“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” – John 3:16 (KJV)
Salvation is a gift of God’s grace that we receive through faith and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Book of Luke records the event when Jesus, contemplating the harsh suffering and death that He was mandated to endure, approached His Heavenly Father and said, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” – Luke 22:42 (NIV).
Our Savior King suffered betrayal by the kiss of disciple Judas (Luke 22:48), who sold Him for thirty pieces of silver – the price of a common slave. He was also abandoned when all the other disciples ran away, leaving Him to the mercies of the servants of the High Priests (Matthew 26:58). The Bible records that Jesus suffered physical abuse by the Roman soldiers, including flogging with a“Flagrum” – a whip made of three or more leather straps connected to a handle with a weight at the end embedded with metals, nails and/or bone shards.
The Flagrum was a powerful weapon of torture and a brutal punishment carried out by professionally trained soldiers. The intended victim was stripped naked, tied, or shackled to a sturdy column or between two columns. Two soldiers, one standing on each side, would alternate, beating the victim continuously. According to Jewish law, you could not beat someone more than forty times, so they stopped at thirty-nine. This punishment was not so much about the number of lashes but about beating the person within a step of death.
Jesus’ beatings were so severe that He was unable to carry His cross to Golgotha to be crucified. A passerby was compelled to help Him (Matthew 27:32), indicating His physical condition. He was spat upon, mocked, and had a crown of thorns rammed unto his head. Despite all His pains and suffering, Jesus pleaded with God – His Father, to forgive His abusers. What a King!
Saints, as we commemorate Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection during this Easter season, let us not forget the price He paid for our salvation.
Read: Isaiah 53:5-6; 1 Peter 2:21-25
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 42:7-11; Luke 12:1-34; Deuteronomy 9; Deuteronomy 10
