The picture of agonizing love!

(Charles Spurgeon)

"Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him scourged. 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 struck Him in the face!" John 19:1-3 

Pilate delivered our Lord to the lictors to be scourged. The Roman scourging was a most dreadful instrument of torture. It was made of the sinews of oxen, and sharp bones were inter-twisted among the sinews; so that every time the lash came down-these pieces of bone inflicted fearful laceration, and tore off some flesh from the victim. The Savior was, no doubt, bound to the pillar, and thus beaten. He had been beaten before, but this scourging of the Roman lictors was probably the most severe of His flagellations.

"With His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

My soul, stand here and weep over His poor stricken body. Believer in Jesus, can you gaze upon Him without tears, as He stands before you-the picture of agonizing love? He is at once as white as the lily for innocence, and as red as the rose with the crimson of His own blood. As we feel the sure and blessed healing which His stripes have wrought in us-does not our heart melt at once with love and grief? If ever we have loved our Lord Jesus-surely we must feel that affection glowing now within our bosoms.

"See how the patient Jesus stands,
  Insulted in His lowest case!
  Sinners have bound the Almighty's hands,
  And spit in their Creator's face!

"With thorns His temples gored and gashed
  Send streams of blood from every part.
  His back's with knotted scourges lashed,
  But sharper scourges tear His heart!"

We would sincerely go to our chambers and weep. But since our business calls us away this morning, we will first ask our Beloved to print the image of His bleeding self upon the tablets of our hearts all the day; and at nightfall we will return to commune with Him, and sorrow that our sin should have cost Him so dear!