MAY 19, 2019
THE CRUCIFIXION (PART I)
INTRODUCTION:
1. As we have noted in previous lessons, Pilate tried desperately to somehow satisfy the Jews’ demands for judgment againstChrist with something short of sentencing an innocent man to die.
2. He kept up his resistance through various charges of insurrection and blasphemy, until the Jews warned him that an acquittal of Jesus would amount to committing political suicide. “If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend.” (Verse 12)
3. “When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth.” (Verse 13) “Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified.” (Verse 16a)
4. Once the judgement was given, the Jews hastened to see the execution of it carried out. “And they took Jesus and led himaway.” (Verse 16b)
5. He, bearing His own cross, went forth out of the city to the place designated for the execution of criminals, “…where theycrucified him.” (Verses 17, 18)
6. In the passage before us, John records five important details, which are not only interesting, but most meaningful.
a) The title set up over Christ’s head. (Verses 19-22)
b) The dividing of His garments. (Verses 23, 24)
c) The care Jesus took of His mother. (Verses 25-27)
d) The giving of vinegar to Jesus. (Verses 28, 29)e) The dying words of our Lord. (Verse 30)
I. THE TITLE WHICH PILATE HAD SET UP OVER JESUS’ HEAD. (VERSES 19-22)
A. THE INSCRIPTION WAS WORDED BY PILATE AND BY HIS ORDER FIXED TO THE TOP OF THE CROSS: “JESUS OF NAZARETH TH EKING OF THE JEWS.” (VERSE 19)
1. Matthew calls it the accusation; Mark and Luke call it the inscription; John gives its proper Latin meaning, the title.
2. By this the governor declared the cause for which he delivered Christ to be crucified.
3. Pilate intended this as a reproach; that He, being Jesus of Nazareth, pretended to be a King. He would thus court the favor of Caesar by showing contempt for such an unworthy rival to his majesty.
4. But God overruled the intended insult to speak to Christ’s honor.
a) It was a further testimony to His innocence, since the accusation contained no crime, nothing worthy even of bonds much less death.
b) This inscription testified to the truth that this Jesus of Nazareth was truly Messiah the Prince, the Sceptre that should arise out of Israel.
B. THE TITLE WAS NOTICED AND READ BY JEWS AND GENTILES FROM ALL PARTS. (VERSE 20)
1. Though our Lord was crucified outside the city walls, it was near the city, and drew the attention of countless people who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover.
2. Because it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, the three most known languages, it was made legible to all, and in each of these languages Christ was proclaimed king.
a) Hebrew, the language of the Oracles of God.
b) Greek, the languages of the learned philosophers.
c) Latin, the language of the laws of the Roman Empire.
3. It was thereby intimated that, in Whom are hid all the treasures of revelation, wisdom, and power, is the Savior of all nations, and that all people shall hear in their own tongue.
C. THE JEWS WERE GREATLY OFFENDED THAT PILATE HAD PLACED THIS TITLE OVER THE HEAD OF CHRIST. (VERSE 21)
1. They had already foolishly declared, “We have no king by Caesar.” (Verse 15)
2. They therefore took offence at the wording of the inscription which suggested that they themselves acknowledged that this Jesus whom they crucified was their king. They thought it should read, “He said I am King of the Jews.”
D. THE GOVERNOR RESOLVED THAT THE TITLE WOULD STAND AS WRITTEN. “WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN I HAVE WRITTEN.” (VERSE 22)
1. Pilate had clearly reached his limit with the Jewish leaders. He was probably uneasy in himself for yielding to theirdemands, and angry at them for pressing him to it. His forceful answer to their complaint indicates that he had had enough. “What I have written I have written.”
2. Hereby honor was again done to our Lord. Pilate stuck to his resolution that Jesus was the King of the Jews. The fact is what he had written was what God had written. It was written that Messiah the Prince should be cut off. (Dan. 9:26) This therefore is the true cause of His death; He dies because the King of Israel must die.
3. When the Jews rejected their King, refusing to have this man to rule over them, Pilate, a Gentile, declared that He was their King. This was a precursor to what would come to pass soon after when the Gentiles submitted to the Kingdom of Messiah after the unbelieving Jews rebelled against it. (See Acts 13:44-49)
II. THE DIVIDING OF HIS GARMENTS. (VERSES 23, 24)
A. NOTE THE SHAME THEY PUT UPON JESUS.
1. They stripped Him of His garments before they crucified Him. (His outer garments.)
2. The shame of nakedness came in with sin. He therefore, He Who was made sin for us bore that shame in order to roll away our reproach.
3. He was stripped that we might be clothed. (Rev. 3:18; II Cor. 5:3)
B. SEE THE WAGES WITH WHICH THESE SOLDIERS PAID THEMSELVES.
1. They were willing to crucify Jesus for His clothes.
2. They elected not to divide Jesus’ seamless garment, thus destroying its value, but instead, they chose to cast lots for it.
