“The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ” “His Death and Burial” John 19:16-41
There were ten reasons why the Jews killed Jesus
1. His Kingship (Matthew 2:2-3,16; John 18:33-40; 19:12-22)
2. For Telling the truth about who He really was (Luke 4:21-29; John 8:40)
3. Healing on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; John 5:16; 9:16)
4. Their Jealousy of Jesus (Matthew 26:3-4; 27:18; Mark 14:1; 15:10; Luke 22:2; John 11:48)
5. Their Ignorance of who Jesus really was (Matthew 26:64-66; Mark 14:62-64; John 12:40; Acts 3:17)
6. To fulfill Prophecy (Luke 13:33-35; John 12:38-40; 18:31-32; 19:11,28,36-37; Acts 2:22-36; 3:18)
7. Claiming to be the Son of God (John 5:18; 10:24-39; 19:7)
8. Their Unbelief (John 5:38-47; 6:36; 9:40-41; 12:36-38)
9. Jesus claim to be God (John 8:53-59; 10:33; cp. John 1:1-2; Hebrews 1:5-14)
10. Fear of losing their authority (John 11:46-53; 12:10-11,19)
The King on a Cross
(Matthew 27:32-56; Mark 15:21-41; Luke 23:26-49)
17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, 18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. 19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: "JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS".
Jesus: “The King on the Cross (Verses 16-18)
Pilate made his third appearance from the Praetorium to the Jews outside and brought the scourged, bleeding, crowned, and kingly-clothed Jesus before them, hoping they would be willing to let Him go after such suffering. But, as ever, religious persecutors have no love and mercy on their victims. They cried for crucifixion until Pilate wanted to turn Him over to them to crucify, declaring the innocence of Christ two more times Pilate hoped against hope that this awful spectacle would melt their hearts, but it only made them the more vicious and determined to have Jesus killed. They were” power hungry” and saw Jesus as their rival in religion and power. Pilate now delivers Jesus to the Sanhedrin to be crucified and they now lead him away. (vs. 16) Pilate succumbed to the pressure and threat of having to face Tiberius Caesar to answer a charge of high treason. (if they accuse him to preferring another king over Caesar).
Jesus now bearing His own cross (at this point, but ultimately becomes too weak physically, Simon, a Cyrennian is pull from the crowd and forced to carry the cross to the “place” of the skull from that point on.) went forth into the place called Golgotha. (the place of the skull) Jesus is being crucified between 2 other malefactors. (vs. 17-18)
NOTE: The hill was called Golgotha “The skull”: called calvaria, a skull (Luke 23:33), a place outside Jerusalem (Hebrews 13:12). Origen (185 A.D. - 253 A.D.) because it refers to a tradition that Christ was crucified where Adam was buried and where his skull was found.
Pilate writes: “Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews” (vs. 19-22)
- The sign was written in 3 language: Hebrew, Greek, and Latin (vs. 20)
- The chief priests complained: Don’t write “The King of the Jews”, but he said that He was the King of the Jews. (vs.21)
Note: Roman laws forbids the altering of a sentence once it has been pronounced by the Pilate or any sanctioned official. Pilate wrote what he had concluded was the only crime for which He was being crucified. It was a true statement, for He was and will always be King of the Jews, and will be so acknowledged by them at the second coming (Matthew 23:39; Zechariah 12:10-13:1; Revelation 1:7; Luke 1:32-33; Isaiah 9:6-7).
Roman Soldiers Behavior: Parting Jesus Garment (vs. 23-24)
- There were 4 soldiers were responsible for nailing Jesus to the cross. In the process, they took the tunic Jesus wore, along with His seamless coat, woven from top to bottom. They tore His other garments into 4 parts and each soldier took a part.
- 12th Old Testament Prophecy fulfilled: The soldiers decided rather than tearing the seamless coat, they would cast lots for it. This action fulfilled Psalms 22:18.
“They parted my rainment (garments) among them and for my vesture they did cast lots”
Concerning the Women at the Cross (vs. 25-27)
- 3 “Mary’s” stood at the cross: Mary, Jesus mother, her sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas and Mary Magdalene.
- Jesus saw his mother, and the Disciple (John) standing by (Jesus loved John), He then said to Mary, His mother: Woman, behold thy son!
Note: Jesus Christ was concerned about the welfare of His mother in His dying hour. Joseph was now dead and His brethren were not yet convinced that He was the Messiah. He turned His mother over to the care of His disciples.
On the Cross: “The Death of Jesus” (vs. 28-37)
Jesus now speaks to His deteriorating condition after “all things” were now accomplished. Jesus in fulfilling the prophecy of Psalms 69:21, which said: “I thirst”. (vs. 28)
Note: Thirst was one of the most distressing circumstances attending the crucifixion. The wounds were highly inflamed, and a raging fever was caused, usually, by the sufferings on the cross, and this was accompanied by insupportable thirst.
- They filled a sponge full of vinegar, then put the sponge on hyssop and put it to Jesus mouth. (vs. 29)
- Jesus after receiving the vinegar said: “It is “finished”. He then bowed His head and gave up the ghost. (vs.30)
Gave up His soul and spirit which left the body and then Jesus went into hell to preach (1 Peter 3:19), and liberate all righteous souls (Psalms 16:10; Matthew 12:40; Ephesians 4:8-10; Hebrews 2:14-15).
