John 19

1 Pilate then took Yeshua and had him flogged.

2 The soldiers twisted thorn branches into a crown and placed it on his head, put a purple robe on him,

3 and went up to him, saying over and over, "Hail, `king of the Jews'!" and hitting him in the face.

4 Pilate went outside once more and said to the crowd, "Look, I'm bringing him out to you to get you to understand that I find no case against him."

5 So Yeshua came out, wearing the thorn-branch crown and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Look at the man!"

6 When the head cohanim and the Temple guards saw him they shouted, "Put him to death on the stake! Put him to death on the stake!" Pilate said to them, "You take him out yourselves and put him to death on the stake, because I don't find any case against him."

7 The Judeans answered him, "We have a law; according to that law, he ought to be put to death, because he made himself out to be the Son of God."

8 On hearing this, Pilate became even more frightened.

9 He went back into the headquarters and asked Yeshua, "Where are you from?" But Yeshua didn't answer.

10 So Pilate said to him, "You refuse to speak to me? Don't you understand that it is in my power either to set you free or to have you executed on the stake?"

11 Yeshua answered, "You would have no power over me if it hadn't been given to you from above; this is why the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."

12 On hearing this, Pilate tried to find a way to set him free; but the Judeans shouted, "If you set this man free, it means you're not a `Friend of the Emperor'! Everyone who claims to be a king is opposing the Emperor!"

13 When Pilate heard what they were saying, he brought Yeshua outside and sat down on the judge's seat in the place called The Pavement (in Aramaic, Gabta);

14 it was about noon on Preparation Day for Pesach. He said to the Judeans, "Here's your king!"

15 They shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Put him to death on the stake!" Pilate said to them, "You want me to execute your king on a stake?" The head cohanim answered, "We have no king but the Emperor."

16 Then Pilate handed Yeshua over to them to have him put to death on the stake. So they took charge of Yeshua.

17 Carrying the stake himself he went out to the place called Skull (in Aramaic, Gulgolta).

18 There they nailed him to the stake along with two others, one on either side, with Yeshua in the middle.

19 Pilate also had a notice written and posted on the stake; it read, YESHUA FROM NATZERET THE KING OF THE JEWS

20 Many of the Judeans read this notice, because the place where Yeshua was put on the stake was close to the city; and it had been written in Hebrew, in Latin and in Greek.

21 The Judeans' head cohanim therefore said to Pilate, "Don't write, `The King of the Jews,' but `He said, "I am King of the Jews."'"

22 Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

23 When the soldiers had nailed Yeshua to the stake, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier, with the under-robe left over. Now the under-robe was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom;

24 so they said to one another, "We shouldn't tear it in pieces; let's draw for it." This happened in order to fulfill the words from the Tanakh, "They divided my clothes among themselves and gambled for my robe." This is why the soldiers did these things.

25 Nearby Yeshua's execution stake stood his mother, his mother's sister Miryam the wife of K'lofah, and Miryam from Magdala.

26 When Yeshua saw his mother and the talmid whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, "Mother, this is your son."

27 Then he said to the talmid, "This is your mother." And from that time on, the talmid took her into his own home.

28 After this, knowing that all things had accomplished their purpose, Yeshua, in order to fulfill the words of the Tanakh, said, "I'm thirsty."

29 A jar full of cheap sour wine was there; so they soaked a sponge in the wine, coated it with oregano leaves and held it up to his mouth.

30 After Yeshua had taken the wine, he said, "It is accomplished!" And, letting his head droop, he delivered up his spirit.

31 It was Preparation Day, and the Judeans did not want the bodies to remain on the stake on Shabbat, since it was an especially important Shabbat. So they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed.

32 The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been put on a stake beside Yeshua, then the legs of the other one;

33 but when they got to Yeshua and saw that he was already dead, they didn't break his legs.

34 However, one of the soldiers stabbed his side with a spear, and at once blood and water flowed out.

35 The man who saw it has testified about it, and his testimony is true. And he knows that he tells the truth, so you too can trust.

36 For these things happened in order to fulfill this passage of the Tanakh: "Not one of his bones will be broken."

37 And again, another passage says, "They will look at him whom they have pierced."

38 After this, Yosef of Ramatayim, who was a talmid of Yeshua, but a secret one out of fear of the Judeans, asked Pilate if he could have Yeshua's body. Pilate gave his consent, so Yosef came and took the body away.

39 Also Nakdimon, who at first had gone to see Yeshua by night, came with some seventy pounds of spices -- a mixture of myrrh and aloes.

40 They took Yeshua's body and wrapped it up in linen sheets with the spices, in keeping with Judean burial practice.

41 In the vicinity of where he had been executed was a garden, and in the garden was a new tomb in which no one had ever been buried.

