CHAPTER XIX. CHRIST CRUCIFIED. By. comparison of the four accounts of this momentous trial it is easy to trace its successive stages. 1. We have an account of the informal examination before Annas, recorded only by John (18:13-24), which terminates with the statement that Annas sent him bound to Ca... [ Continue Reading ]
CHRIST'S TRIAL BEFORE PILATE (JOHN 19:1-16) 1. Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. Scourging was the usual preliminary of the Romans to an execution, but Pilate still hoped to appease the Jews by the suffering and humiliation of Jesus, without his death. The Roman scourging was terribly cruel.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SOLDIERS PLATTED. CROWN OF THORNS. The crown of thorns was probably. wreath of thorny leaves something like the common cactus. While presenting the appearance of. crown it would be an instrument of torture. To this emblem of royalty was added. purple, or scarlet robe (both colors are named a... [ Continue Reading ]
PILATE WENT FORTH AGAIN. He went out of his palace to the crowd upon the street, preceding Jesus, and again affirming that he found no fault with him, although he had scourged him. From Luke 23:16, we learn that he had proposed to scourge him and then let him go. He seems now to hope that the pitiab... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND OFFICERS SAW HIM, ETC. If Pilate had hoped to excite pity he was doomed to disappointment. Even his hard, heathen heart could not fathom the depths of Jewish hate. His repeated declaration that Jesus was guilty of no crime against Roman law, and the appearance on the porc... [ Continue Reading ]
WE HAVE. LAW, AND BY OUR LAW HE OUGHT TO DIE, ETC. _We_ is emphatic. Pilate has decided that Christ is guilty of no crime against Roman law. Then they assert that he has merited death by the violation of their law. They refer to the law against blasphemy in Leviticus 24:16. Let it not be forgotten... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN PILATE HEARD THAT SAYING, HE WAS THE MORE AFRAID. The calmness and majesty of the prisoner had profoundly moved the stern Roman. Man had never endured with such patience and kingly dignity. Now when he heard the statement that he had said that he was the Son of God, he thought at once of all t... [ Continue Reading ]
KNOWEST THOU NOT... THAT. HAVE POWER TO RELEASE THEE? Pilate was baffled and piqued by Christ's calm silence. To extort an answer he boasted of his power and appealed to the motive of fear. He had power to crucify or release. The prisoner would do well to seek to please him.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU COULDEST HAVE NO POWER AGAINST ME, ETC. Jesus breaks the silence and at once assumes the position of Pilate's judge. His language shows that Pilate was the poor, powerless victim of his environment. He could have no power over himself unless it were given him. The divine majesty could blaze fo... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM THENCEFORTH PILATE SOUGHT TO RELEASE HIM. He continued his efforts, which John passes over with the statement. That they were persistent is indicated by the threatening reply of the Jews: IF THOU LET THIS MAN GO, THOU ART NOT CÆSAR'S FRIEND. This means that he will be accused before Cæsar's... [ Continue Reading ]
SAT DOWN IN THE JUDGMENT SEAT. He had sat in the judgment seat before and had acquitted Jesus. Now he is brought forth again and Pilate takes the judgment seat in order to condemn him. The judgment seat was. raised platform,. kind of throne, from whence judicial decisions were rendered. John marks... [ Continue Reading ]
IT WAS THE PREPARATION OF THE PASSOVER, AND THE SIXTH HOUR. John marks the exact time when this remarkable judgment was rendered. It was about six o'clock in the morning, on Friday, the day of preparation for the Passover. Mark says that the crucifixion began at the third hour, nine o'clock, as the... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL. CRUCIFY YOUR KING? Pilate had yielded. His decision was made, but he was full of resentment against the Jews and the words with which he presented Jesus, prepared for crucifixion, were designed to taunt them. "Behold your King!" When they reply with the cruel shout, "Crucify him, crucify him... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN DELIVERED HE HIM... TO BE CRUCIFIED. He gave to the Jewish leaders. guard of Roman soldiers ordered to take charge of the prisoner and to execute the sentence. The mob had triumphed, and the Roman had been forced to yield. Thus had been fulfilled the declaration of the prophet that his condemn... [ Continue Reading ]
CHRIST CRUCIFIED AND BURIED (JOHN 19:17-42) 17. He went forth bearing his cross. It was customary to make the condemned carry the timbers of the cross to the place of execution. The cross was laid on Christ, but from weakness, perhaps caused by the scourging and abuse to which he had been subjecte... [ Continue Reading ]
WHERE THEY CRUCIFIED HIM. The cross was an upright pole or beam, intersected by. transverse one at right angles, generally in the shape of. T. In this case, from the "title" being placed _over the head,_ the upright beam probably projected above the horizontal one, as usually represented. To this cr... [ Continue Reading ]
PILATE WROTE. TITLE, AND PUT IT ON THE CROSS. It was the Roman custom to place on the cross over the criminal's head,. placard, stating the crime for which he suffered. Luke (23:38) says that the title was written in Greek, Latin and Hebrew, the chief languages then spoken, and all spectators would... [ Continue Reading ]
IT WAS WRITTEN IN HEBREW, AND GREEK AND LATIN. The Greek was the universal language of literature; the Latin was the language of the Roman Empire; the Hebrew was spoken vernacularly by the Jews. The rabbins say there are three most powerful languages: The Roman for battle, the Greek for conversatio... [ Continue Reading ]
