Every time I put extra effort into a topic or event in Scripture, I come away with new insights and greater appreciation for God's love and work involved to save me. This past week (2026), while reading of and pondering on the Passion Week of Jesus, a number of things were special to me and challenging to me. Here I want to lay out three with no definitive conclusions - just ideas.
John 19:1-16 is very well known, but where John places the scourging of Jesus is of interest to me. The synoptic gospels all have the terrible event just prior to the cross being laid on Jesus and He being led down the Via Dolorosa. Not John. He puts more trial after the scourging. Here is John's report: So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands. Pilate then went out again, and said to them... (John 19:1-12)
The synoptics report the scourging as just prior to His being led away for crucifixion (Matthew 27:26-31, Mark 15:15-20, Luke 23:22-26).
I am intrigued.
Second, Pilate was frightened: Who was this before Him? At trial, Jesus' lack of words and the words spoken were troubling to say the least. The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.” Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore, the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” From then on Pilate sought to release Him. (John 19:7-12)
Think of Pilate at noon that day when the sky went dark. Yikes! "What is happening?" Pilate had to have been frightened all-the-more. Then at 3:00 that same day, an earthquake that ripped the temple veil and the light of day came back on. WOW! What? Who was that Man He sent to death??
Then entered two of the Jews' leaders, Joseph and Nicodemus, asking for His body. Pilate questioned how it could be that He was already dead? (Mark 15:44) Again, this Man and His death were troubling.
The following day the Jews came asking that Pilate seal the tomb because that Man who claimed to be the Son of God and claimed He would arise from the dead - and everyone in and around Jerusalem knew of the raising of Lazarus by Jesus just a few months earlier. What a day for the man who washed his hands of Jesus.
And this: While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him” (Matthew 27:19).
I even woke a couple times over the past days thinking of Pilate's wife and the dream that so moved her. What that one verse says is all we know. So, what was the dream? What made it so troubling?
It was clear enough to her that the dream was about Jesus that she sent a note to her husband while in the midst of the trial of the Man seeking to influence the outcome. A huge move!
Her dream and fright were ignored or at least trumped by the screams of the crowd and the threats of not being a friend of Caesar.
It reminds me of Adam and Eve at the tree on that fateful day at the beginning of time. A husband and wife were wrestling with truth. Truth was ignored and Death ensued.
How about you? What caused you to pause and ponder as you thought about the work of God during that week to redeem you from your justified eternal punishment?
John 19:1-16 is very well known, but where John places the scourging of Jesus is of interest to me. The synoptic gospels all have the terrible event just prior to the cross being laid on Jesus and He being led down the Via Dolorosa. Not John. He puts more trial after the scourging. Here is John's report: So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands. Pilate then went out again, and said to them... (John 19:1-12)
The synoptics report the scourging as just prior to His being led away for crucifixion (Matthew 27:26-31, Mark 15:15-20, Luke 23:22-26).
I am intrigued.
Second, Pilate was frightened: Who was this before Him? At trial, Jesus' lack of words and the words spoken were troubling to say the least. The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.” Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore, the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” From then on Pilate sought to release Him. (John 19:7-12)
Think of Pilate at noon that day when the sky went dark. Yikes! "What is happening?" Pilate had to have been frightened all-the-more. Then at 3:00 that same day, an earthquake that ripped the temple veil and the light of day came back on. WOW! What? Who was that Man He sent to death??
Then entered two of the Jews' leaders, Joseph and Nicodemus, asking for His body. Pilate questioned how it could be that He was already dead? (Mark 15:44) Again, this Man and His death were troubling.
The following day the Jews came asking that Pilate seal the tomb because that Man who claimed to be the Son of God and claimed He would arise from the dead - and everyone in and around Jerusalem knew of the raising of Lazarus by Jesus just a few months earlier. What a day for the man who washed his hands of Jesus.
And this: While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him” (Matthew 27:19).
I even woke a couple times over the past days thinking of Pilate's wife and the dream that so moved her. What that one verse says is all we know. So, what was the dream? What made it so troubling?
It was clear enough to her that the dream was about Jesus that she sent a note to her husband while in the midst of the trial of the Man seeking to influence the outcome. A huge move!
Her dream and fright were ignored or at least trumped by the screams of the crowd and the threats of not being a friend of Caesar.
It reminds me of Adam and Eve at the tree on that fateful day at the beginning of time. A husband and wife were wrestling with truth. Truth was ignored and Death ensued.
How about you? What caused you to pause and ponder as you thought about the work of God during that week to redeem you from your justified eternal punishment?
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