Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.

John 19:1 – 3

The Jews had no doubt, Jesus is a fraud and must be killed.  The Roman ruler of Palestine, Pilate, insisted that he saw no fault in Jesus.  So, there we are.  Pilate, for political purposes, had Jesus flogged, a most terrible punishment for a crime he never committed, a fact that Pilate knew. Yet, he went along with the Jewish leaders and had Jesus punished as a common Jewish criminal!  Poor Pilate.

The Roman soldiers had not one ounce of sympathy for Jesus.  They were not involved in the dispute between the Jewish rulers and Jesus, nor was Pilate.  The soldiers in charge of the crucifixion of Jesus agreed with the Jewish authorities, Jesus must die!  On what basis?  That they were told that Jesus was a common usurper who claimed that he was the ruler, not the Romans.  For this he must die.  These Roman soldiers, occupying Palestine, had no idea who Jesus is but the reason he is being killed is because they were told he wanted to be the King of Israel.  They would have none of that.

Jesus had no army.  He was absolutely powerless politically.   So, the Romans and the Jews agreed that he was out of place and must be killed.

Our minds reel and our spirits are distraught at what is happening.  It is one of the most distressing scenes in the Bible.

They slapped Jesus in the face. They hated him. Is this not the dominant theme of life, to this very day?