John 19:16b-30 Apr 3, 2011
The text of today’s sermon comes from John 19. 16b So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Pilate was forced into doing the will of the Jewish leadership so he announced “Put the cross on the man.” We see the passage in Mark that attested to what was happening in Mark 15, says ”Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.” Then the beam would then be laid across His beaten shoulders, with arms tied to opposite ends. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. As Jesus carried the cross, there would be those who saw it as justice for a false prophet that God had cursed. Others looked on with sympathy, having seen a miracle or heard a teaching that He delivered and wept as He passed by. One Gospel writer tells us that on the way, Jesus, having lost so much blood and being physically exhausted fell. Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry the cross the rest of the way because Jesus was physically unable to carry it any further and needed help. The place of the skull was probably named because the limestone quarry looked like a skull and was near one of the
gates of the city on a heavily traveled street. Jesus would have been thrown down on the cross beam, his wrists were then nailed to it. He was then raised and lifted up onto the cross beam fitting into a notch on top forming a T. The feet were then nailed, often through the heel or ankle. For the victim to fill their lungs with air, one had to push either against the nails in the feet or wrists or both, causing intense pain. Some would last for days in the hot Judean sun before succumbing, usually to asphyxiation after the muscles gave out. As Jesus hanged there gasping for breath, the religious leaders mocked Jesus. 42 "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.” (Matthew 27:42) He certainly could have, but God had a much greater plan.
18 Here they crucified him, and with him two others--one on each side and Jesus in the middle. The ones crucified on each side of Jesus are described in Scripture as thieves, but crucifixion was much too severe for the common thief. They may have tried to rob a tax collector or paymaster working for Rome. 19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. Criminals would sometimes have the name of their crime hung around their neck or carried in front of them. In this case, it was nailed to the top of the T making it into the cross shape with which we are familiar. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews." 22 Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." He wrote it to mock the Jews, but in reality, Jesus actually was the king they rejected, choosing Caesar instead. God used Pilate’s mockery to declare the truth to the Jewish leaders. 23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24 "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did. They divided up His sandals, belt, head covering and outer garment, a part for each soldier of the squad. The other garment that was woven as one piece was more valuable whole, so they cast lots for it fulfilling the details of the prophecy to both divide and cast lots for His clothes. (Psalm 22:18)
18 Here they crucified him, and with him two others--one on each side and Jesus in the middle. The ones crucified on each side of Jesus are described in Scripture as thieves, but crucifixion was much too severe for the common thief. They may have tried to rob a tax collector or paymaster working for Rome. 19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. Criminals would sometimes have the name of their crime hung around their neck or carried in front of them. In this case, it was nailed to the top of the T making it into the cross shape with which we are familiar. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews." 22 Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." He wrote it to mock the Jews, but in reality, Jesus actually was the king they rejected, choosing Caesar instead. God used Pilate’s mockery to declare the truth to the Jewish leaders. 23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24 "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did. They divided up His sandals, belt, head covering and outer garment, a part for each soldier of the squad. The other garment that was woven as one piece was more valuable whole, so they cast lots for it fulfilling the details of the prophecy to both divide and cast lots for His clothes. (Psalm 22:18)
25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. The four soldiers’ coldheartedly divided up His clothes as Jesus looked on in agony and while these four women stood in confused grief. What had the angel told Mary? 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." (Luke 1:32-33). It certainly doesn’t look that way now. The disciples had just confessed that they believed He came from God. They declared His kingdom was at hand, and here He is battered beyond recognition hanging from a Roman cross. Consider how hopeless it all must have seemed to them. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27 and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. Jesus, struggling for breath to speak, took care of his last obligation on earth. As the oldest son, He cared for His mother. 28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." “I thirst!” speaks to us of the humanity of Jesus. The cross was not easier because He was the Son of God. He was every bit human, but without sin. We are tempted to think it wasn’t as hard for Him as it would be for us. It was worse. He knew the darkness of sin to a greater extent than we will ever understand, and He took it, along with the physical abuse. We can never understand the assault of hell on Him in those hours of darkness. That is another reason why only He could do this for us, to face the punishment we deserve in our place. Only He could do it because He had no sins of His own to be judged for, and only He could endure the justice our sins deserve and come out victorious.
29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. Thus fulfilling another prophecy, Psalm 69:21, “They gave me vinegar for my thirst.” Hyssop was used to sprinkle the blood on the doorposts in the Exodus. One couldn’t make a long stalk that could hold much, but a soldier would only need about a foot extension which matches with what we know historically about the height of the common cross of crucifixion. These are amazing details with amazing connections with the ancient Scriptures and historical facts. What we are reading is a true account. We must never allow ourselves to be hardened to the agony Jesus endured for us. Now we look back at Jesus asking His disciples and us to take up our cross and follow Him. He isn’t asking us to do anything He wasn’t willing to do Himself. He did this for you. Will you take up your cross and follow Him? 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. All that the Father had sent Him to do was finished. Our sin debt was paid in full and that is what Jesus came to do. Then He gave up His spirit. He didn’t just die because of the loss of blood or cardiac arrest. He released His spirit. He said that no one could take His life from Him as only He had the power to lay down His life and to take it up again. Here He used that power to surrender it into the hands of His Father. It was a shout of accomplishment, of victory! So amazing was His conduct in death that one of the four soldiers, a centurion, declared, “Truly this was the Son of God.” (Mark 15:39)
He was dead. Now some of his followers would ask for the body, and one of them would put Jesus in their own grave. It seemed like the end of the promises. It looked like evil had triumphed. How could you have any hope if you were there that dark day? How can you have hope each and every day of your life no matter how dark things seem? We know this story goes on to produce a wonder that is unimaginable. No matter how disheartening your current situation is, if you are in Christ, then you can know it will not only work for good, but that a glorious future awaits us. I’m not saying that things will be easy for you along the way, but you can know that your Sovereign Lord has allowed it for your eternal good. He will help you endure and walk with you through it. The face of God was turned from Jesus during those hours of darkness, so that it would never be turned from you during your hours of darkness. Jesus endured the cross because of the joy that was set before Him. There is a joy set before us as well. Let us persevere in carrying our cross each day for the joy set before us as we follow our great example, our Lord Jesus. Keep your eyes on Jesus and not on the world. Choosing Jesus is choosing to serve a king, a king who only asks us to do what He has modeled for us, for our good. He’s a king who has graciously provided forgiveness and calls us to abundant life. He’s a king who loves you enough to endure the cross for you.
Pastor Bob Hickox
570-412-9202
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