William Burkitt Notes and Observations - John 19:1 - 19:1

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William Burkitt Notes and Observations - John 19:1 - 19:1


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Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him.

Observe here, 1. That as the death of the cross was a Roman punishment, so it was the manner of the Romans to whip their malefactors' before they crucified them.

Accordingly Pilate took Jesus, and scourged.

O! amazing sight, the great God of heaven and earth is lashed and scourged like a base slave. Behold, hard-hearted sinner! the lashes wherewith thy Redeemer is cruelly tormented, were to preserve thee from the severer lashes of thine own accursing and condemning conscience, and to save thee from being lashed by the rage and fury of devils to all eternity.

Observe, 2. How unwilling how very unwilling, Pilate was to be the instrument of our Saviour's death; it is very evident that he had a mind to release him; and it is concluded, that Pilate was thus forward to scourge Christ, hoping that the Jews would have been stisfied with this lighter punishment, and so have dismissed him.

From this instance we may gather, that hypocrities within the pale of the visible church, may be guilty of such tremendous acts of wickedness, as the conscience of an infidel and pagan may boggle at and protest against.

Pilate, a pagan, absolves Christ, and seeks to release him, whilst the hypocritical Jews, who had heard his doctrine, and saw his miracles, condemn him.

Observe, 3. How wretchedly Pilate suffers hmself to be overcome with the Jews' importunity, and, contrary to the light of his own reason and conscience, delivers the holy and innocent Jesus, first to be scourged, and then crucified.

Learn thence, That it is a vain apology for sin, when persons pretend that it was not committed with their own consent, but at the instigation and importunity of others: for such is the frame and constitution of man's soul, that none can make him either wicked or miserable, without his own consent: Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him.