3. While Christ was in His dying agony they were making sport at the foot of His cross gambling for His robe.
C. WE SEE HERE THE FULFILLING OF THE SCRIPTURES. (VERSE 24; PSA. 22:18)
1. The fulfillment of Scripture was essential. “These things therefore the soldiers did.”
2. The events so exactly answering to the predictions prove that the Scripture is the Word of God, and that Christ is the true Messiah, for in Him all of the Messianic prophecies have their fulfillment.
III. THE CARE THAT JESUS TOOK OF HIS MOTHER. (VERSES 25-27)
A. HIS DEAR MOTHER ATTENDED HIS DEATH. (VERSE 25)
1. At first she, along with some other devout women, stood very near. Afterward it seems that they were forced to move further away. (See Matt. 27:55, 56) It was while they were still near that Jesus spoke these words.
2. We can easily imagine how unspeakably painful it was for Mary to witness her Son’s horrible suffering and death. It was as the pain of a sword piercing through her soul, just as the aged Simeon had predicted she would experience some thirty plus years before. (Luke 2:35)
B. JESUS TENDERLY PROVIDED FOR HIS MOTHER AT HIS DEATH. (VERSES 26, 27)
1. We see here the duty that children have to their parents. Clearly Jesus (though nothing specifically is written about it) looked after His mother as a faithful Son.
2. Jesus referred His duties as Mary’s Son to John, even calling upon His mother to behold her son, and John to behold his mother.
3. John took Mary into his home where he cared for her until her death.
IV. THE GIVING OF VINEGAR TO JESUS. (VERSES 28, 29)
A. THE GREAT RESPECT CHRIST SHOWED TO THE SCRIPTURES. (VERSES 28)
1. Jesus, “knowing that all things (up to this point) were now accomplished…saith I thirst.”
2. It was not unusual that He should become thirsty. (Ch. 4:6, 7) After all that He had undergone throughout this horrible ordeal, how could He not have been thirsty?
3. Yet, through all of His suffering there had been no word of complaint until now. However, the reason of His complaining of thirst is somewhat surprising. He would thus see the Scriptures fulfilled. Knowing that all things were now accomplished – except this one thing. (See Psa. 69:21)
a) What regard He had for the Scriptures! Every detail must be fulfilled. Close was not good enough!
b) Not a word of God shall fall to the ground.
c) Let us value every Word of God as our Lord did and does. (Matt. 5:18; Mark 18:31)
B. HOW CRUELLY JESUS’ PERSECUTORS RESPONDED TO HIS COMPLAINT. (VERSE 29)`
1. Some see this as a mercy, that dying men were given this vinegar (a sour wine) to alleviate suffering. This explanation does not seem to agree with the prophecy. “They gave me also gall for my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” (Psa. 69:21)
2. The criminal’s drink was offered to our innocent Lord; a bitter portion to our dying Master. Spurgeon writes, “We blame the Jews for this sorry treatment, but how often have our sins filled the gall-cup of our Redeemer.”
V. THE DYING WORDS OF OUR LORD. (VERSE 30)
A. THESE WORDS WERE WORDS OF TRIUMPH. “IT IS FINISHED.” THIS IS A VERY COMPREHENSIVE DECLARATION.
1. In giving Him vinegar for His thirst, His persecutors had at last emptied out the vial of their malice and enmity. He had drunk the bitter cup, all of it!! He had endured the cross and all its shame. “It is finished.”
2. All of the counsel and commandment of His Father concerning His sufferings were now fulfilled. (Acts 2:23) He could say, “It is finished.”
3. All of the types and prophecies which pointed to the suffering Messiah were accomplished and answered. Having drunk the vinegar He could think of nothing else yet to be suffered, therefore he could say with confidence, “It is finished.”
4. The ceremonial law was now abolished, all of its ordinances and writings having been nailed to His cross, He declared, “It is finished.” (Eph. 2:14, 15; Col. 2:14)
5. As for sin, He had made an end of the transgression, by bringing in an everlasting righteousness. (Dan. 9:24; Heb. 9:26)
6. The work of man’s redemption was now accomplished, and the tremendous undertaking that occasioned His coming into the world and taking human flesh was done. “It is finished,” all is done!!
B. WHAT HE DID IN THE HOUR OF HIS TRIUMPH. “HE BOWED HIS HEAD AND GAVE UP THE GHOST.”
1. Notice, He gave up the ghost, actively gave His spirit into the Father’s hand. All other humans are passive in death, but His death was voluntary. (John 10:17, 18; Matt. 20:28; Eph. 5:25)
a) Christ showed His will in His suffering by which we are sanctified.
b) He died voluntarily, because He was not only the sacrifice, but the Priest and the One Who offered it.
2. Notice also, He bowed His head.
a) He did not as others who were crucified stretch his neck gasping for breath, only dropping the head when He could breathe no more.
b) But He, to show Himself active in dying, bowed His head first, thus composing Himself as one falling asleep.
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