JOHN CHAPTER 19 - CRUCIFIXION, DEATH, BURIAL

John Chapter 19 – Lesson 1

Behold the Man - Crucify Him!

John 19:1 (ESV) Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him.

Pilate did not personally flog Jesus, but he gave the order to have Him flogged. The Romans flogged men using a cat-o-nine-tails – a whip made of multiple strands of leather with shards of metal or pieces of bone attached. These would dig into the skin and tear the flesh as the whip was pulled back often exposing muscles, veins, or even bones. Many victims of this torture died. It was dehumanizing as the back, sides, and sometimes even front of the torso more closely resembled hamburger than flesh. This was the punishment that sinful humanity deserved; but Jesus, the sinless Lamb, endured it in our place. Jesus was the only acceptable sacrifice due to His sinless, perfect life. Just as God provided the sacrificial lamb to take the place of Abraham’s son Isaac, He now provided the perfect lamb to die as the final sacrifice in our place ending the need for the sacrificial system.

John 19:2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands.

The soldiers mocked Jesus by placing a crown of large thorns on His head digging into the flesh. They placed a purple robe (signifying royalty) on His shoulders and made a show of bowing to “the king.” They humiliated Him gleefully, striking Him on the face which is an insult. These tormentors were almost robotic, unthinking, no longer recognizing the victim as a human being. Their consciences were seared. The prophet Isaiah described this precise scene hundreds of years before:

Isaiah 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

How long our Lord endured this, we are not told. He could have called for angelic protection, but He did not. Calling down angels would have been contradictory to the Father’s plan. He knew all of this was necessary to fulfill His purpose – to redeem those the Father had given Him.

John 19:4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!”

Pilate reiterated that he believed Jesus to be innocent of any crime, falsely accused. He presented Jesus after the beating to try to stir up some sympathy within the crowd. But he found none. He said, “Behold the man.” At this point Jesus would be almost unrecognizable due to swelling and bleeding. Many scholars say He looked barely human. Pilate was trying to show that Jesus could not be the danger the Jews had made Him out to be. I would venture to propose that Pilate was disgusted, but his hands were tied.

Matthew 27:24 (KJV) When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

Pilate wanted to make sure he did not take the blame for having Jesus killed, so he “washed his hands of the whole affair” which is probably where we got that phrase.

John 19:6 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 chief priests and officers exhibited no mercy or compassion. They were not moved by Jesus’ pitiful appearance at all. They were determined to have Jesus killed because they were being maneuvered by evil. They demanded not only that Jesus be executed but that he die by the cruelest means known to their society – crucifixion. However, the Father was using their evil minds to actualize His purposes. All of this did not catch God or Jesus by surprise. It was a part of their plan to satisfy the wrath of God toward sin in order to save those who would believe. Pilate told the Jews to do it themselves, kill Jesus themselves, because he saw no law broken. He found Jesus to be guiltless. But as we will see in the next lesson, the Jews would not leave it at that.

Q – Do you ever close your eyes and picture how Jesus must have looked after all this abuse?  I know it is not a pleasant thing to do. However, realizing that He went through all that for me, intensifies my gratitude. If you allow yourself to imagine the physical pain as well as the mental anguish, then remember that you were the one who deserved to go through it, I believe you will be on your knees praising Jesus for saving you and exalting His name from glory to glory.

Chapter 19 – Lesson 2

Jesus Before Pilate Again

John 19:7 (ESV) 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.”

We ended the last lesson with Pilate saying if the Jews wanted Jesus crucified they should go do it themselves. He did not want to be their puppet or scape goat. Since the Jews were such “loyal” law-abiding citizens of a Roman colony, they could not legally execute someone. So they explained why Jesus should be put to death according to Jewish Law. The Jews viewed Jesus as a blasphemer because in many discourses He proclaimed Himself to be the Son of God which would indicate a definite claim to equality with God.

John 19:8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid.

Why would Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God make Pilate more fearful? First and foremost, he may have wondered, “What if Jesus really is the Son of God?” If He was, Pilate would have to answer to God. If Jesus was not the Son of God, Pilate would have to answer to Rome because only Caesar could claim equality with the gods. Either way Pilate was in a royal pickle!

John 19:9 He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.

Pilate tried to evoke an incriminating answer from Jesus. I think He was hoping Jesus would declare He came directly from God making Him guilty under Roman law of equating Himself with Caesar. But Jesus did not answer at all.

Reformation Study Bible:

But Jesus gave him no answer. Jesus’ submission to arrest and trial is part of His surrender as a self-offering.

