Well let’s get into this we are looking at the scourging of Jesus today and maybe the trip to the cross. Turn to Matthew 27:26-31

There is a lot of talk about Jesus scourging especially due to 1Peter 2:24.

What other word do your bibles have for wounds/stripes? You see the original word here is “molops” it has three definitions that are given to it in english as a translation. Those are a bruise, a wale, a wound trickling blood. Well when I read that I had to know what is a wale. It isn’t a large aquatic animal there is no “h” in it. A wale is a raised strip. This is what is used when the word is used to say by his stripes we are healed. I think that may be a little limiting. Here in the verse in Matthew all we have is a mention of the scourging but we have the crown of thorns being beaten into His head and the trickling wounds that created fits the definition of moles as well. I am not trying to diminish the scourging I will get into that more later instead I am trying to elevate the rest of the beating Jesus endured in our minds. With this in mind lets go on to Mark and see what he has to say Mark 15:15-20

Again the scourging was almost an afterthought in the telling while the beating of the crown has the whole scene described out. I found out through some studying this week that it is easily explained. A scourging by the Romans was standard procedure leading into someone being crucified. If you saw someone hanging on a cross they had been scourged. I never knew how little was mentioned in scripture about the scourging until now. I even mentioned that this lesson last time we were together would be about Jesus scourging and maybe his crucifixion. So I actually spent more time trying to figure out why there is so little information and then what has been taught to me that isn’t true in the past. Let’s move on to Luke 23:25

Here we have no mention of the scourging or the crown of thorns. As we know not all the gospels have all the information we have to piece them together. So knowing Luke doesn’t help use any let’s go to John 19:1-16

We have the crown but not the beating with the reed. We have the scourging but not any information to go along with it. Now go to Matthew 20:18-19

Jesus foretells the scourging Mark 10:33-34

Luke 18:32-33

We have covered absolutely every verse I could find on Jesus scourging. Three are Jesus foretelling it and 3 are the occurrence. There is something missing that I just knew was going to be there. I think I even had someone ask me if I was going to talk about it. Can anyone guess something that is taught about the scourging that we haven’t seen?

39 times.

There are 2 ways 39 lashes are applied. One is with a single lash 39 strikes the other is with the Roman scourge which has three lashes tied with sharp pieces of bone sometimes metal and possibly with hooks at the end. The metal and hooks were optional. But with this type of lash 39 would be applied with 13 strikes. With that being said where do we get the idea of 39.

2 Corinthians 11:24

Something I want to point out about Paul being beaten here is who is doing the beating? Why do the Jews limit themselves to 39 lashes? Deuteronomy 25:2-3

While 40 lashes can kill depending on the health of the person, being lashed it isn’t a death sentence. the actual purpose of limiting the beating to 40 is to not diminish a Jew in the eyes of his kinsmen. You weren’t to make another person to look as though they were an animal. The Jews in trying to follow the law perfectly went one step further and limited the strikes to 39 to make sure no one accidentally crossed the line and broke God’s law. So what does this have to do with Jesus scourging? He wasn’t scourged by followers of Rabbinic Law. He was scourged by a Roman professional who new just how far he could take it without killing the “criminal”. Jesus might have very well been one strike from death. He may have died without the cross from the scourging. Like I said I did not want to diminish the scourging it was bad. The description though that He was crushed for our transgressions Isaiah 53:5 is best understood in how he looks following the brutal treatment He received. The final appearance is in my opinion best described in Isaiah 52:14

That is hard for me to truly get my mind around so I looked for a clearer translation and this is what I came up with. This is the NET bible it is a version I use often to look at greek and Hebrew as the online version is so easy to use it says “(just as many were horrified by the sight of you) he was so disfigured he no longer looked like a man;”

He was in such bad shape He was unable to carry the cross himself Matthew 27:32-34

Mark 15:21-22

Luke 23:26-31

John 19:17

The 2 tellings in matthew and mark have Jesus offered wine or depending on your translation vinegar mixed with either gall or myrrh. Gall is thought of as something bitter while myrrh is added to make wine more palatable. The tradition at this time was to offer the condemned a drink with a narcotic pain killer. Depending on how you think about it it could be thought of as a flavor enhancer or bitter. Jesus refuses. He suffers fully on our behalf. And with that we are going to end for this week.

Closing Prayer