His Word Today

“So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.” (John 19:16-18)

Today’s text chronicles the passive obedience of Christ in willingly submitting to the Father’s will by becoming a substitutionary atoning sacrifice on behalf of sinners. This passive obedience was in Jesus willingly being delivered to be crucified. This passive obedience is complimented by the active obedience of Christ in perfectly obeying the Law of God.  This was so Jesus would be counted worthy of such a sacrifice and atonement.

Prior to arriving at Golgotha, Jesus would endure another flogging. While John does not record this event, Matthew and Mark do (Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15). This second scourging would have left Jesus severely beaten, weakened and suffering a great loss of blood. Historians’ record that others condemned to be crucified often died following the Roman scourging and never made it to the place of execution. This was not the case with Jesus.

John’s Gospel records that Jesus went out, bearing his own cross. The cross Jesus would bear would not have been the entire object. Rather, Jesus would have carried only the horizontal cross beam. However, this bean would still have been heavy and Jesus, already severely weakened by the second beating, was unable to carry it the entire way. Therefore, the Roman soldiers seized and forcibly compelled Simon of Cyrene to help Jesus carry it (Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26).

Dr. John Walvoord explains that, “Carrying His own cross, Jesus went out. These words fulfill two Old Testament symbols or types. Isaac carried his own wood for the sacrifice (Gen. 22:1–6) and the sin offering used to be taken outside the camp or city (cf. Heb. 13:11–13). So Jesus was made sin (2 Cor. 5:21).

Jesus arrived to the location called The Place of the Skull or Golgotha. Several reasons given for this title was (1) the rocky incline resembled a skull and (2) it was a place where people died. The Latin word for Golgotha, “Calvary,” also means skull or cranium (Luke 23:23).

John mentions that there were two others crucified with Jesus. John specifically states that Jesus’ cross was in the center of the three. These two criminals (Luke 23:32-33) or robbers (Matthew 27:44) are most likely mentioned to provide an understandable context when their legs were broken to hasten their deaths while Jesus’ were not because He had already died (cf. John 19:32–33). This is one evidence that Jesus in fact died and did not merely faint from exhaustion.

As we have previously noted, crucifixion was a horrible and shameful way to die. The crucified endured tremendous physical suffering not only from the prior beatings but also by the driving of the nails through their hands and feet. It was a slow, agonizing way to die.

However, while Jesus experienced the physical consequences of crucifixion He also endured the spiritual consequences as well. He suffered the wrath of God the Father on behalf of sinners.

One commentary states, “Yet, the horrible physical pain and shame of crucifixion paled in comparison to the additional suffering that Jesus alone experienced on His cross. He was crucified outside the city—outside the camp of God’s people, where the scapegoat was sent on Israel’s Day of Atonement, cut off from the Lord’s blessings (Lev. 16:27). Moreover, Jesus was crucified on the wood of a tree, and the Mosaic Law curses those who hang on a tree (Deut. 21:23). Jesus suffered outside the camp, cut off from God’s blessing, bearing the curse of divine wrath against the sin of His people so as to redeem them (Gal. 3:10–14; Heb. 13:12–13).”

 At the cross, we not only witness the love of God but also the just wrath of God. God the Father poured out upon the sinless Son of God the wrath and punishment we deserved. This was in order for sinners like us to receive the grace of salvation which we do not deserve and also the mercy of salvation which is not to receive the judgment we do deserve.

Thank you Lord for your indescribable gift.

May God’s truth and grace reside here.

Soli deo Gloria!

“So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.” (John 19:16-18)

We have just completed a survey of the theological meaning of the literal cross on which Jesus Christ was put to death in Judea nearly 2,000 years ago. However, what is the spiritual significance of the cross today for Jesus’ followers?

The phrase “bearing the cross” or “taking up one’s cross” became a necessary condition of discipleship by Jesus. Jesus taught this in five New Testament passages. The phrase is framed both negatively (“cannot be my disciple”) in both Matthew 10:38 and Luke 14:27 and positively (“if anyone would come after me”) in Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34 and Luke 9:23.

