Lesson #32

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John

September 21, 2015

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Lesson #02

January 13, 2010

RETURN TO SYLLABUS

JOHN 19:1-37
Lesson #32
JESUS’ POWER OVER LIFE AND DEATH

• Memory verse: Joh 19:11

• The Romans prided themselves on their system of perfect justice and law.
• In this chapter of John we see the breakdown of this justice system that crucified an innocent man.
• In this chapter of John we see some interesting character studies of human nature.
• First we see Pilate’s character as a politician determined to give the people what they wanted even to the point of violating his own conscience.
• Other scriptures corresponding to this chapter in John. (Mat 27:15-26 and 32-56; Mar 15:6-15 and 21-41; Luk 23:18-49)

• Read Joh 19:1-5 Final trial
• Flogging:
• The Roman method of flogging was so brutal, they passed a law that a person could not beat a person more than 40 lashes. In order to prevent flogging for more than 40 lashes, the custom was to stop at 39 lashes.
• However, even 39 lashes was so brutal that some even died before reaching the 39 lashes.
• The Roman method of flogging was so brutal that they passed a law that a Roman citizen could not be flogged. This punishment was kept for foreigners
• Why did Pilate have Jesus flogged when he had determined that Jesus was innocent?
• Pilate was a politician who used expedient compromise in order to please the Jews.
• Pilate hoped the Jews would show mercy on Jesus once they saw Him beaten and humiliated. Pilate underestimated the hatred of the Jews for Jesus.
• Why did Pilate tell the Jews to crucify Jesus themselves when he knew that was against Roman law?
• Pilate said those words in jest because he thought that he had found a way out of the situation.

• Read Joh 19:6-15 Condemned
• Notice the change in the charges against Jesus from treason back to blasphemy. (7)
• Pilate had already compromised justice, so the true charges made no difference. The Jews had Pilate in a very difficult position. Notice Pilate’s fear in verse 8.
• Why did Jesus not answer Pilate in verse 9, when He had patiently answered his questions previously?
• Jesus was fulfilling prophecy.
• Pilate had already rejected the truth in Joh 18:38.
• Pilate’s sin of unbelief:
• Is one sin greater than another sin?
• The Jewish leaders who delivered Jesus to the Romans for crucifixion had the greater sin. (11) They had more spiritual light of truth than did the common people.
• Pilate had committed the sin of unbelief. In respect to the fact that all unforgiven sin separates man from God, there is no difference between sins. However, all sin is forgivable through the blood of Jesus Christ with the exception of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. (Mar 3:29)
• The sin of unbelief is the worst sin because a person cuts himself off from the possibility of forgiveness. Without the conviction of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a person, no one can possibly be saved and forgiven of their sins.
• Pilate was a man of authority. With the responsibility of authority comes accountability to God:
• =1= The soldiers who crucified Christ, did so in violation of their own conscience.
• =2= Pilate sinned against his own conviction that Jesus was innocent.
• =3= The Jewish leaders who held convictions against the will of God, carried out their own plot.
• According to Jesus, this is the greater of the three sins. (11)
• Jesus’ coercion:

• “If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend…” (

12)

• The title, Caesar’s friend, was a prized title begun under Caesar Agustus and continued here under Tiberius Caesar. With the title came wealth and power. Evidently Pilate coveted that title.
• The judgment of Jesus’ case:
• The place called, the Pavement (Gabbatha): (13)
• This was an elevated place of tiled pavement in front of the mansion from where official judgment was performed.
• The discrepancy in time:
• John who wrote this gospel says it was the sixth hour. (19:14)
• This is according to the Roman reckoning of time.
• Mark who wrote the gospel of Mark, says it was the third hour. (Mar 15:25)
• This is according to the Jewish reckoning of time.
• The order of events of the crucifixion:

