OH 19{Verses 1-27. The heartlessness of Pilate comes out. He took One he held to be innocent and scourged Him. The Roman scourge plowed furrows on His blessed back by Pilate's orders, and the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, the mark of a cursed creation (Gen. 3:1818Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; (Genesis 3:18)), and put it on His head. The purple robe of Jewish royalty was put on Him in mockery, and they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they smote Him with their hands. Pilate brought Him forth, even then, to let them know that he found no fault in Him.
Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe, and Pilate said unto them, "Behold the Man!" They cried out, "Crucify Him, Crucify Him." Pilate said, "Take ye Him, and crucify Him; for I find no fault in Him." They answered, "We have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God." This made Pilate still more afraid. Again in the judgment hall he asked Him, "Whence art Thou?” but Jesus made him no answer, for Pilate had already owned Him innocent. Pilate pleads his authority, to put Him to death, or release Him. Jesus answered, "Thou hast no power at all against Me, except it were given thee from above;" and so the one that delivered Him unto Pilate had the greater sin. From thenceforth Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, "If thou let this Man go, thou art not Caesar's friend. He that maketh Himself a King speaketh against Caesar." That touches his personal interests, and he proceeded to deliver Jesus up to be crucified, but Pilate will first taunt and insult the Jews. "Behold your King," he says, and they cry out, "Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him." Pilate said, "Shall I Crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." Then he delivered Him up to be crucified, and they took Jesus and led Him away. He, bearing His cross, went forth into a place called the place of a skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. Pilate wrote a title, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." This title then read many of the Jews. It was written in Hebrew and Greek and Latin. They found fault with it, and wanted it to read, "He said, I am King of the Jews," but Pilate said, insolently, "What I have written, I have written."
Thus Jew and Gentile tell out their sin and shame in the rejection and murder of the Son of God. Jesus alone bears witness to the truth, and goes on to accomplish the work of atonement on the cross for sin, that both Jew or Gentile, standing guilty before God, might yet find eternal salvation through His name, and look upon that blessed Lamb of God as having been made a sacrifice for their sins. The soldiers also fulfilled Scripture, dividing His garments among them, and casting lots on His vesture. (Psa. 22.)
Hanging upon the cross, we see Him in real affection, recognizing His mother and John, and committing her to his care, so that henceforth John took Mary to his own home. She would think of what was said to her long ago by old Simeon (Luke 2:3535(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. (Luke 2:35)), "Yea a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also," and surely it would when she saw Him on the cross.
Verses 28-30. There was but one thing more now. The Scripture is fulfilled, and He says, "I thirst." Some one puts a sponge filled with vinegar to His mouth. He received it, then He said those wonderful memorable words, "It is finished," and He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit to His Father; it was a divine act. He laid down His life, that He might take it again in obedience to his Father's will, and yet of His own accord.
Verses 31-37. Though they cared nothing for righteousness, mercy or the love of God, yet the Jews were full of zeal for their ordinances, and wanted the bodies removed before the Sabbath began-that is, by sundown. To them, that Sabbath day was an high day-an empty form, or a mockery to God, for they had put His Son to death, and now His body was to lie in the sepulcher during that day. Pilate granted their request. Then came the soldiers, and broke the legs of the two thieves, sending one after the Lord into paradise, and the other to where there is no hope; but when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they broke not His legs, but one of the soldiers, with a spear, pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. "He that saw it bare record, and his record is true; and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe." Again Scripture is fulfilled, "A bone of Him shall not be broken;" and again, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."
It is from a dead Savior that the tokens of an eternal and perfect salvation flow forth-the blood and the water. The one tells of expiation or atonement for sins; the other of cleansing for the sinner. John saw it, and bears witness that we might believe. He saw much more, but these are what the Holy Spirit used him to record. The other evangelists give the rest. The words are what were given him by the Holy Ghost.
Verses 38-42. It is written in Isa. 53:9,9And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. (Isaiah 53:9) "And (men) appointed His grave with the wicked, but He was with the rich in His death, because He had done no violence, neither was there guile in His mouth." God took care of the body of His Son; it was not allowed to see corruption, and the right instruments came forward to take charge of it, with hearts and thoughts that did not consent to the deeds of the Jews in condemning the Lord to death.
Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, both disciples, but secretly for fear of the Jews, came forward boldly and besought Pilate for the body of Jesus, and took charge of it, winding it in spices and fine linen, as the manner of the Jews is to bury, and laid it with reverent hands in the new tomb wherein no man was ever laid. It was near to the place where He had been crucified. It was all that could be done at the time, and it surely was a strong protest from these two secret disciples against the act of their fellow counselors and the priests.