John 19

Get out your tissues, all you softies. This is going to make you weep. Anyone who has ever loved will cry reading this chapter. If you have seen "The Passion of the Christ", you know what Christ must have gone through. It seemed a bit extreme the way it was portrayed and hard to believe people would really go that far, but, pain is pain. And love is love. And suffering to prove love seemed the only way for God to show us the extent of His love for us. There were no magic tricks, no pain-killers or numbing of that pain. It was real.That's what I believe.

I used to think, as a new Christian, that, well, you know, Jesus was God, so He probably didn't really suffer all that much. He didn't really have to suffer.

No, He didn't. He even told the temple officers that He could call down legions of angels to fight for Him. So, why couldn't He also have had the pain taken away in an instant? I suppose He could have. But then, what would have been the point of it all? Like the saying goes,

"Anything that's worth something has to cost something."

Our salvation, the salvation of all of mankind (whoever accepts it) was worth a heavy, heavy price. And it could only be paid by one man. The God-Man. The Sacrificial Lamb.

This is a hard saying. It's very difficult to understand salvation from a human perspective. Humans always ask, "Why?" And, for this question, there really is no one complete answer except to say, "Love".

Love. That's why.

But, what's love? Exactly. Apparently, it's something that hurts. A lot.

But, not to worry. In the end, God will wipe away all of our tears and we'll understand love and pain and the whole kettle of fish. So, let's get on with John 19, shall we?

1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged Him.

Somehow, those eight words don't seem to do justice to what actually happened to our Lord. The word "scourge" in my Oxford Dictionary means "whip" and "cause of great suffering". If you look into Roman history, you'll find that they used a "Cat o' Nine Tails" as a whip. It was made up of nine strips of leather that were laced with pieces of glass or metal.

2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.

Since the scourging was meant to totally humiliate a person, this robe was a big mock.

3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote Him with their hands.
4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring Him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in Him.
5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

Take a look at this guy. He's totally debased and at the point of death. He's not going to be a threat anymore or go around saying He's a king. Let's let Him go, now.

6 When the chief priests therefore and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, Crucify Him, crucify Him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye Him, and crucify Him: for I find no fault in Him.
7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.

They had a law, but they were not allowed to put anyone to death, which is why they wanted to convince the Romans to kill Him for them.

8 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;
9 And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art Thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release Thee?

We humans think we have so much power. We think we're in control. Pilate is about to learn a lesson.

11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against Me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin.

So, here Jesus is not only teaching him that God is in control, but that he (Pilate) is not the one fully to blame, so he shouldn't be too hard on himself. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release Him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.
13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
15 But they cried out, Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

Ooh! Come on, you guys. Don't try to pretend that you are loyal to Caesar.

16 Then delivered he Him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led Him away.
17 And He bearing His cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
18 Where they crucified Him, and two other with Him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Now, here's a guy that was in tune. I really believe he was won over by Jesus. He knew He was a king. Maybe he didn't fully comprehend the whole nine yards, but he felt something for Jesus and had tried hard to save His life.

20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.
21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that He said, I am King of the Jews.

It sure seems that Pilate wanted the message to get out because he translated it into three languages. I don't believe he intended it as a mockery, but for some kind of an atonement for his own guilt.

22 Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.
23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also His coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.
25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by, whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son!
27 Then said he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to His mouth.
30 when Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.
31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with Him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs.
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of Him shall not be broken.
37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on Him whom they pierced.
38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

Nicodemus sure didn't spare any expense, did he?

40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.