36: Having ended with their fun, the soldiers turned to their duty. They were to keep guard and see that nothing disturbed the crucifixion. Jesus had friends and enemies present. For all the soldiers knew, either could be the source of trouble.37: It was customary to hang a placard on the neck of the prisoner as they…

35: Crucifixion was a very awful form of torment and death. It is worth noting that the gospel writers do not go into great detail on this subject. They focused on the fulfillment of prophecy and the words of Christ. It is man who has a lust for blood, not God. We must not diverge into a catalog of…

34: This offer of vinegar (or wine) and gall (or myrrh) had become a common practice, in an attempt to offer some relief to those being crucified. However, it also fulfilled prophecy. He tasted the drink, so that all would know that he knew what it was, and that it fulfilled prophecy; but, he refused to drink it…

32: Jesus was taken to Golgotha, which was just north of the city, outside the city walls. Those who were crucified were normally expected to carry the crossbeam of the cross all the way out to the crucifixion site. However, given the fact that Jesus had already been hurt much more than most criminals had been at…

30: Some have supposed that the spitting was also some form of mock homage. This may be the case. But, either way, the purpose was to hurt him and make fun of him. They would not have the opportunity to torture one who claimed to be the king of the Jews again soon.The striking of his head…

29: The soldiers wove together thorns into a crown for Jesus. It is not certain what exact type of thorn bush was used; but, in any case, the thorns would have been fairly large. The reed was some stick or stalk that was available to the soldiers in that place. With the robe, crown, and…

28: This verse presents a bit of confusion. The robe placed on Jesus is referred to as being purple in the other gospels. There is no inconsistency here, however. The best solution to this is to point out a couple of things. First, that this was what would now be seen as a red cloak…

27: The band of soldiers could have been as many as five or six hundred. No matter how many their were exactly, it was a large multitude of ruffian Romans. They were neither religious, like the Jews, or refined, like Pilate. They were very possibly part of the same group that came to arrest Jesus…

26: Pilate released the prisoner they asked for, much to his chagrin. Here it is mentioned that he had Jesus scourged, or did it himself, before actually turning him over to his soldiers for execution. This was yet another attempt on the part of Pilate to release Jesus. The whipping was quite intense, and involved a…

25: It is important to understand a few things about this statement by the people. For one thing, it was likely instigated by the Jewish leaders. It seems doubtful that the entire mob would instantly make this statement as one man. They were led to it. Also, it had to do with Jewish law. By…