The Ten Stages of Christ’s Suffering:  Stage 4

Stage 4:  Jesus was scourged

A scourge is defined as a whip used to punish severely.  It often had pieces of bone or metal embedded in its tails, designed to inflict great harm. Scourging was hideous torture.  The Roman flogging consisted of the victim being stripped of his clothing and stretched against a pillar or low post with his hands tied.  Two men laid blows on the victim’s back, so severe that they ripped pieces of flesh from the bones, frequently exposing inner organs. According to Deuteronomy 25:3, flogging of this nature was allowed for up to 40 stripes.  

³ Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.

The Jews reduced that number to thirty-nine, according to 2 Cor. 11:24 when Apostle Paul was beaten.   

²⁴ Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

Consider this fact as presented in Dake’s (Matt. 27:26, Note t:  

If the scourge used on Jesus had up to 12 tails and were hit 39 times, this would make as many as 468 stripes.  With that level of beating, with the blows falling into the exact physical location on his body more than once, and with the intense hatred shown by his floggers, we can quickly see how Jesus’s visage was marred beyond that of any man.  As a result of the scourging that Jesus endured, he was bruised beyond recognition.

Is. 52:14 says:

As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.

Jesus endured these indignities and torture for us.  Is. 53:5 states: 

⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.