"Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him." (John 19:1-4)

           Although it was Pontius Pilate's order that had Jesus crucified it was not his idea. Pilate did so to appease the Jews for political expediency. Pontius was the name of the Pilate's ancestral family. It is apparent that Pilate did not fully understand the charges the Jews were bringing against Jesus or the Jews insistence that the Lord be put to die. But by appeasing the Jew's demands he was avoiding what could have turned into a riot. As the Roman governor he was under a great deal of pressure to keep the peace and ward off conflict with the populace. The Jews had been a constant source of trouble for Romans and there were numerous small messianic uprising against the Romans since 4 BC by Jewish zealots or patriots. Pilate would have been on his guard against any potential uprising. Undue unrest would have reflected on his leadership abilities back in Rome. Therefore, the ultimate blame for Christ's crucifixion was the Jews. Pilate knowing Jesus had done nothing to warrant the death sentence tried repeatedly to let Him go.

          However, Pilate was not a compassionate man and had the Lord scourged which was common practice for Roman prisoners. Possibility he thought this would appease the Jews. The Roman soldiers were men trained in killing and they compassion was not in their character. Given the order to scourge the Lord, the went further than just beating Him, and began to mock the Lord by making a crown of thorns and putting it on His head. Further they put on Him a purple robe, the color of royalty, and cried, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Probably part of the source of their mocking was their hatred for the Jews. Matthew says they also put in His hand a reed, as a royal scepter, and bowed down before Him as they hailed Him and spat on Him. (See Matthew 27:29-30) The pitiful way they treated Him only showed the Lord's love and purpose for submitting Himself to the brutally humiliating treatment. The very sins these inhuman soldiers were perpetrating He paid for on the cross only hours later. What these men witnesses in the next hours was a testimony to whom Christ was and they could have been saved. One centurion saw the truth, "Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God." (Matthew 27:54)

          "Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him." (John 19:4-6)

          While Pilate questioned Jesus in the praetorium, they Jewish leaders waited outside in the court. Pilate upon questioning Jesus clearly saw that Jesus was not a rebel trying to overthrow Roman rule. Therefore finding no fault in Jesus and no reason to put Him to death, Pilate went outside and addressed the Jews. He brought outside the judgment hall in appears to return Him to the Jews to deal with. Jesus was then brought out wearing the royal robe, the crown of thorns and Pilate presented Jesus to them crying "Behold the man!" Bring Jesus out before the mob of Jews, mockingly dressed in royal apparel, beaten and so terribly humiliated was intended to provoke sympathy from the Lord accusers. So pitiful was Christ's appearance and place before them it was inconceivable that they would still wish to execute Him.

          Thus Jesus stood before this assemblage naked, bleeding, his flesh torn, His countenance so marred it would have been hard to even look upon. Yet, the wicked hearts of the chief priests and rulers was not touched and they cried with greater fervor, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" These religious men who presented themselves proudly as serving Jehovah God, had no compassion, no love, nor any feeling of the smallest degree of pity. To even a moral man there should have been shown some among of pity or mercy, but there was none in their depraved hearts to give. They were totally and absolutely corrupt. Their actions show the depravity that a human heart can descend when a person allows themselves to be controlled by their carnal nature.

          Pilate was overwhelmed by the intensity of the hatred against Christ. Weary of the Jews whom he despised, and indignant at the burden they were forcing on him, Pilate, gave into their insistence and said "Take Him and crucify him, for I find no fault in Him." He by this statement showed that he would not take responsibility for what they were wanting, and if they insisted He be crucified, then it would be on their own heads one without his authority. The Jew immediately responded that Jesus had broken their law by making Himself the Son of God and therefore must die.

          "The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer." (John 19:7-9)

          The Jew understood that Pilate was not going to approving the execution of Jesus because He had broken no Roman law. The Jews had failed in their attempt to accuse Jesus of sedition and switch their tactics. For the first time they stated their religious charge of blasphemy against the Lord. When Pilate heard this he was more afraid.

          John does not state why Pilate was afraid, but probably one reason was that on several prior occasions the Jews, at the point of rioting, had exerted so much pressure on him by threatening the peace, he had caved into their demands. (See Josephus, Ant, XVIII, iii, 1; BJ, II, ix, 2-4 and XVIII, iii, 2; BJ, II, ix, 4) Another reason, which may be more probable was that Pilate's wife, Claudia, sent him a note during the trial saying ". . .Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him." (Matt. 27:19) She called Jesus a "just" man meaning He was a righteous man. It is difficult to speculate what she meant by "suffering many things in a dream because of Him." People often have dreams related the things that are happening around them, so there would be nothing unusual about her dreaming about the trial of Jesus especially when her husband was under so much pressure. Claudia as a superstitious person would have been worried about her husband condemning man who had such great powers to death and who claimed to be the Son of God. Therefore she warned her husband to have nothing to do with Jesus.

