John 19

Jesus Flogged and Mocked

1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged.

2 The soldiers also twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and threw a purple robe around Him.

3 And they repeatedly came up to Him and said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and were slapping His face.

4 Pilate went outside again and said to them, "Look, I'm bringing Him outside to you to let you know I find no grounds for charging Him."

Pilate Sentences Jesus to Death

5 Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!"^[a]

6 When the chief priests and the temple police saw Him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!" Pilate responded, "Take Him and crucify Him yourselves, for I find no grounds for charging Him."

7 "We have a law," the Jews replied to him, "and according to that law He must die, because He made Himself^[b] the Son of God."^[c]

8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was more afraid than ever.

9 He went back into the headquarters and asked Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus did not give him an answer.

10 So Pilate said to Him, "You're not talking to me? Don't You know that I have the authority to release You and the authority to crucify You?"

11 "You would have no authority over Me at all," Jesus answered him, "if it hadn't been given you from above. This is why the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin." ^[d]

12 From that moment Pilate made every effort^[e] to release Him. But the Jews shouted, "If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Anyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar!"

13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside. He sat down on the judge's bench in a place called the Stone Pavement (but in Hebrew Gabbatha).

14 It was the preparation day for the Passover, and it was about six in the morning.^[f] Then he told the Jews, "Here is your king!"

15 But they shouted, "Take Him away! Take Him away! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Should I crucify your king?" "We have no king but Caesar!" the chief priests answered.

16 So then, because of them, he handed Him over to be crucified. Therefore they took Jesus away.^[g]

The Crucifixion

17 Carrying His own cross, He went out to what is called Skull Place, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.

18 There they crucified Him and two others with Him, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.

19 Pilate also had a sign lettered and put on the cross. The inscription was: JESUS THE NAZARENE THE KING OF THE JEWS

20 Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew,^[h] Latin, and Greek.

21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Don't write, 'The King of the Jews,' but that He said, 'I am the King of the Jews.' "

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

23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took His clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier. They also took the tunic, which was seamless, woven in one piece from the top.

24 So they said to one another, "Let's not tear it, but toss for it, to see who gets it." [They did this] to fulfill the Scripture that says: They divided My clothes among themselves, and they cast lots for My clothing. ^[i] And this is what the soldiers did.

Jesus' Provision for His Mother

25 Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

26 When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple He loved standing there, He said to His mother, "Woman, here is your son."

27 Then He said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

The Finished Work of Jesus

28 After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, He said, "I'm thirsty!" ^[j]

29 A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop^[k] and held it up to His mouth.

30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Jesus' Side Pierced

31 Since it was the preparation day,^[l] the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a special^[m] day). They requested that Pilate have the men's legs broken and that [their bodies] be taken away.^[n]

32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other one who had been crucified with Him.

33 When they came to Jesus, they did not break His legs since they saw that He was already dead.

34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out.

35 He who saw this has testified^[o] so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows he is telling the truth.^[p]

36 For these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled:^[q] Not one of His bones will be broken. ^[r]

37 Also, another Scripture says: They will look at the One they pierced. ^[s]

Jesus' Burial

38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus-but secretly because of his fear of the Jews-asked Pilate that he might remove Jesus' body. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and took His body away.

39 Nicodemus (who had previously come to Him at night) also came, bringing a mixture of about 75 pounds^[t] = 12 ounces of myrrh and aloes.

40 Then they took Jesus' body and wrapped it in linen cloths with the aromatic spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews.

41 There was a garden in the place where He was crucified. A new tomb was in the garden; no one had yet been placed in it.

42 They placed Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation and since the tomb was nearby.

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Zch 6:12
• [b]. He claimed to be
• [c]. Jn 5:18; 19:12
• [d]. To have sin is an idiom that refers to guilt caused by sin.
• [e]. Lit Pilate was trying
• [f]. Lit the sixth hour; see note at Jn 1:39; an alternate time reckoning would be about noon
• [g]. Other mss add and led Him out
• [h]. Or Aramaic
• [i]. Ps 22:18
• [j]. Ps 22:15; 69:21
• [k]. Or with hyssop
• [l]. Jn 19:14
• [m]. Lit great
• [n]. Dt 21:22-23
• [o]. Jn 1:14-15,34
• [p]. Jn 21:24
• [q]. Jn 13:18; 17:12; 19:24
• [r]. Ex 12:46; Nm 9:12; Ps 34:20
• [s]. Zch 12:10
• [t]. Lit 100 litrai; a Roman litrai