42 So, because it was Preparation Day for the Judeans, and because the tomb was close by, that is where they buried Yeshua.

John 19 Commentary

Chapter 19

Christ condemned and crucified. (1-18) Christ on the cross. (19-30) His side pierced. (31-37) The burial of Jesus. (38-42)

Verses 1-18 Little did Pilate think with what holy regard these sufferings of Christ would, in after-ages, be thought upon and spoken of by the best and greatest of men. Our Lord Jesus came forth, willing to be exposed to their scorn. It is good for every one with faith, to behold Christ Jesus in his sufferings. Behold him, and love him; be still looking unto Jesus. Did their hatred sharpen their endeavours against him? and shall not our love for him quicken our endeavours for him and his kingdom? Pilate seems to have thought that Jesus might be some person above the common order. Even natural conscience makes men afraid of being found fighting against God. As our Lord suffered for the sins both of Jews and Gentiles, it was a special part of the counsel of Divine Wisdom, that the Jews should first purpose his death, and the Gentiles carry that purpose into effect. Had not Christ been thus rejected of men, we had been for ever rejected of God. Now was the Son of man delivered into the hands of wicked and unreasonable men. He was led forth for us, that we might escape. He was nailed to the cross, as a Sacrifice bound to the altar. The Scripture was fulfilled; he did not die at the altar among the sacrifices, but among criminals sacrificed to public justice. And now let us pause, and with faith look upon Jesus. Was ever sorrow like unto his sorrow? See him bleeding, see him dying, see him and love him! love him, and live to him!

Verses 19-30 Here are some remarkable circumstances of Jesus' death, more fully related than before. Pilate would not gratify the chief priests by allowing the writing to be altered; which was doubtless owing to a secret power of God upon his heart, that this statement of our Lord's character and authority might continue. Many things done by the Roman soldiers were fulfilments of the prophecies of the Old Testament. All things therein written shall be fulfilled. Christ tenderly provided for his mother at his death. Sometimes, when God removes one comfort from us, he raises up another for us, where we looked not for it. Christ's example teaches all men to honour their parents in life and death; to provide for their wants, and to promote their comfort by every means in their power. Especially observe the dying word wherewith Jesus breathed out his soul. It is finished; that is, the counsels of the Father concerning his sufferings were now fulfilled. It is finished; all the types and prophecies of the Old Testament, which pointed at the sufferings of the Messiah, were accomplished. It is finished; the ceremonial law is abolished; the substance is now come, and all the shadows are done away. It is finished; an end is made of transgression by bringing in an everlasting righteousness. His sufferings were now finished, both those of his soul, and those of his body. It is finished; the work of man's redemption and salvation is now completed. His life was not taken from him by force, but freely given up.

Verses 31-37 A trial was made whether Jesus was dead. He died in less time than persons crucified commonly did. It showed that he had laid down his life of himself. The spear broke up the very fountains of life; no human body could survive such a wound. But its being so solemnly attested, shows there was something peculiar in it. The blood and water that flowed out, signified those two great benefits which all believers partake of through Christ, justification and sanctification; blood for atonement, water for purification. They both flow from the pierced side of our Redeemer. To Christ crucified we owe merit for our justification, and Spirit and grace for our sanctification. Let this silence the fears of weak Christians, and encourage their hopes; there came both water and blood out of Jesus' pierced side, both to justify and sanctify them. The Scripture was fulfilled, in Pilate's not allowing his legs to be broken, Ps. 34:20 . There was a type of this in the paschal lamb, Ex. 12:46 . May we ever look to Him, whom, by our sins, we have ignorantly and heedlessly pierced, nay, sometimes against convictions and mercies; and who shed from his wounded side both water and blood, that we might be justified and sanctified in his name.

Verses 38-42 Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Christ in secret. Disciples should openly own themselves; yet some, who in lesser trials have been fearful, in greater have been courageous. When God has work to do, he can find out such as are proper to do it. The embalming was done by Nicodemus, a secret friend to Christ, though not his constant follower. That grace which at first is like a bruised reed, may afterward resemble a strong cedar. Hereby these two rich men showed the value they had for Christ's person and doctrine, and that it was not lessened by the reproach of the cross. We must do our duty as the present day and opportunity are, and leave it to God to fulfil his promises in his own way and his own time. The grave of Jesus was appointed with the wicked, as was the case of those who suffered as criminals; but he was with the rich in his death, as prophesied, ( Isaiah 53:9 ) ; these two circumstances it was very unlikely should ever be united in the same person. He was buried in a new sepulchre; therefore it could not be said that it was not he, but some other that rose. We also are here taught not to be particular as to the place of our burial. He was buried in the sepulchre next at hand. Here is the Sun of Righteousness set for a while, to rise again in greater glory, and then to set no more.