Jesus' Crucifixion Beatings and the Book of Proverbs

This study takes a Christian perspective on the entire Bible, rather than simply the New Testament. David Wenkel asks: Why did Jesus have to be beaten before his death on the cross? Christian theology has largely focused on Jesus' death but has given relatively little attention to his sufferings. Wenkel's answer contextualizes Jesus' crucifixion sufferings as informed by the language of Proverbs. He explains that Jesus' sufferings demonstrate the wisdom of God's plan to provide a substitute for foolish sinners. Jesus was beaten as a fool - even though he was no fool, in order to fulfill God's loving plan of salvation. This analysis is then placed within the larger storyline of the whole bible - from the Garden of Eden to the story of Israel and beyond. 

David H. Wenkel received his PhD from the University of Aberdeen and currently lives in Chicago. He has been adjunct faculty at Moody Bible Institute, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Indian Bible College. He is the author of Shining Like the Sun: A Biblical Theology of Meeting God Face to Face.