The Day of Jesus' Passion

INTRO

John 19 is at the end of Jesus’ physical life on earth. There’s a lot in this chapter. The story had to get worse before it could get better, and that’s what John 19 is. Today, we’ll look at what Jesus went through—the beatings, the scourging, and the crucifixion.

TEACHING

John 19:1: Jesus was flogged by long “thongs to which were attached sharp pieces of metal and pieces of bone.”¹Being beaten this way meant the flesh and even the organs could have been damaged or ripped from the body. D. A. Carson lists three types of floggings, from the least painful to the most: (1) fustigation—a light beating only hooligans experienced; (2) flagellation—a severe beating criminals who were guilty of more serious crimes received; and (3) verberatio—the most brutal beatings given to the worst criminals, including those who were going to be crucified.2 Before His sentencing, Jesus would have received the first two beatings; after His sentencing, Jesus received the third beating.³

John 19:2–6: After the flogging, the soldiers then created a crown of thorns, possibly from the date palm tree, and slammed the crown onto Jesus’ head in “a mockery of a kingly crown” and wrapped Him in a purple robe, making Him “a caricature of a royal conqueror.”⁴The soldiers mocked Him and hit Him with their hands, attacking Him verbally and physically (v. 4). All these things were prophesied by the Old Testament writers:

• Psalm 22:7: He was mocked (John 19:3).
• Isaiah 53:9: He was innocent (John 19:4). Lenski wrote, “Jesus was not scourged in order to be crucified but in order to escape crucifixion.”5
• Isaiah 53:5: He was beaten and pathetic (John 19:5).
• Isaiah 53:9: He was proclaimed innocent (John 18:38; 19:4, 6).
• Isaiah 53:3: He was hated (John 19:6).
• Isaiah 53:7: He was oppressed and afflicted, but He did not speak (John 19:9).
• Isaiah 53:10: He had authority from God (John 19:11).

Jesus said He came not to do away with Scripture, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17).

John 19:7–10: The Jews accused Jesus of blasphemy for claiming to be the Son of God (Leviticus 24:16), and therefore he should be executed (John 5:18; 8:58–59; 10:33–36). Pilate didn’t care that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, but he became more afraid when he understood the significance of Jesus’ claims to the Jews. In verses 9-10, Pilate asked Jesus where He was from, but Jesus didn’t answer (Matthew 26:23; 27:14).

Many Jews today do not even recognize that Isaiah 53:1-12 exists, because to accept it, they have to deal with the fulfillment of these prophecies about Jesus.

John 19:11–16: In verse 11, Jesus said He had been delivered or given over to Pilate. By whom? Possibly by Caiaphas or Judas. Constable explains that at this point, the Jews were becoming a bigger threat to Israel than Jesus was. Pilate made every effort possible to release Jesus, but he finally had to decide if he was willing to side with the Jews or with Jesus. Pilate decided to side with the Jews, so he brought Jesus out on the stone pavement, a large area inside the Antonia Fortress (v. 14).⁶Pilate offered Jesus “their king” to the Jews, but they shouted that Jesus should be crucified. It was Friday, the

2 D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, and Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1991), p. 595; quoted in Thomas L. Constable, Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable, p. 478; available at https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/john.pdf.

5 Richard C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1961), pp. 1243; quoted in Thomas L. Constable, Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable, p. 478; available at https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/john.pdf.

preparation day for the Passover around six o’clock in the morning. The Jews claimed complete allegiance to Caesar as their only king (v. 15). They began to compromise their beliefs and who they were in order to get their fleshly needs met. So Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified (v. 16).

John 19:17–22: In verse 17 there is the controversial phrase, “carrying His own cross,” as He went to the place called Golgotha (Place of the Skull). Jesus said during His ministry that His followers were to take up their own crosses and follow Him (Matthew 16:24). Jesus did what He required of His followers. Jesus was then crucified between two others—three crosses (v. 18). Pilate had a sign hung on Jesus’ cross that proclaimed Jesus as King of the Jews (v. 19). The crosses were set outside the city wall, but close by, so many Jews saw Jesus on the cross and read the sign above His head. The sign was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. Today in Jerusalem, signs are in Hebrew, Aramaic, and English, because people from all over the world flock there. The Jews complained about how Pilate worded the sign because he didn’t say that Jesus “claimed” to be the King of the Jews, but Pilate refused to change it (vv. 21–22).

John 19:23–24: Jesus was crucified, and the soldiers divided his clothes between them and cast lots for His tunic (v. 23). John described how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies in both Psalm 22:18 and Isaiah 53.

John 19:25–27: Jesus made provision for the care of His mother. From that moment, Jesus’ disciple, John, took Mary into his home and treated her as his mother.

John 19:28–30: This is the finished work of Christ on earth as He gave up His spirit.

John 19:31–37: Jesus’ side was pierced (Zechariah 12:10). Verse 36 states that Jesus’ bones were not broken, which fulfilled the requirement of the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:46).

John 19:38–42: Jesus’ body was claimed by Joseph of Arimathea, who was a rich man and a secret follower of Jesus. Joseph and Nicodemus placed Jesus’ body in a new tomb, wrapped His body in linen cloths, and prepared His body for burial with spices. The provision of the tomb was another fulfillment of Scripture.

CLOSING

All of this tells us that we will be hated by those in the world who refuse Him. We have to embrace Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 as we pick up our crosses every day and follow Him.