NLT Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition - Flipbook - Page 69
page 1843
19:12
Luke 23:2
Acts 17:7
19:13
Matt 27:19
•
J ohn 1 9
12 Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release
this man, you are no ‘friend of Caesar.’* Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel
against Caesar.”
13When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down
on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, Gab
batha). 14It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate
said to the people,* “Look, here is your king!”
15“Away with him,” they yelled. “Away with him! Crucify him!”
“What? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
“We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back.
16Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified.
Jesus Is Led Away to Be Crucified
(234/Matthew 27:32-34; Mark 15:21-23; Luke 23:26-31)
So they took Jesus away. 17Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place
of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha).
19:24
†Ps 22:18
19:25
Matt 27:55-56
Mark 15:40-41
Luke 8:2; 23:49
19:26
John 2:4; 13:23;
20:2; 21:7, 20
Jesus Is Placed on the Cross (235/Matthew 27:35-44; Mark 15:24-32; Luke 23:32-43)
18There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either
side, with Jesus between them. 19And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of
Nazareth,* the King of the Jews.” 20The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city,
and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.
21Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of
the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’”
22Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.”
23When the soldiers had crucified J
esus, they divided his clothes among the four of
them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice* for it.” This fulfilled
the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice
for my clothing.”* So that is what they did.
25Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife
of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the
disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” 27And he said to this
disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.
19:12 “Friend of Caesar” is a technical term that refers to an ally of the emperor. 19:14 Greek Jewish people; also
in 19:20. 19:19 Or Jesus the Nazarene.
19:24a Greek cast lots.
19:24b Ps 22:18.
perhaps even his life. When we face a tough decision, we can take the
easy way out or we can stand for what is right regardless of the cost. If
we know the good we ought to do and don’t do it, we sin (James 4:17).
19:13 The Stone Pavement was part of the Tower of Antonia bordering
the northwest corner of the Temple complex.
19:15 The Jewish leaders were so desperate to get rid of Jesus that,
despite their intense hatred for Rome, they shouted, “We have no king but
Caesar.” How ironic that they feigned allegiance to Rome while rejecting
their own Messiah! Their own words condemned them, for God was to
be their only true King, and they had abandoned every trace of loyalty
to him. The priests had truly lost their reason for existence—instead of
turning people to God, they claimed allegiance to Rome in order to kill
their Messiah.
19:17 This place called Golgotha, “the Skull,” was probably a hill outside
Jerusalem along a main road. Tradition says that the rock formation of the
hill looked like a skull. Many were executed in this place so the Romans
could use them as an example to the people who traveled along the road.
19:18 Crucifixion was a Roman form of execution. Those who were
condemned would be forced to carry their crosses along a main road
to their execution site as a warning to the people. Types of crosses and
methods of crucifixion varied. Jesus was nailed to his cross; some people
were tied to theirs with ropes. Either way, death came by suffocation
because the weight of the victim’s body made breathing difficult as they
lost strength. Crucifixion brought a hideously slow and painful death.
19:19 This sign was meant to be ironic. A king stripped nearly naked
and executed in public view had obviously lost his kingdom forever. But
Jesus, who turns the world’s wisdom upside down, was just coming
into his Kingdom. His death and resurrection would strike the death
blow to Satan’s rule and would establish Jesus’ eternal authority over
the earth. Few people reading the sign that bleak afternoon understood
its real meaning, but the sign was absolutely true. All was not lost. Jesus
was King of the Jews—as well as the Gentiles and the whole universe.
19:20 The sign was written in three languages: Hebrew for the native
Jews, Latin for the Roman occupation forces, and Greek for foreigners
and Jews visiting from other lands. Ironically, this sign, by virtue of being
written in multiple languages, declared that Jesus was Lord of all.
19:23-24 Roman soldiers in charge of crucifixions customarily took for
themselves the clothes of the condemned men. They divided Jesus’ clothing and threw dice to determine who would get his seamless garment, his
most valuable piece of clothing. This fulfilled the prophecy in Psalm 22:18.
19:25-27 Even while dying on the cross, Jesus was concerned about his
family. He instructed John to care for Mary, Jesus’ mother. Our families
are precious gifts from God, and we should value and care for them under
all circumstances. Neither Christian work nor key responsibilities in any
job or position excuse us from caring for our families. What can you do
today to show your love to your family?
19:27 Jesus asked his close friend John, the writer of this Gospel, to
care for Jesus’ mother, Mary, whose husband, Joseph, must have been
dead by this time. Why didn’t Jesus assign this task to his brothers? As
the oldest son, Jesus entrusted his mother to a person who stayed with
him at the cross—and that was John. Tradition says that Mary moved to
Ephesus later with John and that both are buried there.