          Jesus was once again taken into the judgment hall and Pilate followed and asked Jesus "Whence art thou?" Pilate was anxious about Jesus claiming to be the Son of God and so strait forward asked Jesus where He came from, implying did you come from heaven and are the Son of God? However, Jesus did not reply.

          "Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin." (John 19:10-11)

          Pilate apparently was offended that Jesus would not answer him, seeing that he was the Roman governor and could sentence Him to death or release Him. Jesus then answered the governor affirming that He was indeed who He claimed to be and that Pilate had no power over Him, except that it were given to him from heaven. He then assured Pilate that the greater sin was not his by ordering His execution, but was of the Jews who were pressuring him to do so. As stated earlier, the guilt of Jesus' crucifixion rests on solidly on the shoulders of the Jews. Jesus statement also shows that it was God's plan that Jesus be betrayed and crucified and pay the sin debt of the world. Jesus had earlier proclaimed "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour." (John 12:27) God allowed Pilate to issue the order, however, he was still responsible for his actions.

           "And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha." (John 19:12-13)

           Pilate was totally convinced Jesus was innocent and the Jewish rulers insisting on putting Him to death was a great injustice. Yet, most politicians are more concerned for themselves and about their positions to take a stand and do what is right. Pilate, did try and sought ever harder to release the Lord, but the Jews then responded that if he let the Lord go, then he was not a friend of Caesar. The ruthless Jews knew that Pilate certainly did not want to be charged with not being Caesar's friend, which was in fact a ridiculous charge, yet he was intimidated by the charge and thus proceeded to do the politically right thing instead of what was morally right.

           "When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar." (John 19:13-15)

           The ultimate responsibility for Jesus being crucified belonged to the Jews, but Pilate too shares their guilt by giving into their illegal demands. The governor sat down in the place called the Pavement which John explains was the Hebrew word "Gabbatha" meaning an elevated place. In a clear mockery of the Jews, and of keeping of the Passover, Pilate sets Jesus before them and proclaims, "Behold your King!" Standing before the Jews was Jesus who was beaten and humiliated horribly who man do defense of Himself. Pilate ridiculed the Jews for being so bent on putting to death this pitiful man he saw standing before him. What was it that made the Jews hate Him so much? Where was there anything to showed at threat to them?

           As before the people cried out, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him." Pilate then once again appeals to the Jews either mocking them or seeking some pity from them, asks "Shall I crucify your King?" The answer is one of the purest statements ever made by these Jews hypocrites. "We have no king but Caesar." This was a proclamation of treason to their heritage and the God they claimed to serve. Their allegiance was to the world which Rome represented. This was the final act of Israel's rejection of Almighty God and of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.

           Matthew states that Pilate then to show his disapproval of their charges against the Lord and in reaction to their insistence that He be crucified, took water and washed his hands before the people saying he was innocent of Jesus' blood. The chilling response of the Jews was the declaration that the guilt for the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus was on them and their children. They said ". . . Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children." (Matthew 27:24-26) When we consider the history of the Jews, from the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, throughout the ages including the Holocaust of the Twentieth Century, and unto the present it is clear, God honored their request, Jesus' blood has been on them and their children.

           "Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha" (John 19:16-17)

          Pilate weary of these events finally gives in and turns the Lord over to the soldiers who were to crucify Him. As unjust as these events were they were vital to God's plan in order that He might show His grace and mercy in offering Himself, Jesus Christ, as the offering for sin. Sinful and wicked men, unknowingly were being allowed of God to bring salvation to mankind. One cannot comprehend the degree of love that God has for man in allowing such corrupt hands to so brutally to touch the Lord and treat Him with such disdain. When Jesus agonized in the Garden, surely, this was a part of that which was so offensive to Him, to experience the hatred of His own creation and the ones in whom He was to suffer for.

           John does not record the details of Jesus bearing His cross outside the walls and Jerusalem, but only records they took Him to a place called "Golgotha" which meant a place of the skull. The word Golgotha is also translated "Calvary" in Luke 23:33.

