The Crucifixion Of The King

John 19:1-37

As I write today’s devotional, it is early morning on Good Friday, one of the holiest and most sacred days of the year for a Christian.  Our Scripture passage for today is from the Gospel of John, and gives his account of Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea, and His crucifixion.  Let’s see what message the Lord might have for us from this passage of His Word.

The Jewish religious leaders had long sought to have Jesus put to death, and had arrested Him.  Since they were not allowed to execute anyone, they needed to bring Jesus to the governor, Pontius Pilate. In the previous chapter of John’s gospel, Pilate had interrogated Jesus, and found nothing in Him that was deserving of death, so he sought to have Him released.  The Pharisees and other religious leaders were not going to settle for that, and here we see fear and weakness take over a normally strong and harsh man. Pilate was afraid that if word got back to Rome of an insurrection, or some other trouble in his jurisdiction, he would be removed from his position, and maybe imprisoned (vs. 12-13).  Rather than doing what he knew to be right and just, and setting Jesus free, he took the cowardly way, gave in to the Jews, and thus safeguarded his position. How often do we let fear rule our decisions, sometimes even leading us to do or decide something we know isn’t right, just to save our own skin?

The Jewish leaders brought the accusation against Jesus of blasphemy (vs. 7), which was a capital crime for them, but not for Rome.  So they added a charge of treason against Rome, no crime in Jewish eyes, but definitely for Rome (vs. 12). The religious leaders wanted Jesus dead so badly they even verbally gave allegiance to Caesar and Rome, even though they hated Rome’s authority (vs. 15). They feigned allegiance to Rome, and rejected their Messiah. Their own words condemned them. God was to be their only King, and they abandoned all loyalty to Him. The religious leaders were to turn people to God, and here they were killing their Messiah.

Pontius Pilate had Jesus flogged (vs. 1), which was often so severe that it sometimes killed a man even before his execution.  The rough Roman soldiers went beyond their orders, and also mocked the claims Jesus’ accusers made of Him being a king, making a crown of thorns and forcing it on His head (vs. 2-3).  That crown of thorns is more valuable than the Crown Jewels kept in the Tower of London, coated in the Blood of the Savior! He bore that for love of us!

Pilate’s phrase, “Behold the Man!” (vs. 5) was sarcastic, as he was attempting to show the Jewish authorities that Jesus was not the dangerous man they made Him out to be.  Pilate even put a sign on Jesus’ cross that read “King of the Jews” (vs. 19-22). Though he had yielded earlier, Pilate stood firm on this, against the religious leader’s arguments.  Despite how it looked, the sign was true. Jesus was just now coming into His Kingdom. His death and resurrection defeated Satan. Jesus is King of the Jews, Gentiles, and the whole universe.

Jesus’ final words, “It is finished!” (vs. 30) really means “Paid in full”.  We all have a sin debt that must be paid, but we have no way to pay it. Jesus took our sin upon Himself, and wiped those sins out with His Blood (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:20).  No one can condemn us now, as Jesus paid the penalty in full. With His death, the sacrificial system of the Jewish Law ended.

Many non believers have argued that Jesus didn’t really die on the cross, but passed out, and later revived in the coolness of the tomb. The Apostle John squashes that argument in verses 32-35. The soldier’s spear pierced the sac which surrounds the heart, and which contains a clear fluid (looking like water).  By piercing this sac, the heart was also pierced. This is proof that Jesus was dead, not just passed out. In addition to John being a witness to this, the Roman soldiers were impartial witnesses.  They had seen enough executions to know when someone was dead or not.

All that Jesus went through on that first Good Friday, the flogging, verbal and physical abuse, carrying a heavy cross through the streets, and crucifixion, He endured for love of us.  “Jesus loves me. This I know, for the Bible tells me so!”