When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. (Matt. 27: 24-26)
The “tumult” made by inciting the mob to demand that our Lord be crucified and Barabbas released was what caused the breakdown of Pilate’s morale. It may have been vain for Pilate to wash his hands but the Jews perfectly understood the symbolism of this act by which he claimed to establish his own innocency in what was to become the greatest crime in human history. The Jews’ response, “His blood be on us, and on our children”, has proved to be the costliest statement that ever fell from human lips; and the history of the Jews ever since has been one of ceaseless blood-flowing and suffering – a historical fact which it is impossible to dissociate from the terrible events we are tracing in the Scriptures.
After the release of Barabbas the scourging of our Lord Jesus Christ by the soldiers of Pilate, as the customary preliminary to crucifixion, took place. This scourging of our Lord, which was done in public after He had been stripped and tied to a stake, is so terrible to contemplate that one is bowed with shame to think that human beings could so act towards One Who had come down from Heaven and taken a body of flesh and blood in order that He might as Man – sinless Man – redeem us from all iniquity. How deep the mystery that man’s sin must reach its greatest height in his hatred and violence toward the One Who was now about to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. How important, therefore, for all who own allegiance to Him to remember that our Lord’s scourging was a part of His redemptive Sacrifice. Isaiah foresaw this and declared:
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 (Isa. 53:5)
Though Pilate had released Barabbas and had now allowed Jesus to be cruelly scourged, he had not yet handed Him over to be crucified. It is from John’s Gospel that we learn the precise details of what transpired and the scourging – though Matthew and Mark add certain details. It is quite clear that Pilate yet hoped to turn the Jewish rulers away from their determination to kill Jesus, and this fact the following passage from John’s Gospel establishes:
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 on 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. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God (Jonh 19: 2-7)
Light from the Word 