Note This

Isa.53:⁵ “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

John 19:¹ “Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip.” The whip used here is known as flagrum. It is no ordinary whip; it is a collection of heavy leather straps into which bone, glass, and led balls were embedded. It was designed to peel the flesh. When they whipped Jesus, it wrapped around Him, the glass, bone, and led sank into His skin such that when they pulled the whip, it peeled His flesh off. All that whipping, every lash was for our healing. This was also prophesied, “by His stripes, we were healed.” When they tore His body, power was released to heal our bodies and that is beautiful. Revelation is so powerful.

John 19:³ “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face.” There is a slapping across the cheek and there is a slapping across the face. The slap across the face is not the normal slap; this kind goes from east to west, forehead to chin, ear to ear. Jesus went through all this for your sake and mine. Look at their mockery, “Hail! King of the Jews!”, they did not know that even in mockery they were prophesying. For everyone that is a child of God, everyone that has made Jesus Lord and Saviour, pay attention to mockery because mockery is sometimes prophecy. They know you are struggling with conception, and you do not have children yet. They know you do not have a job or any money. But they say to you, “Mother of twins!”, “Chairman CEO!”, and as soon as you turn your back, they mock you. Do not worry and do not be sad. Pay attention to it because it is going to come to pass. Just pay attention!

Usually, there is a pre-execution flogging meaning, when someone is to be executed, the person is flogged with the flagrum before being executed so that the person can die quickly. However, even with the flogging, some people still live for as long as eight days before they die. Jesus lasted just six hours because the pain was too much. He was carrying more than physical pain; Jesus was carrying the sin of the entire world and it crushed Him totally. John deliberately left out the other Words on the cross because of his focus. In other narrations, at a point Jesus shouted, “My Father, why have You forsaken Me?” The pressure was just too much.

Scholars believe, and I tend to agree, that Jesus’ pre-execution flogging happened twice. The first time Jesus was flogged, Pilate did it to appease the Jewish leaders [please read Luke 23:14-16]. Pilate was hoping that the Jewish leaders would see that and decide that Jesus had learnt His lesson and then let Him go. But the Jewish leaders were hell-bent on killing Him and Jesus took that extra flogging. The significance of that is that the enemy’s objective is destruction. He will not stop until he destroys but he will fail, in Jesus Name. So do not think you can give him just small leverage, a small in-road into your life. He is not going to stop; his objective is to kill, to steal, and to destroy. He never stops at stealing or killing alone, until he destroys, he is not satisfied.

Prayer: Jesus, I thank You for paying such a high price for my salvation, in Jesus Name. Amen!