The Tyndale Bible Dictionary (TBD) explains that, “Two major motifs are found in the sayings. The major motif comes from the imagery of a condemned man carrying his cross to an execution site; a necessary part of discipleship is a daily (Luke 9:23) willingness to sacrifice all and to suffer for the sake of Christ. The central point is not death but disgrace; the disciple must be ready to become an outcast from society.”

One of the most extended metaphors regarding the cross is by the Apostle Paul. It is found in Romans 6:1-8. The text says, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.”

2 Corinthians 5:14-17 says, “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

 The TBD also says, “The same view is found also in Galatians, which contrasts the mystical death of self to the legalistic system of the Judaizers. The believer is “crucified with Christ,” with the result that “it is no longer I who live” (Gal 2:20); “the flesh with its passions and desires” is “crucified” (5:24); and “far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (6:14). Believers must experience the cross before they can find the resurrection life.”

 Puritan Matthew Henry says, “Come, and see the victories of the cross. Christ’s wounds are thy healings, His agonies thy repose, His conflicts thy conquests, His groans thy songs, His pains thine ease, His shame thy glory, His death thy life, His sufferings thy salvation.”

Author Jerry Bridges writes, “If we want proof of God’s love for us, then we must look first at the Cross where God offered up His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Calvary is the one objective, absolute, irrefutable proof of God’s love for us.”

Author A. W. Pink explains that, “Taking up my “cross” means a life voluntarily surrendered to God.”

May God’s truth and grace reside here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

“So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.” (John 19:16-18)

We have already examined the crucifixion’s historical origin as well as how it pertained to Jesus Christ’s own historical crucifixion. We have also examined the events of Jesus’ crucifixion as revealed in all Four New Testament Gospels. But what about the theological significance of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion? What part does it have in the message of the Gospel?

To begin with, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and His subsequent bodily resurrection, is the central message not only of the Gospel which bears His name but also of all Christian theology. The cross conveys the message of substitutionary atonement by Jesus Christ on behalf of fallen sinners.

As one commentator explains, “The cross has meaning because of the significance of the person who was put to death on it and because of what his death accomplished. The word of the cross” was central in the salvation proclamation of the early church. Above all, the event of the cross was God’s principal saving act in history; hence the cross, though a past event, has present significance. Christ crucified and risen is the core of the church’s message (Gal 3:1).”

While the message of the cross is to be cherished and faithfully communicated by the church, it is at the same time hated by the pagan culture in which the church exists and ministers. The Apostle explained this phenomena in I Corinthians 1:17-2:5.

The Tyndale Bible Dictionary states that, “There the “word of the cross” (1:18) is contrasted with “eloquent wisdom” (v 17). Sounding like foolishness, it is offensive to both Greek philosophy and Jewish legalism (cf. Gal 6:12–15), but that very “weakness” in human eyes opens the door for the “power of God” (1 Cor 1:18). The cross in the church’s kerygma (proclamation) illustrates the pattern of God’s action: he forges out of the debilitated things of life both power and wisdom (vv 26–30). Because philosophical speculation replaces God’s message with human wisdom and thus empties the cross of its significance, Paul rejected “lofty words” and preached only the “crucified Christ.” The “Holy Spirit’s power” thus became evident in Paul’s “weakness” (2:1–5). The central core of the gospel is God’s demonstration of victory emerging from seeming defeat, of power arising out of infirmity.”

The cross as the basis of atonement is the principal emphasis in the Epistles (see Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:14-18; Colossians 1:19-20; 2:14). Jesus “was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25).

There are several biblical words which herald the significance of the cross. These are the words “redemption,” “propitiation,” reconciliation,” “adoption,” and “justification.” Redemption and propitiation are themes found in Isaiah’s prophecy of the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). The Servant’s death was for “the sins of many.” The idea of redemption in both Old and New Testaments is the payment of a price to “ransom” slaves held captive. The price for redemption, the NT explains, was paid on the cross (Mark 10:45; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 1:17-21).