The Event	Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
9 a.m. (English time)		The third hour Mar 15:25		The sixth hour Joh 19:14
The arrival at Golgotha	Mat 27:33	Mar 15:22	Luk 23:39	Joh 19:17
The pain-killing drink is refused	Mat 27:34	Mar 15:23
The crucifixion between two thieves	Mat 27:35-38	Mar 15:24-28	Luk 23:33-38	Jon 19:18
Jesus says, “Father forgive them”			Luk 23:34
Soldiers part His garments	Mat 27:35	Mar 15:24	Luk 23:34	Joh 19:23
The Jews mock Jesus	Mat 27:39-43	Mar 15:29-32	Luk 23:35
Thieves mock Jesus but one repents	Mat 27:44	Mar 15:32	Luk 23:39-43
Jesus says, “Today ye shall be with me”			Luk 23:43
Jesus says, “Woman behold thy son”				Joh 19:26
From Noon to 3 p.m.(English time). Darkness from the sixth to the ninth hour	Mat 27:45	Mat 15:33	Luk 23:44
Jesus says, “My God, My God ”	Mat 27:46-47	Mar 15:34-36
Jesus says, “I thirst”				Joh 19:28
Jesus says, “It is finished”				Joh 19:30
Jesus says, “Father, into thy hands ”			Luk 23:46
Jesus dismisses His spirit	Mat 27:50	Mar 15:37	Luk 23:46	Joh 19:30

• Some interesting things to notice:
• The seven sayings by Jesus on the cross are marked in blue above.
• The practice of crucifixion began with the Greeks and then the Romans. It ended with the Roman Emperor Constantine who thought that the practice was an insult to Christianity.
• In Joh 19:15 we see the interesting response that the chief priests said to Pilate,”…We have no king but Caesar.”
• Read 1Sam 12:12
• Both Pilate and the Jewish leaders confirmed their own destiny by their denial of God, His will, His Son, and to Godly justice.

• “…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”

(Mat 12:34)

• Read Joh 19:16-37 Crucifixion
• The title on the cross: (20)

• “…JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

(20)

• Pilate had this title written to mock the Jews.
• The title was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
• The Holy Spirit had it written in these three languages:
• In Hebrew to point out to the Jews the truth, for he truly is the King of the Jews.
• Hebrew was the language of religion.
• In Greek to point out to the Greeks that He is the king of wisdom and culture.
• Greek was the language of culture and education.
• In Latin to point out to the Romans that He is king of power, authority, and government.
• Latin was the the language of human law.
• The women at the cross:
• Several women are mentioned as being at the foot of the cross:
• Mary’s sister. This was probably Salome (Mat 27:55 Mar 15:40)
• The mother of James and of John, who wrote the gospel of John.
• Mary, the wife of Clopas. She was the mother of James, the younger and of Joses.
• Mary Magdalene
• Mary, the mother of Jesus
• Why did Jesus give Mary to the disciple John, the author of this gospel, when Jesus had blood brothers and other disciples? (27)
• John was a wealthy man, while the others were not.
• He wanted to leave her in the hands of believer.
• He wanted to break the mother/son bond between Himself and Mary to ease her pain by giving her another son. Jesus would be her Lord and Savior after the crucifixion.
• Mary and John were the two closest to Him. They would best understand each other’s grief.
• Jesus cares about those left alone. He fills that need for love and comfort.
• “…I thirst.”

(28)

• When Jesus was first offered the pain-killing drug (wine mixed with myrrh), He refused it, so that He could fully bear man’s sin and suffering on the cross. Now that the redemption process is complete, He asks for a drink.
• However, it was not the pain-killing drug that He finally took. It was sour wine.
• “…It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost

.“ (30)

• What did Jesus mean by this statement?
• It is a victory cry indicating that the atonement for sin had been completed before he actually died. Literally the phrase means, = it is accomplished, it is fulfilled, or it is paid in full.
• Therefore, His suffering and death on the cross accomplished His purpose, fulfilled prophecy and God’s eternal plan, and paid in full the price of our redemption.
• God provided the means by which He would die, but Jesus was in total control. He gave up his life and He would not die until the task of atonement was complete.
• Notice the hypocrisy of the Jews in verse 31:
• They are concerned with ceremonial holiness preserving the ritual of their religion while violating the essence of it.
• Discussion

: Christians often do the same thing. In what ways do Christians fall into this same pattern?

