Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged. The soldiers also twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and threw a purple robe around Him. And they repeatedly came up to him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and were slapping His face. John 19:1-3 HCSB
The flogging of Jesus was especially cruel. Jesus was tied to a whipping post that caused Him to be bent over so He could not stand up straight. There would have been two soldiers whipping Jesus, one on each side. The whips used would have had sharp pieces of rock or metal tied on the ends of the whips. These sharp pieces would dig into the skin and as the whip was pulled back, it would rip the skin, leaving a large bleeding gash in the person’s back. They probably gave Jesus 40 lashes of the whip, 20 from each side. By the time they finished, Jesus’ back would have been almost raw and blood would have been coming from almost every part of His back.
The crown of thorns would have been made out of the thorns from the date palm. Each thorn would have been long and pointed like a spike. Certainly, the soldiers pressed the thorns down into his head causing intense pain and bleeding.
As if all of this was not enough, the soldiers then mocked Jesus by placing a purple robe on Him. Purple was sign of royalty. They mockingly yelled at Him and repeatedly hit Him in the face.
Challenge: Jesus could have at any time called on a thousands angels to rescue Him from such pain, suffering, and abuse, but He did not. He did it all for you because of His love for you. He wants to have a relationship with you and for you to spend eternity with Him in heaven. Thank Him for all that He endured for your sake.