Substitutionary Atonement by the cross is also found in Galatians 3:13-14 which says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” (See Deuteronomy 21:23; Romans 5:10–11, 18; 1 Corinthians 11:24; Ephesians 1:7; 2:13).

In the same way, the entire doctrine of justification by grace alone, through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone centers on the cross. It is “Christ crucified” who declares humanity righteous and makes freedom from sin possible (Romans 6:1-6; Galatians 2:16–21). The sinner’s guilt was placed on Jesus at the cross and atoned there, providing God’s forensic (legal) forgiveness of all who avail themselves of its power (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 1:18–21; 2:24; 3:18).

The result of the cross is “reconciliation”—both vertically, between humans and God (Colossians 1:20), and horizontally, between Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:13–16).

This is the great salvation God has provided through the cross of Christ.

May God’s truth and grace reside here.

Soli deo Gloria!

“So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.” (John 19:16-18)

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is so central, so often communicated by Christians and in churches that it seems we do not need to learn anything more than what we already know. At the same time, there are churches and church attendees who are removing the message of the crucifixion of Christ from their buildings, preaching and conversations. This, therefore, makes the circumstances and meaning of the crucifixion of Christ all the more paramount for believers to trust in, commit to, depend upon and worship the God of its inception and fulfillment.

For the next several days, we will examine the subject of crucifixion three areas. Those areas of study include (1) its historical context and origination; (2) its specific application to Jesus Christ’s historical crucifixion; and (3) the theological significance of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion to the climatic message of the Gospel.

We have already examined the crucifixion’s historical origin as well as how it pertained to Jesus Christ’s own historical crucifixion. We continue to examine the events of Jesus’ crucifixion as revealed in all Four New Testament Gospels.

Each of the Four Biblical Gospels in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) present a particular point of view of Jesus Christ. Respectively these are that Jesus is (1) King; (2) Servant; (3) Man; (4) God. These perspectives apply not only to Jesus’ identity, but also with respect to the events leading up to and including the crucifixion. The church has understood that the Gospel writers were not only biographers but also theologians. They selected scenes and portrayed them to show the significance of the events for the Christian faith. Certainly this was the case with the four crucifixion narratives. Let’s look at each one of them.

Mark and Matthew closely parallel each other as they depict the horror of the Messiah being put to death by sinners. For example, the first half of Mark’s narrative contrasts the taunts of the crowd with the true significance of Jesus’ death. The twofold statement “save yourself” (Mark 15:29–31) repeats Jesus’ words about rebuilding the temple in three days—prophetically pointing to the resurrection. The second half of Mark’s description stresses the horror of the scene, progressing from a darkness motif to the cry of abandonment to further taunts (Mark 15:33–36).

Matthew’s Gospel adds that Jesus refused the drugged wine to alleviate pain “when he tasted it” (Matthew 27:34), as well as adding “yielded up his spirit” to the death scene (Matthew 27:50). Matthew thus emphasized that Jesus voluntarily faced his death fully conscious and in complete control of himself.

The Tyndale Bible Dictionary (TBD) adds that, “Matthew’s irony and allusion also bring out the disparity between Jesus’ suffering and his vindication. Elements of vindication include the ripping of the temple veil (v 51) and the centurion’s testimony (v 54). In the remarkable supernatural scene of Matthew 27:52–53, Jesus’ death is followed immediately by an earthquake that opened tombs and revived “many bodies of the saints” who had died. For Matthew those events and others inaugurated the last days, the new age of salvation, when the power of death is broken and life is made available for all.”

Luke’s Gospel emphasizes two major points.  The reader must keep these in mind when reading Luke’s account of the crucifixion.

First, Jesus is portrayed as the perfect man, the righteous martyr who forgave His enemies and converts some of them. The taunts by the Jewish rulers and Roman soldiers stops when the crowd returns home “beating their breasts” (Luke 23:48) and the centurion cries, “Certainly this man was innocent!” (Luke 23:47).

