Written ~ 04-30-2024
Read John Chapter Nineteen
John 19
The chapter we are going over today is somewhat somber. The crucifixion and death of Jesus is a horrific account. Using the other three Gospels we are going to piece together what this scene must have been like for those gathered around. I want to do this passage some justice, so I want us to go through the Scriptures and let its Words sink into our hearts. The dialogue of this Bible Study will be the Bible itself. Take time to reflect on what you are reading. Ponder the facts in this passage. Jesus gave up His life for us. He died on the cross so we could be set free from sin and death. These verses may bring heaviness to the reader, but keep in mind as to what the next event will be! Christ will raise from that tomb, alive and forever reign at the right hand of the Almighty God and bring everlasting life to all who believe!
Prepare your heart now for the Lord to speak to you… permit the Holy Spirit to bring understanding and allow your heart and mind to be touched in a way that maybe it never has before…
John 18:25-John 19:16…
Jesus has already been flogged, beaten, mocked mercilessly and put on trial by both Caiaphas the High Priest and Pilate the Roman Governor. Neither of them could find any guilt in Him… the sentence was crucifixion because that’s what the Jewish leaders and the mob of people wanted.
Why? Because Jesus proclaimed to be the Son of God.
Let’s see if we can get a thorough picture of this scenario by summarizing all four Gospel accounts.
The crucifixion and death of Jesus is recorded in Matthew 27:32-56, Mark 15:21-41, Luke 23:26-49 and here in John 19 verses 16-37…
Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by Himself, He went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. They offered Jesus wine drugged with myrrh, but He refused it.
A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’ People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’ For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” (a foretelling of future events)
Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with Him. When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed Him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on His right and one on His left.
Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.
Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’”
Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.”
After they had nailed Him to the cross, they sat around and kept guard as He hung there. It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified Him. They divided His clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece. They also took His robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided My garments among themselves and threw dice for My clothing.” So that is what they did.
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Look at You now!” they yelled at Him. “You said You were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if You are the Son of God, save Yourself and come down from the cross!” The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but He can’t save Himself! So He is the King of Israel, is He? Let Him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in Him! Let Him save Himself if He is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One. He trusted God, so let God rescue Him now if He wants Him! For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
The soldiers mocked Him, too, by offering Him a drink of sour wine. They called out to Him, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!”
One of the criminals hanging beside Him scoffed, “So You’re the Messiah, are You? Prove it by saving Yourself—and us, too, while You’re at it!”
But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.”
And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”
Many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for Him were watching from a distance. Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and His mother’s sister Salome (mother of James and John, wife of Zebedee), Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene, and another Mary (mother of James the younger and Joseph – followers of Jesus).
When Jesus saw His mother standing there beside the disciple He loved (John-the writer of this Gospel), He said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And He said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.
By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock.
At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have You abandoned Me?” Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought He was calling for the prophet Elijah. They said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save Him.”
Jesus knew that His mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture He said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to His lips. When Jesus had tasted it, He said, “It is finished!” Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust My spirit into Your hands!” And with those words He breathed His last.
At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
The Roman officer overseeing the execution and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God! Surely He was innocent!”
And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow. But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.
It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was Passover week).
So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead, so they didn’t break His legs. One of the soldiers, however, pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. (This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also may continue to believe.) These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of His bones will be broken,” and “They will look on the one they pierced.”
Take a deep breath and meditate on what we just read.
This was the reason Jesus came to this world in human form – He walked among us, taught us and displayed His glory through miraculous signs and wonders, with everything He did, the ultimate crescendo was leading up to this very moment where Jesus sacrificially gave up His life so we might be saved.
The importance of this moment is the difference between life and death, heaven and hell, blessings and curses. Jesus Christ forever tore down the barrier between us and the Father. We can now have a relationship with the Almighty God with Jesus as our mediator.
Christ did all of this to fulfill Scripture. If He hadn’t died on the cross, the entirety of Scripture would become null and void.
But… NO… Jesus came – He did what the Father commanded Him to do. So with the act of complete submission and obedience to the Father the fate of the entire world has forever been changed. But a decision must be made…
When we read what Christ has done for us and believe that this is truth and accept what Jesus did for us – WE WILL BE SAVED!
Though we end this chapter on a somber note, stay tuned because everything changes mightily on the Third Day!
~AMEN~
- Prayer of Salvation…
Dear Jesus, You know my heart, all the things I have done and said. Please forgive me for my unbelief. Please forgive me for all of my sins. I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You came to earth to die on the cross for my sins. I believe You rose from the dead to give me freedom from sin and death. By faith through believing in Who You Are, I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Come into my life, cleanse this heart of mine, white as snow. Help me not to doubt any longer and breathe life into me, fill me with Your light. Thank You Jesus! Amen.
- If you solemnly prayed this prayer, tell at least one person, so they can share in your joy!! I rejoice with you! All the angels in Heaven rejoice with you!
- It is very important to me that those who might be reading these journal pages of mine and don’t yet know the Lord Jesus Christ, that you make that decision. Today. Your heart and mind may not understand everything you have been reading, but if you open your heart to the truth of who Jesus is, you will be saved from sin and death. By the Power of the Holy Spirit you will be amazed at how quickly after giving your heart to the Lord your eyes and ears will be opened to the truth.