John 19

The rejection and rebellion of the religious leadership is complete: “We have no king but Caesar.”

Pilate has a religious and superstitious reaction to Jesus being called the “Son of God.” He’s searching for any reason at all to let Jesus go. The Jewish leaders manipulate him to get what they want: “If you let this man go, you are not Caesar’s friend!” Pilate doesn’t want any negative reports of him to go higher up the food chain.

Sobering words: “the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” Judas? Herod?

Pilate seems passive-aggressive with the Jewish leadership (16-22)! Is he just trying to stir them up and get back at them for putting him in an uncomfortable position? Or is there more to it than that?

The soldiers fulfill scripture by throwing dice for Jesus’ garment (23-24). There is a lot of fulfilled Scripture in these verses (Psalm 22:15-8, Psalm 69:21, Psalm 34:20, Zechariah 12:10, Isaiah 53:9, Psalm 22:31).

It sometimes seems that Jesus was somewhat harsh to His mother, but here we see His care (25-27). He was making sure that she was taken care of since He wasn’t going to be around to do it. Jesus’ prior words should be understood from the context of His ongoing honor of her.

Jesus’ mission is finally completed (28-30). It is finished! It is accomplished! He has secured our salvation and can return to glory!

Jesus willingly gave up His spirit (30). He was already dead when the soldiers came around (31-37). The spear thrust into His side was probably included by John to show that He was indeed fully human, as well as fully divine. He deals with this in another writing as well:

2 John 7 “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who don’t confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the Antichrist.”

Thought for the day: Psalm 22 is a marvelous foreshadowing of the cross, and it seems to include the resurrection too!

Psalm 22:21-23 (WEB) “Save me from the lion’s mouth! Yes, you have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen. I will declare your name to my brothers. Among the assembly, I will praise you. You who fear Yahweh, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him! Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, neither has he hidden his face from him; but when he cried to him, he heard.”