Second, in Luke’s account the entire crucifixion setting has an atmosphere of reverence and worship. Absent are the wine and myrrh, the cry of abandonment, and the Elijah taunt. What is included are (1) Jesus’ prayer that God forgive his executioners, placing it in contrast with the soldiers’ mockery; (2) the promise of salvation in answer to the prayer of the “believing” criminal; and (3) the commitment of Jesus’ spirit to the Father. Luke’s presentation makes the Crucifixion a place of worship. I never thought of it this way.

Finally, the Gospel of John stresses Jesus’ sovereign control of His situation, as the crucifixion becomes a coronation procession. John alone states that the inscription on the cross was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek—the charge that became a worldwide proclamation of Christ’s enthronement.

The TBD explains that “The inscription, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,” continues Pilate’s dialogue on kingship beyond Jesus’ trial. John thus adds to Matthew’s emphasis: Jesus has not only become king but has been sovereign all along. The king is pictured as performing the priestly function and himself becoming the sacrifice. John alone mentions the hyssop (which had been used to sprinkle the blood of the lamb at the Passover, Exodus 12:22) and Jesus’ cry, “It is finished” (John 19:29–30). Further, the piercing of Jesus’ side (vv. 31–37), which shows the reality of his death, may also be seen symbolically, along with the “rivers of living water” (7:37–38), as typifying the outpouring of life in the new age.”

As one commentator concludes, “Each Gospel pictures the meaning of Jesus’ death from a different vantage point. To combine their pictures gives new understanding of the significance of the cross. Rather than contradiction, one sees separate parts of a compelling whole.”

May God’s truth and grace reside here.

Soli deo Gloria!

“So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.” (John 19:16-18)

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is so central, so often communicated by Christians and in churches that it seems we do not need to learn anything more than what we already know. At the same time, there are churches and church attendees who are removing the message of the crucifixion of Christ from their buildings, preaching and conversations. This, therefore, makes the circumstances and meaning of the crucifixion of Christ all the more paramount for believers to trust in, commit to, depend upon and worship the God of its inception and fulfillment.

For the next several days, we will examine the subject of crucifixion three areas. Those areas of study include (1) its historical context and origination; (2) its specific application to Jesus Christ’s historical crucifixion; and (3) the theological significance of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion to the climatic message of the Gospel.

When last we met, we examined crucifixion’s historical origin. We now begin to study the act of crucifixion with respect specifically to Jesus Christ.

The Predictions: The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) record predictions by Jesus Christ of His own crucifixion (Matthew 16:13-23; Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33–34; Luke 9:18-22). Additionally, the Gospel of John recorded three sayings about the Son of Man being “lifted up” (John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32–33), which is a reference to crucifixion.

As the Tyndale Bible Dictionary notes, “There are several themes interwoven into those passages: (1) Christ’s passion (a term used for his suffering on the cross) was part of God’s redemptive purpose (Mark 8:31, “must”). (2) Both Jews and Romans were guilty of “delivering” and of “killing” Jesus. (3) His death would be followed by vindication via the resurrection. (4) His death itself, in a paradoxical way, was seen as a means of his entering into “glory” (seen in the symbolism John attached to “lifted up”).”

Other statements which refer to Jesus’ crucifixion include his reference to the murder of the prophets (Matthew 23:29–30; Luke 13:33), His parables (the marriage feast, Matthew 22:1–14; the wicked tenants, Mark 12:1–10), and his teachings about the second coming and a similar suffering experienced by his disciples (Mathew 10:24–28; Mark 8:34–35; John 15:18–25).

The Historical Event: Jesus’ crucifixion was a combination of Roman and Jewish elements. Although the Gospel writers stressed the Jews responsibility for their own purposes, the gospels are careful to distinguish between the Jewish religious leaders and the common people. It was the leaders who initiated Jesus’ arrest (Mark 14:43) and his trial by the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:53–64). Though Pilate seemed to vacillate and in the end surrendered weakly to the crowds by “washing his hands” of any guilt (Matthew 27:24), the Roman government was clearly responsible for the Crucifixion of Christ. Since the Sanhedrin did not have the power to inflict capital punishment, Pilate’s decision was necessary before crucifixion could occur. Further, Roman soldiers actually carried out the execution.

