John 19: 16 – 42 (NLT)
The Crucifixion
So they took Jesus away. 17 Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). 18 There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. 19 And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 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.
21 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.’”
22 Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.”
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24 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.” (Psalm 22: 18) So that is what they did.
25 Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” 27 And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.
The Death of Jesus
28 Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” (Psalm 22: 15) 29 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. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
31 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. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. 33 But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. 34 One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. 35 (This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also may continue to believe.) 36 These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of his bones will be broken,” (Psalm 34:20) 37 and “They will look on the one they pierced.” (Zechariah 12:10)
The Burial of Jesus
38 Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. 39 With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. 40 Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. 41 The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. 42 And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.”
So many things stand out to me as I read these verses. “So they took Jesus away” starts this section. All the plotting to catch Jesus and all the political maneuvering to have Jesus sentenced to death is over. Well, actually, the political stuff isn’t quite over. The Jews objected to the sign above the cross which stated that Jesus was the King of the Jews, but Pilate wouldn’t budge on that one. I suspect that God looked at that sign and nodded His agreement with the statement. This reinforces my belief that we can maneuver and push all we want to for what we think is best, but God ultimately decides what will happen. That is sort of scary, but it is also reassuring. When hard things happen, I can be angry at God, or I can rest knowing that God is in control and my life events can work out for good and God’s glory.
I find it interesting that John doesn’t mention the name of the disciple who is standing by the cross and to whom Jesus gives the care of His mother. That person was John himself. We don’t read a lot of stories in the gospels or in Acts where John is the “star of the show”, although he is mentioned as a disciple that was close to Jesus. Perhaps he was an introvert and liked to stay close but not in the limelight.
I can’t imagine being beaten to a pulp, dragged through a city and crowds of people, nailed on a cross and being in awful pain as my body tried to manage hanging from nails in my hands. Yet Jesus did that, and in His pain, he takes care of His mother. Sometimes I think of Jesus as an omnipotent being sitting in majestic heaven looking down on earth. Then I realize the reality is that Jesus is willing to go through anything to show His love for me. His love for me is sacrificial, and that humbles me completely.
Another thing that really strikes me are the references to the Old Testament about the details of the crucifixion. These details were written hundreds of years before the actual event. David, who wrote many of the Psalms, was the second king of Israel. We’re talking early Jewish history. Those details/facts can’t be explained away. God’s plan of salvation was in place long before it happened. That reassures me that I’m not believing some weird hocus-pocus.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I do question my faith. I wonder if there is really a God. I wonder if Jesus was really God. Was he just some well-known religious philosopher who had some great ideas about life? But when I see evidence like the Biblical references in John, it makes me confident that I haven’t been deluded. I do have a Saviour who cares about me – and you.
Our song for today is How Great the Father’s Love For Us by Austin Stone Worship.