Jesus had already made the decision before time began, before HIStory began to be recorded, to become the sacrificial lamb. So He remained silent:

Isaiah 53:7 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.

Jesus had nothing to say because He was tenaciously determined to persevere in obedience to His Father and fulfill His purpose as the sacrificial Lamb of God in order to save believers and increase His forever family.

John 19:10 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?”

Pilate is like, “Don’t you know who I am?!” He rebuked Jesus for not answering and reminded Him that he had the power to grant Jesus life or sentence Him to death. Pilate was letting Jesus know that He should want Pilate in His corner. But Pilate did not realize he was powerless to do anything that God the Father had not ordained.

John 19:11 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.”

People only have the authority that God gives us, including rulers like Pilate. All authority ultimately comes from THE AUTHORITY – God.

Romans 13:1 (ESV) Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

Pilate could only do what God allowed him to do, but in this instance God was allowing him to have Jesus crucified for His ultimate glory. This was necessary for Jesus’ earthly mission to be completed.

Q – Are you in a position of authority in your home, work, or church? Do you have the responsibility to lead people and make important decisions? Remember that you have been placed in this position by God and pray for Him to enable you to carry out this purpose to His glory. Also, remember that those in authority over you only have as much power as God allows. We are to submit to earthly authority, but we are also to remember that if an earthly leader commands us to do something contrary to the will of God, we must choose God’s will. We can trust that choosing to follow God is the best path even if it leads to persecution because God is ultimately in control and is the supreme Authority.

John Chapter 19 – Lesson 3

Crucify Him!

John 19:12 (ESV) 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.”

Pilate was in hot water for his compassionate desire to free Jesus. He may have also been fearful that Jesus just might be who He said He was. He probably had trepidations about the whole matter by this time. On the one hand, Pilate found Jesus to be an innocent man; but on the other, the Jews were now saying that Jesus’ claim to be a king was an affront to Caesar. So Pilate found himself between a rock and a hard place. He found himself between The Rock and the osmium-headed (denser than lead) Jewish leaders.

John 19:13 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.

Pilate sat down to make the final judgement in the case, but according to Matthew’s gospel, he was interrupted by an urgent message from his wife:

Matthew 27:19 (CJB) While he was sitting in court, his wife sent him a message, “Leave that innocent man alone. Today in a dream I suffered terribly because of him.”

Pilate had pressure from the governmental front, the Jewish religious front, and now the home front. His wife warned him to have nothing to do with the case, but it was a little late for that.

John 19:14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”

According to the Roman way of reckoning time, this would have been about 6:00 a.m. Pilate called Jesus the king of the Jews. Some commentators believe he was mocking the Jews that the seemingly pathetic figure before them was their king. Perhaps he was trying to point out how ridiculous they appeared for thinking Jesus could be a threat to them. I believe Pilate was beginning to believe that Jesus was the King of the Jews. Some historians record that Pilate’s wife eventually became a believer.

John 19:15 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.”

Impatient to see their plan carried out, the Jews shouted, “Crucify him!” Pilate again referred to Jesus as their king, but they claimed to have no king but Caesar. They failed to acknowledge even God the Father as their king! The Jews were not the executioners, but they provided the false testimony that placed the nails in Jesus’ hands and feet. 

John 19:16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.

Basically, Pilate gave in to their demands because he saw that he was on a virtual hamster wheel. The Jews were relentless in their determination to see Jesus die. Matthew’s gospel reports that He washed His hands of Jesus’ blood and turned Him over to the Jews to be crucified. Of course, Roman soldiers would carry out the sentence; but Pilate was making it clear that he was acquiescing to the Jews’ demands without approving of them.

Matthew 27:24 (NASB) When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.”

Had Pilate allowed the situation to develop into a full-blown riot, he would be seen as not keeping control of the citizens which would be political suicide.

Q – We may see Pilate as a gutless wonder, but there was much at stake for him as he could be removed from being governor in Jerusalem and sent to some terrible outpost by Caesar. Also, remember that Pilate was not a Christian, so he did not have the benefit of the Holy Spirit to guide his decisions and give him strength to stand up for what was right. If you are a believer, you do have that power within you. Do you take time to pray before judging a situation or dealing with an issue? Do you ask the Lord for strength to do the right thing even though it may be viewed as the wrong thing by non-believers or even other believers?

John Chapter 19 – Lesson 4

The Crucifixion

John 19:16b (ESV) So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.

Jesus began the trek up to Golgotha carrying the cross Himself, but apparently in His weakened condition, He could not continue:

Mark 15:21 (NASB) They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross.

