The King is Crucified
16 June 2013 PM – John 19:1-22 – Scott Childs
Introduction: After Pilate questioned Jesus as recorded in John 18, Luke tells us that Pilate sent Him to Herod for questioning (Luke 23:6-12). Jesus refused to say anything to Herod so Herod and his soldiers mocked Jesus and sent Him back to Pilate.
Chapter 19 opens with Jesus once again before Pilate. By this time, Jesus must have been very tired, thirsty, weary, and emotionally exhausted by the rough treatment and verbal abuse.
Transition: This chapter unfolds more abuse that escalates and ends in crucifixion.
I. The Unjust Scourging and Abuse (1-7)
A. Pilate scourged Jesus though he found no fault (1)
1. In Jn 18:38, Pilate said he found no fault in Jesus. Why then did he scourge Him?
The Romans had three types of scourging: 1) The lightest of these . . . was a light beating that only hooligans experienced. 2) The second . . . was a severe beating that criminals who were guilty of more serious crimes received. 3) The third . . . was the most brutal. The worst criminals including those sentenced to crucifixion underwent it. (Constables’ Notes)
2. Because the synoptic gospels mention the scourging much later, it is possible that Pilate scourged Him twice. If so, this first one may have been a light beating to try to appease the Jews so he could free Jesus.
B. Soldiers mocked Jesus (2-3)
1. They made a crown of thorns for Jesus.
2. They put a purple robe on Jesus.
3. They mocked saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and they hit Jesus. The other gospels say they spit on Him.
Mark 15:19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.
C. Pilate again says “I find no fault in Him.” (4-6)
1. Pilate presented Jesus to the people wearing the crown of thorns and the robe.
2. The chief priests and temple officers cried “Crucify Him.”
3. Pilate essentially replied, “You crucify Him yourselves for I find no fault in Him.”
4. In desperation the Jews tell Pilate of their true accusation – He made Himself the Son of God.
It does us good to meditate on the abuse Jesus received. The Holy Spirit did not record the gory details, but He did give us enough information to help us understand. Jesus comforted the disciples for hours the night before. He prayed in the garden and sweat as it were great drops of blood due to the spiritual stress. After a sleepless night if interrogation, He was verbally, physically, and emotionally abused. This is just the beginning of what He suffered for you and me.
II. Pilate Fearfully Questions Jesus Again (8-16)
A. His fear increased, hearing that Jesus may be God (8)
1. Evidently, Pilate was already afraid of this case. He knew that Jesus was a miracle worker and perhaps a prophet. Now he hears that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God.
2. He asked Jesus of His origin, but Jesus would not answer (10).
For Jesus knew that this was not the question of a seeker seeking truth and He knew that no reply would make any difference. So He said nothing. (Peter Pett)
3. Pilate boasted of his power to crucify or release. Jesus answered (11) that he only had power because God gave it to him. Pilate is guilty, but the accusing Jews are guiltier.
4. From this point, Pilate actually sought to release Jesus. Up to this point, though he knew Jesus was not guilty, he must have had no real concern about it. He had the authority to release Jesus at once, but he lacked the courage.
B. Fearing the people, Pilate ordered the crucifixion (12)
1. The Jews resorted to threats. They he let Jesus go, they would report him to Rome for not crushing a rebel King. Pilate knew that would harm his reputation.
A just man though he is, Pilate will shed his blood for his own safety. (Daniel Whedon)
Peer pressure is a powerful tool of the devil to get people to sin. It persuaded Pilate. We must be careful not to allow the opinions of others to get us to do wrong.
2. This threat persuaded Pilate and he sat down in the judgment seat on the Pavement. This was a place paved with a mosaic of coloured stones. His questioning was private, but his sentence must be public.
3. John tells us that it was about the 6th hour. Mark 15:25 says it was the 3rd hour.
Daniel Whedon explains. The process resulting in his crucifixion commenced about nine o’clock, and John says the crucifixion took place not exactly at twelve, but about that time.
Henry Mahan gives another explanation: The Jewish day was divided into four parts –the third hour (6:00 a.m. -9:00 a.m.), the sixth hour (9:00 a.m. – 12 noon), the ninth hour (12 noon – 3:00 p.m.), and the twelfth hour (3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.).
4. Pilate delivered Jesus to be crucified (16). It is here that the other gospels place the scourging, just before the crucifixion. This would have been the brutal whipping.
Vine describes this whipping. Under the Roman method of “scourging,” the person was stripped and tied in a bending posture to a pillar, or stretched on a frame. The “scourge” was made of leather thongs, weighted with sharp pieces of bone or lead, which tore the flesh of both the back and the breast.
III. The Roman Soldiers Crucify Jesus (17-22)
A. The trip to Golgotha
1. Jesus was forced to carry His own cross. The other gospels say that a man named Simon was forced to carry it for Jesus. Evidently, Jesus was too weak to carry it Himself.
2. Jesus was crucified on a cross and His hands were fastened with “nails” [plural] (Jn 20:25). If he were nailed to a post as the JW’s claim, one nail would have held both hands. The nails went through His wrists which are part of the hand (cf. Ge 24:20), otherwise the flesh would tear between the fingers. His knees were bent upward and both feet were fastened with one long nail to the cross. To breathe, He must push and pull upward.
3. They placed Jesus’ cross between two wicked criminals. There the sinless, holy, Son of God hung shamefully, suffering to pay for our filthy sins.
B. The inscription
1. Pilate placed a title above Jesus’ head on the cross that said, “Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews.” He had it written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin so everyone could read it.
2. This irritated the Jews, but Pilate refused to change it.
Conclusion: As you picture Jesus hanging on the old rugged cross, His body torn to shreds by the Roman scourging, His heart breaking with the weight of mankind’s sin, remember He endured it all for you.
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
If you have not yet trusted Him as your Saviour, place your trust in Him before you leave tonight.
If Christ is your Saviour, remember these words in the hymn “Have I Done My Best for Jesus?” I wonder, have I done my best for Jesus, Who died upon the curel tree? To think of His great sacrifice at Calvary! I know my Lord expects the best from me.
Song: The Old Rugged Cross 113 Have I done my best for Jesus 368