What does John 19:1 mean?

Jesus is being interrogated by the Roman governor, Pilate, at the demand of Jewish religious leaders. Through private conversation, Pilate has already determined that Jesus is innocent. The conflict is clearly political, and personal, yet Jesus' enemies are adamant that He be killed. They're even willing to see a murderer and actual insurrectionist released just to keep Jesus under condemnation (John 18:33–40).

Here, Pilate attempts a different tactic. Roman law was infamously harsh, but equally efficient. Even casual readers may wonder what purpose there is for "flogging" someone who is going to be executed. The answer is that Pilate, at this point, still hopes to see Jesus released. Pilate's plan seems to be that if he sufficiently humiliates Jesus and delivers enough physical abuse, the mob will be satisfied. The process described here is also known as "scourging," which involves a specialized whip called a flagrum. This instrument typically included leather cords interwoven with lead weights, bones, rocks, hooks, nails, or glass. A severe scourging could easily result in death.

After being maimed and humiliated (John 19:2–3), Pilate will display Jesus for the crowd, attempting to show that enough has been done (John 19:4). This will not work; Jesus' enemies will settle for nothing less than His death (John 19:6).