So the soldiers forced a bystander to carry it for Him. His name was Simon, and he was from Cyrene, a city in present day Libya. Jesus told His disciples that anyone who wanted to be his disciple needed to take up his cross and follow Him. In this instance, Simon did even more than that because he literally carried the cross of Jesus. His service is a picture of true discipleship. Simon’s sons were their witnessing these things. They probably had a lot of questions for their father as they traveled home, asking him to explain what they had just seen. Ray Boltz imagined the scene in his song “Watch the Lamb.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNT1AThOgME

Most biblical scholars agree that the Rufus mentioned in Romans 16:13 was the son of Simon of Cyrene.

John 19:18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.

We are told by Matthew and Mark that the other two men were robbers. Luke describes the repentance and belief of one of the thieves in Luke 23:41-43. Even in the last moments of Jesus’ life, He was a polarizing force. He was sandwiched between one who called Him Lord and trusted that Jesus would live beyond His death on the cross and the other screaming obscenities at him. Jesus told the thief on one side, the believing one, that they would be together in Paradise that very day. The other had made his choice by rejecting Christ, a choice of forever separation from God, a choice of Hell.

John 19:19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek.

Usually, the criminal’s crime was written on a plaque. Pilate wrote that Jesus was the King of the Jews. Pilate did not want anyone to miss the inscription, so it was written in the three most common languages of the area. This could have been a final dig at the Jewish religious leaders. Pilate saw that the Jewish leaders were being osmium heads (dense) in their insistence that he sentence this innocent man to death. If Pilate was beginning to see the possibility of the reality that Jesus could be who He said He was, then he may have been thinking, “How could these teachers of the Jewish Law, students of God’s word, not see that Jesus was their Messiah?”

John 19:21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’”

The Jewish leaders wanted to make clear that they did not recognize Jesus as King of the Jews but that He was being crucified for the crime of blasphemy, claiming to be their King and their God. They tried to order Pilate what to write, but he would not have it.

John 19:22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

Pilate would not be moved. The inscription remained as he had ordered it written.

Q – Which side of Jesus are you on? Are you with the believing thief who was saved and carried to Heaven? Or do you stand with the one rejecting his last chance for redemption? There is no in between. You are either for Jesus or against Him. You either trust Him or reject Him. Where do you stand today? And remember, you are not guaranteed tomorrow!

John Chapter 19 – Lesson 5

Jesus on the Cross

John 19:23 (ESV) When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,

“They divided my garments among them,

    and for my clothing they cast lots.”

The outer garments, shoes, belt, etc. plus an outer robe or coat were divvied up among the executioners who chose to cut the coat into four pieces. However, they did not want to cut up the tunic which was woven without any seams. The tunic was like a gown worn close to the body and dress length or longer. This must have been the truly sought after garment because they chose to cast lots to determine who would own it. This was in fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy in Psalm 22:18. The tunic was like the man’s underwear, so removing it left Jesus humiliatingly naked and exposed. He would have been vulnerable to the elements and the ridicule of onlookers. A former student of mine was witnessing to his mother. She said, “Thinking of an all-seeing, all-knowing God makes me feel naked; and I don’t like that feeling.” Her fourth-grader son replied, “Mom, Jesus was naked for you on the cross, so I think you could feel naked for Him.” We are completely exposed to our Lord which should give us pause when we contemplate sinful actions.

Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Jesus was able to bear the pain and humiliation by anticipating the joy that was His in bringing more brothers and sisters into His forever family and in returning to His rightful place at God’s throne.

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

God declares those who trust Him to be His precious jewels, His treasure (Malachi 3:17a) So Jesus was bringing jewels into the treasury through His death, burial, and resurrection.

John 19:24b So the soldiers did these things,

John 19:25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

The key women in Jesus’ life stood bravely nearby as He was raised up on the cross. Imagine the sorrow and grief His mother and those dearest friends must have felt. Imagine the humiliation for Jesus in His humanity to be naked before these ladies.

John 19:26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Jesus spoke from the cross, in essence giving the care of His mother over to the apostle John. Why not to one of His half-brothers, James or Jude? God the Father had sped up the relationship between Jesus and John as they walked closely together over the span of Jesus’ earthly ministry, about three and a half years. Jesus knew within His sovereignty that He would be going away and leaving His mother behind. Perhaps He had groomed John for this very purpose. Jesus knew that John would take care of Mary just as He would if He were still present on the earth. James and Jude did not even become believers until after the resurrection. John was one of the closest to Jesus as evidenced by the fact that he consistently refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” or the “Beloved Disciple.”