• Christians who go to church only on Easter and Christmas and for the rest of the year, they ignore the church.
• Christians who claim a relationship with Jesus Christ and put a Bible on the coffee table, but never open it and read God’s Word.
• The broken legs (32)
• Because of the method of crucifixion that required the person to push himself up by his feet in order to take a breath, the legs were often broken to produce an early death.
• The shattering of the legs with a heavy club was as cruel as crucifixion itself.
• Jesus’ legs were not broken to prove three things:
• =1= that Jesus was the Messiah who fulfilled prophecy. (Psa 34:20)
• =2= that Jesus assumed the type of the Passover lamb. The bones of the Passover lamb were not to be broken. (Exo 12:46 Num 9:12)
• =3= to indicate that crucifixion did not kill Jesus but that He gave up His own life and determined the minute He would die.
• The post-mortem:
• Of what did Jesus die?
• Did He die as a result of the flogging as many did?
• No, because He was alive on the cross and spoke to many around Him.
• Did He die of the pierced hands and feet?
• No, because the piercing of hands and feet in the specific areas of the bone did not produce death.
• Did He die of dehydration and thirst as many did?
• No, because He could have taken the drink earlier and refused it.
• Did He die of the excruciating pain?
• No, because He endured to the end until his task was finished.
• Did He die from the piercing of the side by the spear?
• No, He was already dead when the soldier pierced His side.
• The soldiers were surprised that Jesus was already dead. The piercing of the side was a common practice to confirm death.
• Then, from what did His body die?
• He broke His own heart to bring death to His body.
• A membrane enveloping the heart can be filled with a water-like serum in cases of extreme agony extended over a long period of time. When the soldier pierced Jesus’ side, out came water and blood. This tells us four things:
• =1= The amount of suffering must have been tremendous because of the large amount of fluid. (2 teaspoons was normal)
• =2= The fact that there was blood tells us that the heart ruptured, and that is how death came to the body.
• =3= Because there was blood and water tells us that Jesus did, in fact, die on the cross. His death was not a staged act.
• =4= The fact that Jesus was, in fact, fully human with a human body.
• The Bible confirms this post-mortem account when it tells us that the veil in the temple was torn from the top to the bottom at the same moment that Jesus died.
• What was the spiritual significance to the torn veil in the temple?
• Access to God is now open to all who come by way of the shed blood of Jesus Christ because He bore our sins and purchased our forgiveness on the cross. We can now enter into God’s presence boldly and directly. (Heb 4:16)
• The Bible tells us that the torn veil symbolizes the torn body of Jesus Christ.
• “…They shall look on him whom they pierced.”

(37)

• John clearly tells us through this chapter the many points of fulfilled prophecy that Jesus accomplished on the cross.
• The final point of prophecy comes from Zec 12:10.
• This point in prophecy ties together the first coming and the second coming of Jesus to this earth. He was pierced with crucifixion at the first coming, but the Jews will not look on Him with faith until the second coming of Christ.
• Then they will recognize that the crucified Jesus was truly their Messiah, and at the second coming they will receive Him with great mourning.
• Summary:
• What does this passage tell you about Jesus’ power?
• Jesus told Pilate that no man had any power over Him unless it was given to him by God, the Father.
• Therefore, while man thinks he is in control of situations on this planet, it is God who has the ultimate control and power.
• Jesus did not literally die through the process of the crucifixion, but gave up His life willingly. This fact tells us Jesus’ power over life and death.
• He could have come down from the cross at any time.
• He could have struck his enemies with immediate death.
• In His humility He suffered shame and agony. Therefore the greater power was demonstrated in humility rather than force.
• What does this passage tell you about Jesus’ ministry?
• All of Jesus’ life on earth for 3 ? years was pointed toward the cross of crucifixion. This has been the thrust of the gospel of John.
• Jesus came to die for the sins of the people.
• Jesus came to be the King of His people, but they rejected Him.
• Jesus came to fulfill prophecy to prove that God had sent Him. Twenty eight prophecies were fulfilled while He hung on the cross.
• Jesus is the Son of God, who came to this earth as God in human form.

HOMEWORK
John 19:38-42
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application of Joh 19:1-37
• What new things have you learned about the crucifixion?
• How do these new facts affect your faith in Jesus?
• Preparation for Joh 19:38-42
• Read Isa 53
• Relate specific points from Isa 53 that tell you that Jesus had to suffer by no other means except by crucifixion..
• What was the purpose of the crucifixion according to Isa 53?
• According to Isa 53, who was in control of Jesus’ life? What verse tells you this?
• What do all the following scriptures have in common: Gen 22, Lev 16, Psa 22, and Isa 53?
• Read Joh 19:38-42
• Of what significance is the preparation of the body in light of the resurrection? (Joh 20:3-8)

• Memory verse: Isaiah 53:6