Luke 22:63-65
Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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It's easy to overlook that the Greek verbs translated "mocked" and "smote" here are in a tense that signifies ongoing, repeated action. This wasn't just a quick insult and blow, but a prolonged, brutal torment inflicted by the guards holding Jesus.
After Jesus is questioned by the high priest and council, and then before the full Sanhedrin convenes, the guards who are holding him captive begin to mock and physically abuse him. This brutal mistreatment occurs during the tense hours before Jesus's final condemnation and handover to Roman authority. The narrative immediately following details the formal condemnation by the council and Peter's denial.
Imagine the scene: the one everyone anticipates as a glorious King is instead treated as a common criminal. This wasn't just a physical beating; it was a profound act of mockery and degradation.
The text describes the men holding Jesus not just as guards, but as tormentors. The Greek words used suggest a brutal and sustained assault. They weren't just striking him; they were 'cudgeling' him (as one ancient commentator puts it), and the actions were continuous, not isolated events.
This wasn't a random act of cruelty. It happened in the context of his trial, right after he affirmed his identity as the Christ, the Son of God. Their mocking and beating were a response to his divine claim, a violent attempt to tear down his identity and dignity. They sought to humiliate the one who claimed heavenly authority, proving how little they believed his words.
When faced with accusations and physical violence, Jesus had the power to retaliate. Yet, his chosen response was often silence. What does this quiet endurance communicate?
In the moments leading up to this verse, Jesus had been questioned intensely. The high priest even adjured him by God to reveal his identity. When Jesus confirmed he was the Christ, the Son of God, instead of a reasoned defense, the response was immediate violence and mockery.
Jesus's silence in the face of false accusations and abuse wasn't weakness or inability to respond. The commentaries suggest he remained silent partly because the accusers were acting in bad faith and their witness was unreliable. More profoundly, his silence was a deliberate act of trust in God's ultimate justice and a recognition that his path was set—a path leading to sacrifice, not self-vindication at that moment.
Understand the original words
empaizō · Greek Verb
To treat with scorn, derision, or contempt. This was a common form of suffering endured by Christ, where his authority and personhood were insulted by those who did not recognize him as Lord.
blasphēmeō · Greek Verb
The act of speaking impiously or profanely against God. It involves attributing evil to God, denying his divine nature, or treating the sacred with utter contempt, which Christ endured during his passion.
prophēteuō · Greek Verb
To declare by divine inspiration or to reveal truths under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Here, it is used sarcastically by those mocking Jesus, challenging his identity as the Son of God.
The verse describes the brutal mistreatment Jesus endured *after* His affirmation before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, but *before* the full council condemned Him and He was handed over to Pilate. This period was a chaotic interlude of abusive mockery by the guards and temple officials.
c. AD 30, evening
Arrest in Gethsemane
After praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was betrayed by Judas and arrested by a detachment of soldiers and temple guards. This marked the beginning of His passion.
c. AD 30, night
Examination before Annas
Jesus was first brought to Annas, the former high priest, for an informal questioning. This was a preliminary interrogation before the official Sanhedrin trial.
c. AD 30, night— this verse
Trial before Caiaphas and Sanhedrin (part 1)
Jesus was then taken to Caiaphas, the reigning high priest, and questioned by a portion of the Sanhedrin. False witnesses were presented, and Jesus affirmed His identity as the Son of God, leading Caiaphas to declare Him worthy of death.
c. AD 30, night
Mocking and Abuse
While awaiting the full Sanhedrin assembly or during interim periods, the guards and others present began to mock, blindfold, beat, and abuse Jesus.
This prophetic passage describes the suffering Servant of God as 'despised and rejected by mankind,' which directly foreshadows the mocking and abuse Jesus endured at the hands of the guards.
Psalm 22:6-8This ancient psalm expresses the anguish of a suffering individual who is 'scorned by mankind and despised by the people,' echoing the experience of Jesus being mocked and ridiculed during His passion.
Matthew 26:67-68Matthew provides a parallel account of the same event, detailing how Jesus' captors blindfolded Him and then taunted Him to 'prophesy' who had struck Him, highlighting the brutal and mocking nature of His treatment.
Mark 14:65Mark's Gospel also describes the guards mocking Jesus, with some spitting on Him and others covering His face, emphasizing the dehumanizing and violent mockery He faced.
Philippians 2:7-8This New Testament passage speaks of Jesus 'emptying himself, by taking the form of a servant,' and being 'humbled by becoming obedient to the point of death,' a profound truth illustrated by His willingness to endure such humiliation and suffering without retaliating.
barnesLuke 22:63: "And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him."
See the notes at Matthew 26:57-68 .
calvinLuke 22:63-71: "And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him."
- And the high priest, rising up, said to him, [227] Answerest thou nothing? What is it that those men testify against thee? 63. And Jesus was silent. And the high priest answering said to him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us if thou art the Christ, the Son of God. 64. Jesus saith to him, Thou hast said it; but yet I tell you, hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, an…
It's easy to overlook that the Greek verbs translated "mocked" and "smote" here are in a tense that signifies ongoing, repeated action. This wasn't just a quick insult and blow, but a prolonged, brutal torment inflicted by the guards holding Jesus.
After Jesus is questioned by the high priest and council, and then before the full Sanhedrin convenes, the guards who are holding him captive begin to mock and physically abuse him. This brutal mistreatment occurs during the tense hours before Jesus's final condemnation and handover to Roman authority. The narrative immediately following details the formal condemnation by the council and Peter's denial.
After Jesus is questioned by the high priest and council, and then before the full Sanhedrin convenes, the guards who are holding him captive begin to mock and physically abuse him. This brutal mistreatment occurs during the tense hours before Jesus's final condemnation and handover to Roman authority. The narrative immediately following details the formal condemnation by the council and Peter's denial.
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c. AD 30, early morning
Trial before the full Sanhedrin
The full Sanhedrin council convened to officially condemn Jesus, seeking to solidify their charges before presenting Him to the Roman authorities.
c. AD 30, morning
Handover to Pilate
After their condemnation, the Sanhedrin brought Jesus to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate to face charges that would require Roman jurisdiction, such as sedition.
"Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him." — It's easy to overlook that the Greek verbs translated "mocked" and "smote" here are in a tense that signifies ongoing, repeated action. This wasn't just a quick insult and blow, but a prolonged, brut…