WRITE NOT, THE KING OF THE JEWS. This was the crime of which our Savior had been guilty they said. Pilate intended that the inscription should have. sting in it for the chief priests and elders and scribes. He had been frustrated and galled; and he took his revenge by flashing the idea before the p... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE SOLDIERS.... TOOK HIS GARMENTS, AND MADE FOUR PARTS. There were four soldiers at the cross and the garments were. perquisite of the soldiers. The outer garments were divided into four parts, one to each, but the _coat,_ rather the "tunic," an inner garment, was seamless, woven in one piece... [ Continue Reading ]
LET US NOT REND IT, BUT CAST LOTS FOR IT. Romans did not gamble with cards, but dice. Gamblers will ply their trade even in the shadow of the cross, and in the presence of death. The 22d Psalm, from whence. quotation was made, has been universally regarded by Christian critics as referring to the M... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE STOOD BY THE CROSS OF JESUS HIS MOTHER, ETC. While the apostles mostly were afar off, the women were near the cross. Some have held that there were only three, "his mother's sister" being "Mary the wife of Cleophas," but the best Bible students think otherwise and suppose that Salome, the mot... [ Continue Reading ]
WOMAN, BEHOLD THY SON! Agonizing as the sight was, it was the part of. mother to press as near her great suffering son as possible, and she, with other saintly women, were near the foot of the cross. Jesus, in that awful hour, thought of others rather than himself, and looking at John, the nephew o... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THIS, JESUS.... SAITH,. THIRST. All things were now accomplished, the end was at hand, and in order that the predictions of the, Old Testament Scriptures might be fulfilled by his death, he comes to the last moment saying, "I thirst.". hold this to be the meaning, as there is no prediction th... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THERE WAS SET. VESSEL FULL OF VINEGAR. This was the sour wine used by the soldiers; not mixed with myrrh, as in the case of the stupefying draught Jesus had refused before crucifixion (Mark 15:23). The sponge had probably served instead of. cork to the jar in which the soldiers had brought the... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SAID, IT IS FINISHED. This is. cry of triumph. He had won the victory and had reached the end of his cruel pathway. It betokens. deep sensation of relief, relief from. crushing burden, rest after agonizing toil. The work of redemption was wrought. He had said, "I have. baptism to be baptized with... [ Continue Reading ]
THE JEWS THEREFORE, BECAUSE IT WAS THE PREPARATION. Some urge that this refers to the preparation for the Sabbath day, but John explains the meaning in which he uses the word "preparation," in verse 14, where he says distinctly "it was the preparation of the Passover." It is true that the next day... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN CAME THE SOLDIERS. At the orders of Pilate the soldiers, beginning with the two outside sufferers, broke their legs in succession, but when they came to Jesus, the central figure, they found him already dead, and, hence, "broke not his legs." Thus as the paschal lambs, slain at that very hour,... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE OF THE SOLDIERS... PIERCED HIS SIDE. The object of this thrust is apparent. When they came to him to break his bones he was lifeless. It occurred to the soldiers that he might have swooned away, and to put his death beyond. doubt, he thrust his spear into his left side, the side of the heart.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT SAW IT BEAR RECORD. The writer here identifies himself as an eye-witness, as one standing near the cross, as in fact, John the apostle. The reader cannot but note the emphasis that he places upon what he has just recorded concerning the spear thrust and the blood and water. Already in the da... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THESE THINGS WERE DONE THAT THE SCRIPTURE SHOULD BE FULFILLED. The prophetic Scriptures alluded to are Exodus 12:46, and Zechariah 12:10. The paschal lamb, the bones of which were not to be broken, was regarded by the Jews, and is spoken of both in the Old and New Testaments, as. type of the "La... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THIS JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA. Joseph of Arimathea is not named except in connection with the burial of Christ, and we know nothing of him save what is related in that connection. We learn by. comparison of statements that he belonged to Arimathea,. place now unknown, that he was. member of the Sa... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE CAME ALSO NICODEMUS. This is the third mention of Nicodemus, the first in 3:1, the second 7:50, where he enters. protest against the injustice of the Sanhedrim, and here he come to assist in the burial of Christ, bringing along an hundred weight of myrrh and aloes. The Sanhedrim had condemned... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THE MANNER OF THE JEWS IS TO BURY. The Jews did not embalm as did the Egyptians, though in the case of King Asa there seems to be. hint of it, but it was the custom to wash the body, anoint it, and then wrap it in fine linen with spices and ointments enveloped in the folds. It is probable that th... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE THEN BECAUSE OF THE JEW'S PREPARATION... AND THEY LAID JESUS. This probably is mentioned to explain that the burial was hurried and not fully completed,. fact that seems to be indicated in the Gospels. How much pathos in the words, "there they laid Jesus!" In the tomb of Jesus the Jews suppos... [ Continue Reading ]