to torture Jesus by hitting Him on the head with the reed which caused the large thorns to go deeper into the scalp. The Greek imperfect tense behind the word “smote” tells us that they kept striking Him repeatedly. Thorns were also the curse on the ground that came from man’s sin. (Gen 3:18 KJV) Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; The crown of thorns was the very symbol of the curse of mankind.

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