Matt 27:27-31


          The soldiers take Jesus away strip, and scourge Him again and deliver Him to be crucified. They stripped Him of His cloths and put on Him the scarlet robe. Next they placed a crown of thorns on His head, put reed scepter in His right hand, in mockery made a sham of worshiping Him, saying "Hail , the King of the Jews." They also spit on Jesus, and hit Him in the head with the reed scepter. They then took off the scarlet robe and put on His clothes and lead Him to the place of crucifixion.

Luke 23:26-32


          Apparently Jesus was too weak from the severe beating to carry His cross and the commandeered a man named Simon of Cyrene who was coming into Jerusalem and made carry it for Him. There was a great number of women who followed the Lord who were weeping for Him. Jesus turned to them and foretold of the coming destruction of Jerusalem and its consequences. There also two criminals who were crucified at the same time as Jesus.

Matt 27:33-36 - John 19:23-25a


          Having arrived at Golgotha (Calvary) the soldier offered Jesus vinegar mixed with gall to drink, but he refused it. Jesus is nailed to His cross, along with two robbers, one on each side of Him. The soldiers then parted His garments and cast lots for them and then sat down to watch.

Luke 23:34


          Jesus prays "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

John 19:19-22

           Pilate has a plague made that states, "Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews" and has it put on the cross. The chief Priests ask Pilate not to write "The King of the Jews", but to state that Jesus claimed to be king of the Jews." Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

Luke 23:35-43

          The Jewish rulers come by and mocked Jesus saying, "He saved others; let him save Himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God." The soldiers also mock Jesus saying, "If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself." One robber says, "If thou be Christ, save thyself and us." The other robber rebukes him and asks, " Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." Jesus answered him, "Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise."

John 19:25-27

           By the cross stood Jesus' mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. Jesus says to Mary, "Woman, behold thy son!" Jesus then said to John, "Behold, thy mother!"

Matt 27:44-47

           At 9:00 AM (the sixth hour) until 3:00 PM darkness covers the land.
           At 3:00 PM, Jesus cries out, "Eli, Eli, Lama sabachthani?", that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Some in the crowd think Jesus has called for Elijah.

Matt 27:49

           The crowd waits to see if Elijah will come to save Jesus.

John 19:28-29

          Jesus, knowing all things were now finished, and in order to fulfill scripture says, "I thirst." A sponge of vinegar on hyssop is put to His mouth.

John 19:30

           After receiving the vinegar, Jesus says, "It is finished."

Luke 23:46

           "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit!" Matt 27:51-56

           The veil of the temple is torn in two from top to bottom (by God), the earth quakes, and the rocks are split. The tombs open and the saints are raised and appear to many. The crowd is afraid, and the centurion says, "Truly this was the Son of God." Many of the women who came up with Jesus from Galilee were watching from afar.

           "And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand." (John 19:38-42)

          Joseph was a rich man who lived somewhere northwest of Jerusalem in at city called Arimathaea whose location is not none today. Matthew states he was an "honorable counselor" meaning a member of the Sanhedrin and was a just man who was looking for the kingdom of God. (See Mark 15:43, Luke 23:50) Joseph was one of few who were secret disciples of the Lord, but he was a believer. (See John 3:1-36) After Jesus was crucified he boldly went to Pilate and requested the Lord's body so that he could properly bury Him. With the assistance of Nicodemus, another Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin who was a believer the prepared the Lord's body for burial. Using about a hundred pounds of a mixture of myrrh and aloes. (See Matt. 27:51)

          John is clear that they wound the Lord's body with linen cloth and spies as was the manner of the Jews. When the Jews were in Egypt they learned this method from customs of that people. They did not defile the body as the Egyptians did by removing organs, and the Jew left the body whole. Matthew tells us "And laid it (His body) in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed." (Matthew 27:60) (Also see Matt. 27:57-60, Mark 15:42-26, Luke 23:50-53, and Isa. 53:9)

          There has been much speculation as to the burial place of the Lord, but the biblical account perfectly matches the Garden Tomb. It does not match the site claimed by the Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox Churches that rests under the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Garden Tomb is only a hundred or so yards from the hill that looks like a skull which is just outside the walls of Jerusalem called Gordon's Calvary.

          John states the tomb was close so they laid the Lord in the tomb on the day of preparation for the Passover. This would have been Wednesday afternoon before 6:00 PM. The Passover, then began at 6:00 on Wednesday and lasted to 6:00 PM on Thursday.

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