John 19:28  After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”

Jesus made seven statements from the cross:

Luke 23:34: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.

Luke 23:43: Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.

John 19:26–27: Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother.

Matthew 27:46 & Mark 15:34 My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?

John 19:28: I thirst.

John 19:30: It is finished. (From the Greek "Tetelestai" which is also translated "It is accomplished.")

Luke 23:46: Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.

John does not record all of them. He did not write about the extreme, although temporary, feeling of separation Jesus felt as the magnitude of our sin bore down upon Him and the Father could not look upon that sin. At that moment He asked, “Why have You forsaken me?” But John does record His thirst.

John 19:29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth.

Even the simple true statement that Jesus was thirsty was a fulfillment of Old Testament scripture. God is in control of even the smallest details!

Psalm 69:21 They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

The soldiers intended the sour wine (vinegar) to prolong life and, therefore, agony for their victim. However, it opened up Jesus’ airways and lubricated His vocal cords so that He could sing declarative praises to the Father. He could cry out in a loud voice, “It is finished!” meaning paid in full or completed. Jesus had paid the debt for our sin and had fulfilled the Father’s plan. Or as Julius Caesar is quoted as saying, “Veni, Vidi, Vici!” which translated is “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Only Jesus truly did conquer death once and for all!

John 19:30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Other translations make it clear that Jesus willingly gave up His spirit. In Luke 23:46, Jesus entrusts His spirit to the Father. In these last two “words” from the cross, Jesus was “singing” praise to the Father. By Jesus’ willing obedience even to death on the cross, he declared victory over sin. He praised God for fulfilling His plan of salvation through Him and for receiving Him back into His rightful place at the throne.

Q – Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” He had completed the work necessary for our salvation. There is nothing we can do or need to do except receive the “free” gift for which Jesus gave His life. It is free to us but was costly to Him. It is not a cheap gift. It cost our Savior much agony and even His life to purchase our salvation. It cost the Lord everything He had. It cost the Father His most precious gift - Jesus. Praise the Lord, He lives again; but that does not negate the price He paid. Do you treat this gift as the most valued treasure in your life? Do your words and actions daily show your gratitude to the Lord? Think about His agony. Maybe watch Mel Gibson’s film “The Passion of the Christ.” Allow yourself to feel the intense pain of our Lord. Then you may not be tempted to treat His gracious gift lightly.

John Chapter 19 – Lesson 6

Prophecy Fulfilled – He was Pierced

John 19:31(ESV) Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.

Jesus was dying on the cross at the same time the Passover lambs would be sacrificed and prepared for the Passover Feast on Friday evening. Jesus and His disciples had celebrated Passover the night before (Thursday) due to two ways of reckoning days by Jews from different areas (MacArthur Bible Commentary). This allowed for the lambs to be sacrificed over four hours instead of two since each family brought a lamb for sacrifice. So the final, perfect Lamb was slain at Passover which celebrated the angel of death passing over the houses of the Jews in Egypt who had the blood of the sacrificial lamb on their doorposts. How fitting that Jesus conquered sin and death on the day of celebrating deliverance from death! Jesus’ blood was not painted on the door posts of the homes. It was pouring out on the cross creating a doorway to heaven, the way for those dead in their sins to be made alive in Him.

            The Romans usually left the person on the cross until he/she died naturally of suffocation due to no longer having the strength to push with their legs to rise up and breathe. Then they left the corpse on the cross for the birds to feast on.  However, this was not permitted by Jewish law, so the Jewish leaders asked that those on the cross have their legs broken rather than be hanging there on the Passover Sabbath.

Deuteronomy 21:22-23 (NASB) If someone guilty of a capital offense is put to death and their body is exposed on a pole, you must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that same day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse. You must not desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Jesus was cursed on our behalf as He bore all of our sin on the cross.

Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”

Even the manner of death Jesus suffered fulfilled prophecy and had been planned from the foundation of the world.

John 19:32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him.

Jesus was a polarizing agent even until His last breath. One thief recognized and received Him as the Son of God and was re-united with Him in Paradise. The other rejected Him and was separated from Him for all eternity. The breaking of their legs was actually seen as a merciful act as it shortened the duration of their excruciating suffering. With broken legs, they could no longer rise up to breathe and would die quickly.

John 19:33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

When it was Jesus’ turn to have His legs broken, it was a moot point because He had already released His spirit into the Father’s arms. Since Jesus was the Father’s paschal offering that would end the sacrificial system, according to God’s instructions His legs were not to be broken. The Passover Lamb was to have no broken bones, and Jesus was the Passover Lamb.

Exodus 12:46 (NIV) It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones.