Additionally, Roman customs were observed in Jesus’ scourging, His mock enthronement and stripping, the bearing of His own crossbeam, His being nailed to the cross, and the breaking of the two crucified thieves’ legs. The elevated site fits the custom of displaying certain criminals publicly. So does the height of Jesus’ cross, probably seven to nine feet (2 to 3 meters).

One commentary concludes that, “The presence of a tablet bearing the inscription “The King of the Jews” on the cross suggests that the crossbeam was fixed somewhere below the top of the stake. Jewish elements are seen in the wine mixed with myrrh (Mark 15:23), the vinegar on the hyssop reed (v 36), and the removal of the body before sunset and the beginning of the Sabbath (John 19:31).”

 More to come. Mary God’s truth and grace reside here.

Soli deo Gloria!

“So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.” (John 19:16-18)

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is so central to our faith, so often communicated by Christians and in churches that it seems we do not need to learn anything more than what we already know. At the same time, there are churches and church attendees who are removing the message of the crucifixion of Christ from their buildings, preaching and conversations. This, therefore, makes the circumstances and meaning of the crucifixion of Christ all the more paramount for believers to trust in, commit to, depend upon and worship the God of its inception and fulfillment.

For the next several days, we will examine the subject of the crucifixion of Christ in three distinct areas. Those areas of study include (1) crucifixion’s historical context and origination; (2) its specific application to Jesus Christ’s historical crucifixion; and (3) the theological significance of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion to the climatic message of the Gospel.

Let’s begin with a basic definition. Crucifixion was an ancient form of execution or capital punishment. Two ideas pertaining to crucifixion occur in Scripture: there is the “cross,” which was the pagan mode of capital punishment, and the “tree,” which was the Jewish form. Jesus’ crucifixion was the means by which He accomplished atonement for sinners. It should also be noted that Jesus figuratively used the term “cross” to illustrate the sacrifice required in discipleship. Finally, the Apostle Paul also to symbolize the death of self in the process of sanctification following the justification of the sinner by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.

How did crucifixion originate? Who designed it to be a form of execution? The Tyndale Bible Dictionary provides valuable insight in not only the Pagan Mode of crucifixion but also the Jewish Mode.

The Pagan Mode Literally, the word “cross” in Greek referred to a pointed stake used for various purposes, including an instrument of execution. It could be an upright stake, used to impale a victim, or a vertical stake with a crossbeam either across the top (T) or across the middle (+), used to hang or crucify a criminal, with the added disgrace of public display. Evidently crucifixion was practiced first by the Medes and Persians and later by Alexander the Great (356–323 BC), the Carthaginians, and the Romans. Both Greeks and Romans restricted its use to slaves, considering it too barbaric for citizens. In the imperial era the Romans extended the use to foreigners, but even so it was used mainly for crimes against the state.

Crucifixion was universally recognized as the most horrible type of execution ever devised. In the East, in fact, it was used only as a further sign of disgrace for prisoners already executed, usually by decapitation. In the West the condemned criminal was scourged (whipped), usually at the place of execution, and forced to carry the crossbeam to the spot where a stake had already been erected. A tablet stating the crime was often placed around the offender’s neck and was fastened to the cross after the execution. The prisoner was commonly tied or sometimes nailed to the crossbeam (with the nails through the wrists, since the bones in the hand could not take the weight). The beam was then raised and fixed to the upright pole. If the executioners wished a particularly slow, agonizing death, they might drive blocks or pins into the stake for a seat or a step to support the feet. Death came about either through loss of blood circulation followed by coronary failure or through the collapse of one’s lungs, causing suffocation., which could take days. Therefore, the victim’s legs would be broken below the knees with a club, causing massive shock and eliminating any further possibility of easing the pressure on the bound or spiked wrists. Usually a body was left on the cross to rot, but in some instances was given to relatives or friends for burial.