- The soul never goes to the grave with the body nor is it unconscious (James 2:26; Philippians 1:21-24; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Hebrews 12:22-23; Isaiah 14:9; Psalms 16:10; Revelation 6:9-11; 20:11-15).
- All souls are immortal (1 Peter 3:4; 4:6; Luke 16:19-31; Matthew 10:28).
- Souls go out at death and come back into the bodies in resurrection (James 2:26; 1 Kings 17:20-22; Job 14:10; 2 Samuel 12:19-23; Luke 8:49-56; 16:22; 23:43-46; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:21-24; Revelation 6:9-11; 2 Peter 1:13-15).
Sixteen Things Are Finished in John 19:30)
1. Fulfillment of all scriptures of the sufferings of Christ (Psalms 22; Isaiah 53; Luke 24:25-26, 44; John 19:28; 1 Peter 1:11; 3:18)
2. Defeat of Satan (John 12:31-32; Colossians 2:14-17; Hebrews 2:14-15)
3. Breaking down of the middle wall of partition to make Jews and Gentiles one (Ephesians 2:14-18; 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:28; Romans 10:4)
4. Way for personal access to God (Ephesians 2:18-19; Hebrews 10:19-38)
5. Cancellation of the reign of death (Romans 5:12-21; 6:9; 8:2; 1 Corinthians 15; 2 Corinthians 3:6-15; Hebrews 2:14-15)
6. Cancellation of sin's power (Romans 6; 8:2; 1 Corinthians 15:54-58)
7. Demonstration of obedience and love to death (Philippians 2:8; Hebrews 5:8-10; 1 Peter 2:21; 4:1)
8. Perfection of Christ (Hebrews 2:10; 5:8-11)
9. Salvation from all sin (Matthews 26:28; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Hebrews 9:15; Revelation 1:5; 5:9-10)
10. Making of peace between God and man (Colossians 1:20-22; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21; Rom 5:1-11)
11. Death penalty paid for all (2 Corinthians 5:14-21; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Heb 2:9-15; Rom 5:6-8; 1 Peter 1:19)
12. Cancellation of the mortgage claim of Satan and freeing of man and his dominion from sin and Satan (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Rom 8:18-24; 14:7-9; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; 1 Thessalonians 5:10; Hebrews 2:9-15; Revelation 5:9-10; 21:1-22:5; 1 Peter 1:19)
13. Satisfaction of the full justice of God (Genesis 2:17; Romans 3:21-26; 5:1-11; John 3:16)
14. Physical healing for all (Matthew 8:17; 13:15; Isaiah 53:4-5; 1 Peter 2:24; John 10:10; James 5:14-16)
15. A way for the full endowment of power and full anointing of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 3:13-14; John 7:37-39; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-8)
16. Blotting out of the Old Covenant and making and sealing of the New Covenant (Colossians 2:14-17; Ephesians 2:14-18; Matthew 26:28; 2 Corinthians 3:6-15; Galatians 3:13-25; 4:21-31; Hebrews 7:11-28; 8:6; 10:1-18)
b. The Jews (Sanhedrin) now concerned that those “crucified” might not die before night fall, because of “this” Sabbath day (called the “high” Sabbath or the “Preparation”) sought Pilate to speed up the dying process by breaking the legs of each one and getting their dead bodies off the crosses before the beginning of the Sabbath because according to the Law concerning dead bodies hanging all night. (vs.31)
Note: This was Tuesday sunset to Wednesday sunset. The next day was a "high day" (John 19:31), a special Sabbath of the feast, not the ordinary weekly Sabbath, which was two days later (Leviticus 23:6-11). Bodies were not to hang all night (Deuteronomy 21:22-23).
c. The soldiers broke the legs of both thieves but did not break the legs of Jesus because Jesus was already dead…BUT…one of the soldiers took a spear and pierced Jesus in His side and immediately came out blood and water from His body.( It was common practice to break the legs of criminals upon the cross to hurry their death, but law again was broken to fulfill prophecy (vs. 33-34)
- John, the “beloved disciple saw this happen right before his eyes and stands as a live witness that the rest of the disciples (some now in hiding and some went back to fishing) might believe.
- These events in verse 36 fulfilled the 14th and 15th Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus.
Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalms 34:20).
They shall look on him whom they pierced. (vs.37)
Psalms 22:16; Zechariah 12:10. Revelation 1:7).
The Burial of Jesus Embalming and Entombing (vs. 38-41)
- Joseph of Armathaea ( a secret disciple) besought Pilate for the body of Jesus and with Pilate’s permission came and took Jesus body. (vs. 38)
- Nicodemus, a Pharisee who came to Jesus by night brought the spices to be used in the embalming process. (myrrh and aloes) (vs. 39)
The two men, in accordance of the burial process of the Jews, took Jesus body and wrapped it in linen cloth with the spices to bury Him. (vs. 40)
1. Pre-Adamite Eden where Lucifer ruled and rebelled (Ezekiel 28:13)
2. Adamite Eden where Adam ruled and rebelled (Genesis 2:8-3:24)
3. Gethsemane where Christ agonized because of sin (Matthew 26:36-56)
4. Joseph's garden where Christ was buried (John 19:41)
b. Apparently, Joseph and Nicodemus had plans to put Jesus in a better tomb after the Passover celebrations had ended.
This is an indication of their lack of belief and hope of Jesus ever being resurrected, as He had repeatedly said. They considered Him a great prophet and planned on treating Him as such by making a great tomb for Him.
Dr. William Edward Boddie