 Num. 9:12 (NIV) They must not leave any of it till morning or break any of its bones. When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations.

However, even though they did not break Jesus’ legs, one soldier decided to thrust his spear in Jesus’ side to make sure He was truly dead.

John 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.

It was as if the soldier viewed Jesus as an animal he was gutting. John puts in this detail as proof that Jesus was definitely, irrefutably dead, beyond all questioning or doubt.

John 19:35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe.

John is here referring to himself as an eyewitness of the crucifixion. Imagine John seeing his very own Lord, the Messiah he trusted, his best friend and confidant, expiring in such a gruesome way. His heart was surely wrenching with anguish, sorrow, and pain. He had entrusted His life to Jesus as being equal with God and had placed all his hope in Him. Now Hope was dead, hanging on a cross! John now had not only the responsibility to follow in His ways by teaching what He taught but, also, the responsibility of looking after Jesus’ mother as Jesus would if He were there. Much later John wrote these painful memories in his Gospel that others would believe his testimony and trust in Jesus.

John 19:36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”

Even the brutal piercing of Jesus’ side was a fulfillment of prophecy:

Zechariah 12:10 (MSG)           “Next I’ll deal with the family of David and those who live in Jerusalem. I’ll pour a spirit of grace and prayer over them. They’ll then be able to recognize me as the One they so grievously wounded—that piercing spear-thrust! And they’ll weep—oh, how they’ll weep! Deep mourning as of a parent grieving the loss of the firstborn child.

Jesus went through a multiplicity of afflictions in order to be our Redeemer, our substitute, our perfect sacrificial Lamb.

Q – Have you ever taken a lengthy period of time to just meditate on Jesus, the Suffering Servant? Have you thought about all the prophecies He fulfilled even in His last days on earth? The only word that truly describes it all is amazing. Amazing Love, Amazing Sacrifice, Amazing Grace. We frivolously use the words awesome and amazing to describe worldly, comparatively small accomplishments. Meditate today with amazement at all our awesome Lord has done for us!

John Chapter 19 – Lesson 7

Jesus’ Burial

John 19:38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body.

Joseph of Arimathea was an incognito disciple of Jesus. He kept his trust in Jesus a secret for fear of reprisals by others of the Jewish religious leadership. Remember, we have brought out in earlier passages that those who professed belief in Jesus as the Messiah were thrown out of the synagogues.

Luke 23:50-51 (NIV) Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God.

Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin who was not in agreement with their condemnation of Jesus. He was probably not there when the decision was made to deliver Jesus to Pilate to be crucified. Otherwise, he surely would have been a dissenting vote. I have a feeling that the leaders only gathered those they knew would vote with them to condemn Jesus. The reason they met secretly at night was so the vote would not be muddled up by those who were for Jesus like Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.

Matthew 27:59-60 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

Joseph was bold enough to ask Pilate to allow him to take Jesus’ body for burial, and Pilate granted his request. Preparing a body for burial is a very intimate exercise, especially as it was done in the day of Jesus by family or friends. The incognito duo of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus became bold enough to ask for Jesus’ body and perform this final service for their Lord. After Joseph of Arimathea was allowed to remove Jesus from the cross, he laid him in his very own tomb. He wrapped the body in linen with spices as was the custom, but he did not perform this task alone.

John 19:39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.

Remember Nicodemus from John chapter three? He came to Jesus at night to ask Him questions. Now he comes in the daylight to assist in preparing Him for burial. Seventy-five pounds is only 25 pounds less than I weighed when I was 5’1”! That’s a lot of aromatic spices and a lot of money put into perfume!

John 19:40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.

They were having to commence with the preparations speedily because it was almost time for the Sabbath. Wrapping a body for burial would be considered work and would also render them “unclean” for a period of time because touching a dead body caused defilement under the law.

John 19:41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.

As we already pointed out, that tomb belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. Jesus was the first to occupy this tomb but only for three short days.

John 19:42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Joseph offered his tomb because he loved the Lord, and it was in close proximity to Golgotha, the place called “the skull” where the Lord was crucified. As stated earlier, when they were finished wrapping Jesus’ body, the men left after rolling a large stone in front of the entrance.

Q – Joseph and Nicodemus had been secret disciples but loved Jesus enough to take care of His burial. They probably faced repercussions from the Jewish authorities for this action, but did it anyway. Do you fear what people will think of you if you stand up boldly for Jesus? Lay those fears aside and worship Him wholeheartedly in all you do. Demonstrate your love for Him by coming out of disguise and allowing your intimacy with the Lord to shine out through your face.