The Jewish Mode A different form of crucifixion is seen in the OT. King Saul’s body was decapitated and affixed to a wall by the Philistines (1 Samuel 31:9–10). The Persian king Darius made impaling the penalty for altering his decree (Ezra 6:11). According to Deuteronomy 21:22–23, the Eastern form was employed by the Jews with the added provision that the body must be removed from “the tree” before nightfall, because the victim was “accursed by God” (cf. Galatians 3:13) and must not remain to “defile the land.” The Roman form of crucifixion was not employed by the Jews. The only exception was a mass crucifixion of 800 rebels by the Jewish ruler Alexander Janneus in 76 bc, reported by the Jewish historian Josephus as being universally condemned by the Jews. Some believe that Jewish courts did practice the Western method of crucifixion after the second century BC.

The New Testament has much to say about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ being the central doctrine of the Gospel. It is to that area of study which we will examine when next we meet.

May God’s truth and grace reside here.

Soli deo Gloria!

“So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus,” (John 19:16)

The King James and the New King James Version of John 19:16 adds at the conclusion of the verse “and they led Him away.” The best and earliest Greek texts omit this statement.

John 19:16 details the moment Jesus was handed over to His adversaries to be crucified. Pontius Pilate acquiesced, or consented, to the Jews’ demand, even though he found no guilt in Jesus. The Jews then took Jesus for the expressed purpose of fulfilling the desire they had since the beginning of Jesus’ ministry three years earlier: to execute Him.

The Gospel of Luke says, delivered to their will (23:25). Pilate pronounced no sentence of guilt against Jesus, but disclaimed all responsibility for the act, and delivered Christ up to them (αὐτοῖς). They, referring to the Jewish leaders, invoked the responsibility of executing Jesus upon themselves. See Matthew 27:24-25.

As teacher and commentator Robert Rothwell explains, “Had Pontius Pilate been a man of integrity with the courage to act on his convictions, he never would have sentenced Jesus to death. After all, he clearly did not believe that Jesus was guilty of either sedition against the Roman Empire or blasphemy against the God of Israel. We see evidence of this in his repeated attempts to get the Jewish religious leaders to call for him to release Jesus. Pilate stressed again and again that he found no guilt in Jesus. The Roman governor even offered the Jewish authorities a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, a man with a known criminal past (John 18:28–19:11; see Luke 23:18–19).”

It would be easy to perceive that Jesus was a victim of circumstances beyond His and God the Father’s control. Nothing could be further from the truth. What occurred was within the sovereign plan and will of Almighty God.

The Apostle Peter, as recorded in Acts 2:22-24, preached on the Day of Pentecost these words: “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”

There are two phrases Peter used to which careful attention must be given. They are (1) the definite plan and (2) foreknowledge of God. A proper understanding of both phrases is necessary for us to glean a clear understanding of what John related in John 19:16.

The first phrase, definite plan, is from the Greek words ὡρισμένῃ, βουλή (horismene, boule). It means a designated, assigned or appointed plan and purpose. Foreknowledge, προγνώσει (prognosei), means no just to know beforehand but to also make a predetermined choice. Both the definite plan, along with the knowledge and predetermined choice to initiate it, belong to God the Father.

One commentator explains it this way: “From eternity past (2 Timothy 1:9; Revelation 13:8) God predetermined that Jesus would die an atoning death as part of his pre-ordained plan (Acts 4:27–28; 13:27–29).”

Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross was not one of several ways God the Father could have redeemed His people. It was the only way. As pictured from Exodus 12 account of the original Passover, which was not only a day of judgement but also a day of salvation, we see that the cross of Jesus Christ did not just appear out of nowhere.

Dr. Joel Beeke states, “God made a distinction between Egypt and Israel for a specific reason. The distinction was not one of race or nation, class or privilege. It was a distinction of blood. The people were sheltered under the blood of the lamb. Blood was the distinctive mark that save them. This blood points to Christ as God’s Lamb. The crux of Christ’s ministry is when He, as the Paschal Lamb, fulfills everything that God so clearly points to in the Old Testament.”

Nothing is more necessary today than the precious blood of Jesus to redeem sinners. Jesus atoning death is the only way God delivers sinners from the penalty, power and presence of sin.

