Luke 23 vs 26-34

Luke Chapter 23 Verse 26
•Luke doesn’t give us the account of what happened to Jesus from the time Pilate condemned Him up until this moment but remember, Pilate had made the proclamation back in verse 16 that Jesus was to be “chastised.” What’s meant by that is that Jesus would have been scourged. Matthew 27:26 is more-clear about this in that Matthew writes, “Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to be crucified.”
•I want to make a few statements that are entirely biblical but may not be entirely popular but that is the risk I have pledged to take, personally. We know that Jesus was scourged. There is no debate about that, its quite clear in the scripture. However, we have no detailed account, in any of the Gospels really whatsoever, what that looked like.
•The Romans had several ways or methods to scourge someone accused or convicted of a crime. It was essentially a tactic used to cause someone to confess. They had no mercy rule either like the Jews. The Jews had the 40 lashes minus one (spoken of by Paul even in scriptures such as 2 Corinthians 11:24), but the Romans had no such mercy rule.
•Ancient sources describe Roman corporal punishment such as scourging and there are many different types of instruments detailed from the lorum (whip), sometimes leather straps were used, lashes, goads, staffs, rods, chains, sticks and flagrums. Flavius Josephus offers accounts of flagellations carried out in the area at this time where the strokes were delivered with such strength that they exposed the victim’s innards and he also confirms that scourging was a prelude to crucifixion.
•The only detail we have in the Bible of the scourging of Jesus is actually found written in one Psalm and by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. Psalm 129:3, “The plowers plowed on My back; They made their furrows long.” Isaiah 53:5, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 50:6, “I gave My back to those who strike…” And Isaiah 52:14, “As many were astonished at You, His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and His form beyond that of the children of mankind.”
•These are essentially the only clues given from which we are able to derive the severity of the sourging of Jesus and indeed it appears to be quite severe. Especially the last passage we read that Jesus was so beaten that His body was not able to be readily identified as human. And so, the conclusive scene given to us, for example, in the Passion of the Christ film, can be biblically substantiated but isn’t necessary biblical. In truth, we aren’t sure what Jesus scourging looked like and since all of the gospel writers essentially give the entire account no more than one sentence each, many scholars have concluded over the years that the scourging may not have been as brutal as some of the imaginations of man’s literation’s over the years.
•Here’s what we do know though. By now He is greatly weakened. His skin would have already been softened and weakened through the process and condition He experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane called Hematidrosis. He’s been led around to various places all night and beaten most likely severely in His face. And by some means and to some degree, He has been scourged. One other thing we know…
•At the time of Jesus, there was a longstanding rule that free citizens of Rome were exempt from scourging. This method was only used on foreigners, slaves and gladiators. I find that interesting. Jesus was all three. In His own creation, because of my sin, God Himself, the Creator and Originator and rightful Owner of this world was a Foreigner, a Slave and a Gladiator. And He chose that… He doesn’t blame me for putting Him in that state rather He willfully and gracefully stepped into that state, becoming a Foreigner here so that I would no longer be a slave and foreigner for eternity…
•Crazy interesting as well, this Simon was from Cyrene which was a place in northern Africa…a complete foreigner as well and this man took up the cross of Jesus and followed Him. In the midst of millions, this one man was joined with Jesus in His suffering and burden…one man…and the joining was through taking up the cross…
Luke Chapter 23 Verses 27 – 31
•These statements of Jesus are only given to us in Luke’s gospel account. Why did Jesus make these statements? Hard to tell. But what He was talking about, not so much. He essentially says to the women of Jerusalem wailing for Him…wait, why are they wailing for Him? It was customary in that day for the Roman guard to lead the accused through the city, to the place of crucifixion, with a sign that read the name and the crime of the condemned. And in order to be an example to the people, they would take the scenic route…
•These aren’t the women that knew Jesus. They were all of Galilee…Luke says here that Jesus addressed them as “Women of Jerusalem.” Most likely, these are simply empathetic women who seeing Jesus’ state, seeing another Jewish man, a son of another Jewish woman, being killed by the enemy of Jerusalem…and they simply follow weeping and wailing.
•And so, Jesus turns and He essentially says to them, “Don’t weep for Me, rather there is far more reason to weep for they that reject Me.” History books tell us that in just a few short years, because of the rejecting of the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached to them, the nation would follow other leaders into a political and military revolt, placing themselves on a collision course with Rome, that within a generation, would have a tragic result.
•History tells us that the sacking of the city by Titus Aspasian was so horrific (completely destroying the city) that many Jews, having swallowed their gold…literally…in order to keep it from the Romans, were cut open in the city streets by the Roman soldiers, in order to plunder the nation. It really doesn’t get more horrific than that… The suffering would be so terrible, that Jesus says here, women would consider themselves blessed to be barren.
•Completely opposite of the cultural norm. In that time, if you were barren, couldn’t have children, you were considered cursed by God and that was actually sufficient in and of itself grounds for divorce. And yet Jesus says here, it will be so bad, that even a curse will seem as a blessing. That is precisely what the rejecting of Jesus will bring upon a life. Curses become blessings as everything is turned on its head backwards from the way God intended…
•And so, Jesus says, “Weep for yourselves!” Spurgeon put it this way, “To weep over a dying Savior is to lament the remedy; It were wiser to bewail the disease,” speaking of the rejection of the Savior…
Luke Chapter 23 Verses 32 – 34
•Making the statement here that it was at this time they divided His garments, after He makes this statement, leads many to believe that He actually uttered these words while they were driving the nails through His hands and feet…
•Now, notice, this statement of Jesus is the ultimate manifestation of empathy, selflessness, forgiveness and grace. That as He is being actively brutalized, He prays for His aggressors and that prayer is for them to be forgiven. Incredible display of unconditional, grace-filled and fueled love. The kind of love He has for me and for you today…but notice, this statement comes of the heels of His warning and I think that is important.
•Just because we as Christians are to forgive, to give grace, to love even our enemies, does not mean that we are to not rebuke, correct, exhort and teach truth to the same people we actively forgive. Folks get this twisted… I’m willing to sacrifice for you and to forgive you but you are going to hear rebuke and correction from me for what you’ve done or what you’re doing. And that is not unloving in anyway… We’ve just got it all twisted.
•We think love looks like tolerance of sin… God has never tolerated my sin! He died because of my sin! That was tolerance, that was judgment. That was love. That was grace. And today, Hebrews 12:6 says, “For whom the Lord loves, He chastens.” And so yes, I walk by grace and grace alone. Yes I enjoy the unconditional love of the Father through a close and personal relationship with Jesus Christ…and YES, within God’s forgiveness, the Holy Spirit convicts me of the sin in my life.
•So indeed, I love my enemies and I want to see them saved and I want to see them well, but I have zero qualms in being very clear with them as to why they are an enemy to me, even calling them to weep over their own sin which I’m willing to suffer through in order to glorify God and follow the Lord I proclaim to love…