Daily Bible Reading (Tuesday, May 1st)

10

John 19 (ESV)

Jesus Delivered to Be Crucified

Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands.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.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 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 Jews[a] answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 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?” 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.”

12 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.” 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[b] Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour.[c] He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 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.” 16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

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. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.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. 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.’”22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic.[d] 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.”

So the soldiers did these things, 25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.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.

The Death of Jesus

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 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. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Jesus' Side Is Pierced

31 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. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 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. 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.”

Jesus Is Buried

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.39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus[e] by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds[f] in weight. 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. 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. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Footnotes:

  1. John 19:7 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verses 12143138
  2. John 19:13 Or Hebrew; also verses 1720
  3. John 19:14 That is, about noon
  4. John 19:23 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin
  5. John 19:39 Greek him
  6. John 19:39 Greek one hundred litras; a litra (or Roman pound) was equal to about 11 1/2 ounces or 327 grams

10 Comments

Four times this chapter mentions what happened to Christ was a fulfillment of Scriptures. The crucifixion was not merely the result of the actions of Pilate or the Jewish leaders, but Christ was "delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God" (Acts 2:23). How amazing God is that He knows the end from the beginning. He always keeps His word. We can trust Him and His Word.

V.38-40 struck me this morning as I thought of the job that Joseph of Aramathea and Nicodemus would have had in preparing Jesus’ body for burial. A body that was so badly beaten and torn that He was beyond recognition. When all the disciples had scattered and were in hiding, these two men remained. Unknown to them they were fulfilling prophecy and preparing His body for the greatest day in History, when the grave clothes would be folded and He would walk out of the tomb. What an amazing job these two unlikely followers had in Jesus’ death. Praying that the death of Jesus would bring many more unlikely followers to their knees because they look upon the one they have pierced.

"As I lay down my pen, let me record my immovable conviction that His is the noblest service in which any human being can spend or be spent; and that, if God gave me back my life to be lived over again, I would without one quiver of hesitation lay it on the altar to Christ, that He might use it as before in similar ministries of love, especially among those who have never yet heard the name of Jesus...God gave His best, His Son, to me; and I give back my best, my all, to Him." - John G. Paton

IT IS FINISHED!!! The best words a sinner could hear. Jesus paid it all. My salvation rests completely in what He accomplished. Thank you Lord!

Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” My bible notes say that ‘Pilate’s notice was a public announcement of the kingship of Christ.’ And so it is.

So thankful for God’s perfect plan to atone for our sins.

Christ sacrificed Himself for us, His enemies; so that we might become fellow heirs with Him. What amazing love! Oh Lord, help me to follow your example of love and love those around me like you do.

Pilate missed his opportunity to live boldly for the Kingdom as he handled the judgement of Jesus. He was weak, afraid, timid, persuaded and passive when it came to handling the people and fate of Christ. It’s easy to read this chapter and see so clearly how Pilate missed the mark, but when I examine my own heart I see an eerie resemblance to Pilate’s actions and decisions. Holy God forgive me of my laziness and weak pursuit of your throne. Thank you for sending and crushing your Son so that I can be forgiven of all my sins. Continue to change my heart and make me more like Jesus. Amen!

Pilate's pragmatism stood out to me today. He may have sympathized with Christ,

"From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out.."

There's even reason to believe that Pilate believed Jesus' testimony.

"Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”"

"Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”"

But nevertheless, pragmatism not principle ruled over him. He did what he had to do to maintain approval of the crowd. What worked, was killing Christ.

I need to resist the slip into pragmatism. I may be tempted to box up the truth to maintain the illusion of peace. I may be tempted to follow Christ from a safe distance, or to invest myself in more than just Him for 'safety'.

But I need to be ruled by principle, and that, prudent application of the Word. Not pragmatism.

This morning, Pilate’s perversion of justice and failure in leadership make me sick. He had the opportunity to lead the Gentiles in justice and be a light of justice to the Jews, but he absolutely wasted that opportunity, scourging the righteous King who will bring perfect justice to this earth one day. I pray, Father, that I would be convicted by your Spirit to uphold justice and righteousness at every opportunity that it might shine the light of Christ to a dark world that hates Him.

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