May God’s truth and grace reside here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

“From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” (John 19:12-15.

The particular idiom strange bedfellows may have been invented by William Shakespeare in The Tempest (2:2), where he writes, and “Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.” Today a common extension is the phrase “politics makes strange bedfellows.” This means that politicians form peculiar associations so as to win more votes.

The misery and eventual crucifixion of Jesus Christ by the Jews, through the political authority of the Roman government representative Pontius Pilate, seems to apply this Shakespearean expression. The Jews’ hatred for Jesus was so extensive and deep seated that they were willing to forgo their hatred of Rome to satisfy their blood lust for Jesus’ execution.

Likewise, Pilate found himself in a rather precarious situation. He found no evidence that Jesus had committed a crime against the state. However, he was caught in the political vise. While disagreeing with the Jewish leaders concerning Jesus, at the same time he did not want to so offend them for fear that this would lead to his demotion, or worse, by his Roman superiors.

Pilate wanted to release Jesus. However, the Jews issued the Roman governor an ultimatum: “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”

The IVP Background Commentary of the New Testament explains that, “Friends” of powerful patrons were their political dependents, and to be the “friend of the emperor” (NRSV, TEV) or the “friend of Caesar” (KJV, NASB, NIV) was a special honor. “Friend of the king” had been an office in Greek and ancient Near Eastern palaces (including Israel, from David through Herod the Great); “friend of the emperor” was likewise an official title with political implications.”

Dr. John MacArthur writes that, “This statement by the Jews was loaded with irony, for the Jews’ hatred of Rome certainly indicated they too were no friends of Caesar. But they knew Pilate feared Tiberius Caesar (the Roman emperor at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion) since he had a highly suspicious personality and exacted ruthless punishment. Pilate had already created upheaval in Jerusalem by several foolish acts that had infuriated the Jews, and so was under the scrutiny of Rome to see if his ineptness continued. The Jews were intimidating him by threatening another upheaval that could spell the end of his power in Jerusalem, if he did not execute Jesus.”

This “judgment seat” or “stone pavement” was the place Pilate sat to render his official verdict. The seat was placed on an area paved with stones, which is why it was known as “The Stone Pavement.” The irony of this scene is that Pilate rendered an unjust judgment on the One, True God who would one day render a just judgment of Pilate.

John indicates that this setting took place in the Preparation Day for the Passover Feast. When he notes that Pilate’s judgment took place at this sixth hour. This would be according to Roman time, in which the day began at Midnight. Therefore, Pilate’s judgment took place at 6:00 a.m.

What was also fitting is that the Preparation Day for the Passover Feast is when the lambs were slain. The “day of Preparation” was the day that the Passover lamb would be slaughtered to be eaten that night (see John 18:28). We must remember that unlike the Romans, Jewish people reckoned days from sunset to sunset. Therefore, what we would call Friday night they considered the beginning of the Sabbath, or Saturday.

Pilate said to the people gathered, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”

As one commentator states, “The authorities’ cry is typical of the irony of John: Jewish people prayed daily for the royal Messiah, and one Jewish prayer that came to be part of the Passover celebration at least in later times acknowledges no king but God (cf. 8:33).”

Dr. R. C. Sproul concludes that, “Pilate did what the Jewish authorities wanted him to do and finally sentenced Jesus to be crucified (v. 16a). However, he did not do so without taunting the Jews one last time. Commentators see in Pilate’s final presentation of Jesus to the Jews and his exclamations “Behold your King!” and “Shall I crucify your King?” (vv. 14–15) as the governor’s hurling one final insult at them. In effect, Pilate was reminding the Jewish leaders of their own impotence. The bloodied, seemingly powerless man standing before them, Christ Jesus, was the only king they would get. In Pilate’s mind, they could do no better regarding their political aspirations than a “ruler” destined to die. And yet, we can see the irony in this. For while Pilate thought little of Jesus and the Jewish leaders rejected Him as their king, we know that the One who stood before them was God incarnate, the true Sovereign over all, who was orchestrating events in order to bring about the salvation of the world (1:1–18; 3:16).”

