THE CRUCIFIXION. THE BURIAL 1-3. Inside the Prætorium. Scourging and mockery by the soldiers (Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15). It might be supposed from Mt and Mk that the scourging was only the ordinary preliminary to a Roman execution, but Luke 23:16 suggests that it was an act of mercy to Jesus inten... [ Continue Reading ]
Outside the Prætorium. 'Behold the man.' 'Crucify Him.' 5. Behold the man!] Lat. _Ecce homo._ The words are gently and sympathetically spoken, and are intended to move compassion: 'This meek and suffering form cannot be the usurper of a throne.'... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE YE HIM] Pilate attempts to put the responsibility of shedding innocent blood upon the Jews.... [ Continue Reading ]
WE HAVE A LAW] This confirms the evidence of the synoptists that Jesus was condemned by the Sanhedrin, not simply for claiming to be the Messiah, but for claiming to be divine, and so blaspheming God (Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 22:69).... [ Continue Reading ]
Inside the Prætorium. Jesus refuses to satisfy Pilate's curiosity as to His origin. 8. The more afraid] viz. of allowing Jesus to be unjustly executed. In spite of superficial scepticism (John 19:38), Pilate was superstitious, and thought that Jesus might be some demigod or hero, some son of Jupiter... [ Continue Reading ]
WHENCE ART THOU?] Art thou a man or a demigod?... [ Continue Reading ]
Caiaphas was more guilty than Pilate. Pilate had lawful authority over Jesus, which, as ordained by God, was acquiesced in by Jesus Himself. Caiaphas had no such authority, for Caiaphas was only high priest, and Jesus was the Messiah. Again, Pilate was only Caiaphas's tool; he knew not the issues at... [ Continue Reading ]
Outside the Prætorium. Pilate yields to the clamour. 12. Thou art not Cæsar's (i.e. Tiberius's) FRIEND] The Jews now appeal to Pilate's selfish fears. They threaten to accuse him of disloyalty to the emperor, a charge which the cruel and suspicious Tiberius was only too willing to receive. St. John... [ Continue Reading ]
SAT DOWN] or, possibly, 'caused Jesus to sit down.' THE PAVEMENT] In front of a Roman judgment seat there was usually, at this period, a mosaic or tesselated pavement. HEBREW] i.e. Aramaic. GABBATHA] 'Gabbath or Gabbetha means a rounded height' (Edersheim).... [ Continue Reading ]
St. John sees prophetic significance in Pilate's words, 'Behold your king,' and therefore times them precisely. Pilate, the representative of the Gentile world, sees in Jesus, whom Israel rejects, the true king of Israel. The Passover is mentioned, because, in the evangelist's view, Jesus is the tru... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO THEM] viz. to the chief priests, so that the crucifixion might appear their act, rather than Pilate's, who was heartily ashamed of it.... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS IS CRUCIFIED (cp. Matthew 27:31; Mark 15:20; Luke 23:26). St. John, who is in thorough agreement with the synoptists, omits the incident of Simon of Cyrene (Mt, Mk, Lk), and the first 'word' on the cross (Lk), but adds the characteristic interview between the chief priests and Pilate.... [ Continue Reading ]
TITLE] According to Roman custom an inferior officer bore before the condemned a block of white wood upon which was engraved the crime for which he suffered. The chief priests regarded Pilate's title as intended to insult the Jews by insinuating that the fitting ruler for such a nation was a condemn... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS NIGH] a local detail, peculiar to this Gospel. HEBREW, _and_ GREEK, _and_ LATIN] It was written in three languages, so that it could be read by every one, including foreigners. The evangelist records the fact as symbolising the universality of the gospel.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN] A touch true to life. Pilate, though morally a coward, was obstinate—'by nature obstinate and stubborn'; 'at once self-willed, and implacable' (Philo). 23, 24. THE PARTING OF THE GARMENTS (Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34). St. John alone sees in this incident a fulfilment... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS MOTHER, etc.] According to the AV and RV, only _three_ women are named, but most modern critics hold that four are intended. Translate, therefore, 'His mother, and His mother's sister' (i.e. Salome, the mother of the evangelist); '_and_ Mary the daughter of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala': see furt... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS AND HIS MOTHER. This beautiful episode is peculiar to St. John. Its grace and naturalness, and withal its reticence, speak powerfully for its truth. It took place before the darkness, which St. John does not record.... [ Continue Reading ]
WOMAN, BEHOLD, etc.] Although bearing the sins of the whole world, Jesus was not forgetful of human ties, and solemnly commended his mother to the care of the beloved disciple, St. John. St. John was comparatively wealthy, and was, moreover, the Virgin's nephew, so that the arrangement was in every... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THE SCRIPTURE, etc.] i.e. Psalms 69:21 : cp. Psalms 22:15. Although Jesus mainly based His Messianic claim on His fulfilment of the OT. Scriptures in their widest and most general sense (Luke 24:27; Acts 10:43), yet He attached some importance (though less than the disciples did) to their liter... [ Continue Reading ]
DEATH OF JESUS (Matthew 27:45). The sayings 'I thirst' and 'It is finished' are peculiar to St. John. The former explains, what the synoptics do not, why 'one of them ran and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar,' etc. (Matthew 27:48; Mark 15:35).... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS FINISHED] (the sixth word). All My earthly work, including the world's redemption, is finished. The three synoptists mention Christ's loud cry, but only St. John mentions what He said. St. Luke alone adds the seventh word, which immediately followed. GAVE UP] The death was voluntary—'No man ta... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PREPARATION] i.e. the day before the sabbath (Friday). The sabbath began at sunset on Friday: see on John 19:14. THAT THE BODIES] An accurate account of the Jewish practice, as opposed to that of the Romans, who left corpses to rot on their crosses. The letter of the Law (Deuteronomy 21:22) requ... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SIGN OF THE PIERCED SIDE. A section peculiar to St. John, and claiming expressly to be the testimony of an eyewitness. The knowledge of Jewish and Roman custom displayed in it speaks for its historical truth.... [ Continue Reading ]
PIERCED HIS SIDE] This was done to make sure of His death, and was a common practice at executions. The act was providentially ordered, that it might be made evident that the Resurrection was a resuscitation after a real death, not a mere recovery from a death-like stupor. BLOOD AND WATER] No satisf... [ Continue Reading ]
The eyewitness claims to be the actual author of the Gospel, in spite of the third person: see John 21:24.... [ Continue Reading ]
A BONE OF HIM] In the evangelist's view, Christ's legs were not broken, that it might be thereby made evident that He was the true paschal lamb. The Jews were specially forbidden to break the bones of the Paschal Lamb: see Exodus 12:46.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL LOOK] St. John quotes directly from the Heb. of Zechariah 12:10, which the LXX has mistranslated. We have here a point of contact with Revelation 1:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BURIAL (see Matthew 27:57; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:50). All is in agreement with the synoptists, but there are three additional particulars: (1) That Nicodemus assisted Joseph of Arimathæa; (2) that the tomb was in a garden close by; (3) that the body was embalmed after the Jewish manner with 100 lb... [ Continue Reading ]
MYRRH AND ALOES] The myrrh and the aloe wood were reduced to powder, and inserted between the bandages, which were wound fold upon fold round the body. The enormous quantity (about 75 lb. avoirdupois) of spices, though surprising, is credible as the offering of two wealthy men. According to Jewish a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE JEWS' PREPARATION] see on John 20:14.... [ Continue Reading ]