John 19 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

John 19

Jesus Delivered to Be Crucified

19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” 7 The Jews¹ answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. 9 He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”

12 From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” 13 So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic² Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour.³ He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15 They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic.⁴ But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,

“They divided my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.”

So the soldiers did these things, 25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

The Death of Jesus

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Jesus’ Side Is Pierced

31 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”

Jesus Is Buried

38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus⁵ by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds⁶ in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Footnotes

[1] 19:7 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verses 12, 14, 31, 38
[2] 19:13 Or Hebrew; also verses 17, 20
[3] 19:14 That is, about noon
[4] 19:23 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin
[5] 19:39 Greek him
[6] 19:39 Greek one hundred litras; a litra (or Roman pound) was equal to about 11 1/2 ounces or 327 grams

Commentary

v1-3: Mock worship, in form and word; no reality, faith, devotion, obedience. This was not the same as dead ritualism (Matt 12.7); but neither are true worship. The purple robe would be worn by royalty or nobility, see Luke 16.19.

v4-5: Pilate repeated his opinion of Christ's innocence. However, he still had Him scourged (whipped). He allowed his soldiers to mock Jesus, and he later had Him delivered to the Jews (v16). Pilate was inconsistent; pragmatic, unprincipled leadership. As in 18.38, and v8-9,13, he went back and forward, unable to decide what to do. In reality, Pilate was himself on trial before the King of Kings.

v6: Pilate correctly said that there was "no basis for a charge," or 'no fault' in Jesus; there was no wrong-doing, nothing worthy of blame.

Pilate spoke of a king, of truth, or power, but understood none of those things.

v7-8: The Jews made a truer statement than earlier, in 18.30. Their charge was essentially religious, not criminal. This made Pilate afraid. He could deal with criminals, carrying out the appropriate punishment, but 'religious' claims and disputes were not part of his jurisdiction nor his experience.

Pilate was afraid. 'Pilate's unease or fear in the presence of Jesus indicates that Pilate, in his attempt to exact his authority by ascribing to himself almost the divine prerogative which is actually true of Jesus, only discovers that he is confronted with one who is Himself at the course of all authority.' (Jesus and the Gospel in Africa, page 103, quoting Barnabas Linders, The Gospel of John.

v9: In returning to Jesus, Pilate received no answer. Jesus remained silent to many questions.

v10-11: Pilate attacked Jesus' silence, declaring that he had power over Him. But, he learned, that power was not his, but came from God. The guilty ones were those who delivered Jesus to him.

v12-16: Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, and said so. But the answer came back that such an action would be disloyalty to Caesar himself. Pilate wanted to end the whole affair, washing his hands of the matter. He therefore delivered Jesus to be crucified.

It was now the sixth hour of the morning (6.00 a.m.). Jesus was put on the cross three hours later (Mark 15.25). John uses Roman time, not Jewish time. It was hardly 12 hours since the meal (13.1), and Jesus probably hadn't slept during that period.

"We have no king but Caesar," announced the chief priests. See 1 Sam 8.6-7, where the people rejected God as their king, and sought a human king. The people were disloyal to God, and this statement powerfully confirmed it.

v17-18: Jesus was handed over to the soldiers, who would doubtless have continued the mistreatment of Jesus.

v19-22: Pilate had the title, the accusation against Jesus, written on the cross. This was a way of mocking the Jews rather than showing any respect towards Jesus.

The Jews would not accept Jesus as His word, "He claimed to be the Son of God," (v7) "anyone who claims to be a king" (v12).

v23-24: The soldiers were utterly callous, and at the same time totally ignorant of the significance of their actions. They wanted the few things belonging to the Saviour, yet had no interest in Him at all.

There is a danger in enjoying the things of Chris, or being involved in His things, but missing out on the greater blessing of knowing Him.

v25: The faithful few, who stood near the cross, identifying with their beloved Jesus.

v26-27: Joseph, Mary's husband, was now dead. There is no reference to him since Jesus was 12 years old (Luke 2.41-51). John now had to take responsibility for Mary. In the midst of His suffering, Jesus spoke words of compassion and unselfishness.

It seems that John may also have been related to Mary, perhaps through Zachariah or Elizabeth. That would be consistent with his links with the priests.

v28-30: We might think that Jesus cried out "I thirst," because of the excruciating pain of dehydration. John tells us that he cried out "I thirst" because the scripture had to be fulfilled. He deliberately quotes Ps 22.15, so that we might consider David's detailed and anguished propehcy a millenium earlier.

Pilate's words were over, the soldiers had finished gambling, Mary had a home. All attention in now totally upon Jesus Christ. His victorious words, "It is finished," salvation achieved without the help of a man.

v31-37: John remained to witness events.

The next day was a special Sabbath, additional to the normal weekly Sabbath. This Sabbath would begin, we understand, at 6.00 p.m. (western time) on the Thursday. The ordinary Sabbath would end at 6.00 p.m. (western time) on the Saturday. The women did not go to the tomb until the following morning (20.1).

It was the Jews' request that the bodies be removed before the Sabbath. When the criminals had not died, their legs were broken to hasten their deaths. The soldiers found that Jesus was already dead, and did not break His legs. A soldier pierced His side, and blood and water (or what appeared to be water) flowed out. This, we understand, is a clear indication of death.

John, knowing Jewish religious practice, explained the matter of the Sabbath. He also watched as the soldiers pierced Jesus' side. He saw too the significance of the events, as other prophesies were fulfilled.

v38-42: Joseph's fear, but see Mark 15.43; he went boldly into see Pilate. No more fear or doubt; now was a time for commitment and decision.

Num 19.11 indicates that Joseph and Nicodemus would be considered unclean (contrast 18.38), and therefore loose the respect of the religious leaders. Nicodemus was no longer "one of them" (7.50). Popular religion rejected Christ; but if we are loyal to Christ we must also reject popular religion.

John explained Jewish burial customs, and made reference to the Preparation Day and the special Sabbath. He was both knowledgeable about Jewish matters, and also concerned to make things clear for his readers.

At His coming into the world Jesus was wrapped in strips of cloth, and put in a borrowed place. At His death, He experienced the same. He had nothing in this world, yet He made it and owns it (1.10).