God exists. Evil exists. God purposes evil to exist for His own purposes and for the honor and glory of His name. There was no greater evil ever committed on this earth’s history than the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. But with it, God brought about the greatest good: the salvation of our souls.

May God’s truth and grace reside here.

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

 

When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” (John 19:6-11)

The hatred for Jesus by the Jewish religious leaders is unpleasant. They issue a repeated and heart felt command to Pontius Pilate to crucify Jesus. Having no legitimate charge of any crime against the Lord, Pilate responds with no small amount of sarcasm when he says, ““Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” Pilate was well aware the Jews had not legal authority to crucify anyone, let alone Jesus Christ. He emphatically taunted them in response to their taunting of not only him but also of Christ. However, in taunting them Pilate also affirmed that he found Jesus innocent of any crime.

Ironically, the religious leaders’ hatred of Jesus, and their subsequent response to Pilate that Jesus broke Jewish Law by claiming to be the Son of God, indeed proved that Jesus uttered such a claim. There are many individuals, historically and currently, who propose that Jesus made no such claim to be God when He was on earth. Yet, the religious leaders refuted such a bogus proposition. They acknowledged to Pilate that Jesus claimed to be God and therefore was guilty of blasphemy.

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “This probably refers to Lev. 24:16: “Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death.” The charge of blasphemy (John 5:18; 8:58–59; 10:33, 36) was central in Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas (see Matt. 26:57–68).”

The IVP Background Commentary of the New Testaments explains that, “The Old Testament called the Messiah (and all David’s line) the Son of God (2 Sam. 7:14; Ps. 2:7; 89:27); in a more general sense, all Israel was called God’s child (Ex. 4:22; Deut. 8:3 Hos. 11:1). But even falsely claiming to be the Messiah was not a capital offense in standard Jewish teaching, as long as one were not a false prophet advocating other gods. On their own terms, Jesus’ accusers are thus mistaken about the law’s teaching about him (10:34–36); but John may intend more irony: he believed the Old Testament predicted that God’s Son would die (cf. Is 53).”

What was Pilate’s response to this latest charge against Jesus by the Jews? He was afraid. This fear was not a reverence for Jesus resulting in worship but rather a cowardly condition of being alarmed. Pilate was sensing that Jesus was more than what He appeared to be. Pilate evidences the truth of Romans 1:18-22 that even the worst pagan has a sense of realization of the existence of the One, True, and Biblical God.

Turning from the crowd and turning his attention once again towards Jesus, Pilate asked Jesus, ““Where are you from?” In effect, Pilate was asking who Jesus was. Jesus’ lack of response fulfilled Isaiah 53:7 which says, “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”  

Astonished at Jesus’ lack of response, Pilate exclaimed ““You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Pilate was stating that He had power and authority over Jesus. Jesus responded that “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” See Romans 13:1-7.

In the church’s response to Peter and John’s eventual release by the same Jewish religious leaders who sought to silence them from preaching the gospel, Acts 4:27-28 says, “for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.”

Do not misunderstand when I state that God the Father purposed the evil of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion to exist in order to accomplish His predetermined purpose before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-11). That predestined purpose was the redemption of fallen sinners like you and me.

Jesus then said, “Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” To whom was Jesus referring?

Dr. John Walvoord explains that, “In this statement was Jesus referring to Judas, Satan, Caiaphas, the priests, or the Jewish people? Perhaps Caiaphas is the best choice since he is the one who handed Jesus over to Pilate. Pilate was guilty (cf. the words in the Apostles’ Creed, “suffered under Pontius Pilate”). But Jesus put more weight on Caiaphas as the responsible one (cf. John 11:49–50; 18:13–14).”

It often is easy to view our circumstances as being beyond the Lord’s control. Sometimes, we assume that we, or another human like ourselves, is really in charge of the circumstances of life. Not true. Only God is ultimately in control.

Remember the words of Daniel 2:20-23:“Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”

May God’s truth and grace reside here.

Soli deo Gloria!