True selected chapters cropped - Flipbook - Page 12
and help to stop the flow of blood. Jesus was pulled to his feet and
held upright until he could feel some strength return. His body was
racked with pain. He stood shivering in shock and struggling to
reclothe himself as best he could.
The soldiers then took Jesus into their headquarters and, calling
out the entire company of soldiers, they began to mock him. They
dressed him in a purple robe and made a crown of long sharp
thorns and rammed it on his head. Then they began to salute him,
‘Hail, king of the Jews!’
They beat him on the head with a stick, spat in his face, and
dropped to their knees in mock worship. When they were tired
of their mocking, they took off the purple robe and put his own
clothes on him. He was led out to be crucified. The slow walk to
Golgotha, the place of the skull, began.
Jesus’ hands were nailed to the wood
Three soldiers were ordered to complete the execution. The
commanding officer took the unusual step of attaching a centuria,
a further hundred troops in full battle dress, to accompany them.
This was a precaution against any attempt to intervene in the
proceedings. The procession assembled. First came five rows of
soldiers, ten in each row, followed by the execution party made up
of three soldiers and Jesus carrying his cross. Then came a further
five rows of soldiers, again with ten soldiers in each row. Caiaphas,
the high priest, along with the religious guard, walked behind the
Roman soldiers and the public followed. There were probably a
few thousand people who went to see Jesus die. The longest way
to the place of execution was taken, passing through the business
quarter and shopping area. They followed every possible street
and lane so that as many people as possible could see and take
warning. Jesus, already badly beaten, stumbled under the weight
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