It’s Tuesday! We’re reading John 19 this week. It’s Good Friday a few days late. But that’s okay, we already know that Easter is coming/has come. This gives us a chance to slow down and remember the horrific things Jesus went through to rescue and restore us, to put us in right standing with God the Father. To make our lives eternally safe even through suffering and horrible events we might have to go through while we’re here on earth. Your faith is your assurance that you will be eternally safe. So let’s prayerfully go through this chapter. I’m so glad you’re here.
Let’s Pray:
Lord Jesus thank You for what You’ve done for us. Thank You for each word the beloved John wrote to help us understand what You went through to save me. I ask, please, help us truly understand everything You want us to. Thank You, Lord. In Your precious name I pray. Amen.
I’m reading the NIV, if you don’t have one, go here. Get something to write with and on and possibly a highlighter and you’ll be ready.
Read John 19:1-3
Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified
Who sent Jesus to be flogged?
In the Roman Empire, flagellation was often used as a prelude to crucifixion, and in this context is sometimes referred to as scourging. Most famously according to the gospel accounts, this occurred prior to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Whips with small pieces of metal or bone at the tips were commonly used. – Wikipedia
What color was the robe?
Try to imagine all of this. What one thing did the soldiers have right in all of this?
Read John 19:4-5
“No basis for a charge” yet he’d sent him for a flogging. Can you picture Jesus in this? How awful he must have felt, physically and emotionally. And He knows what is ahead too. It’s simply amazing He chose to do this because we are so loved.
Read John 19:6-7
Listen, you can still hear it.
Pilate repeats himself… “I find __________________.”
Write out the last part of verse 7 beginning with ‘he’.
I watched Good Friday Worldwide on Good Friday. It was hosted by Chris Tomlin and had Max Lucado preaching and in Max’s sermon he’s talking about John and how it isn’t until after the resurrection that John professes belief, yet John is writing all of this so that we might believe. Jesus didn’t just claim to be the Son of God. He is the Son of God. He is the Ruler of all, the one far above all rule and authority, power and dominion and every name that is invoked not only in the present age but also in the one to come; for us, his ekklesia, his gathering, his church. Read Ephesians 1:21-22.
Read John 19:8-11
What emotion did Pilate feel?
Write the second sentence in Jesus’ response.
Read John 19:12-16a
Pilate may want to set Jesus free but his fear of Caesar is greater than his fear of God.
Preparation of the Passover – bedikat chametz
On the night of the fourteenth of Nisan, the night before the Passover Seder… – wikipedia
“We must take note that on the fourteenth day, at the same hour the lamb was being sacrificed at the Temple, Jesus, the Lamb of God, was also being crucified on the cross.”*
*Norten, Michael. Unlocking the Secrets of the Feasts (p. 27). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
Read John 19:16b-18
The Crucifixion of Jesus
I like how John just states the facts here. Other gospel writers expand this event. It’s horrific and humiliating and it doesn’t get better but still, we’ll see Jesus is who He says He is in the next few verses.
Read John 19:19-22
I can not more highly recommend this book…
“More and more facts began to unfold in my research. I was talking further with David Schiller, my Jewish teacher and friend, about what I had learned about the shepherds and the lambs. He amazed me with some more historical insights. He explained that each Jewish family would put the family name around the neck of their lamb that they took to the Temple to be sacrificed. They did this to make sure they received their own lamb back for the Passover dinner. I wondered if there was any significance to this piece of trivia. As I was contemplating this, Schiller pointed out to me a particular object found in most of the paintings of Christ on the cross. There was a small sign at the top of the cross that looked like four letters: “INRI.” I discovered that this was an abbreviation abbreviation of the sign that Pontius Pilot placed on the cross as seen in John 19:19: “Pilate also wrote an inscription, and put it on the cross. It was written, ‘JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.’ ” I learned that the letters were the first letters of each of the nouns in the inscription in Latin. I contacted my daughter Ruth, who is very good with Latin, and asked her to show me the inscription in the Latin Vulgate. That confirmed it: “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum” (INRI). Then Schiller opened my eyes to an incredible observation. Since the inscription had been in three languages—Latin, Greek, and Hebrew—he transliterated it for me from Hebrew to English. I saw before me these words: “Y’Shua HaNatzri V’Melech HaYehudim.” I was absolutely stunned when I took the first letters of each of these words. It spelled “YHVH,” the Tetragrammaton form of the name of God! YHVH and YHWH can be used interchangeably. When this technique of abbreviating is used, the title on the cross in the actual Hebraic script undeniably reveals the name of God. In English, the name is pronounced “Yahweh!” Just like the Jews put their family name on their lamb for sacrifice at the Temple, God put His name on His Lamb for His family, which includes you and me! God gave us so many pictures in order that we could understand the magnitude of His loving grace!”*
* Norten, Michael. Unlocking the Secrets of the Feasts (p. 29-30). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
Read John 19:23-24
Yes, this specific act also fulfills Scripture, but do you see anything in their wish to not tear it? Which Scripture did their decision fulfill? Psalm 22:18.
Read John 19:25-27
Love. Provision. For the both of them. Both John and Mary, Jesus’ mother, were provided for with these words Jesus gave them. He is our provision as well.
Read John 19:28-30
The Death of Jesus
So that the Scripture would be _________, one last one before it’ll be done. And when He says “It is Finished.” He does so with power and victory and likely a whole lot of joy. Then ‘He bowed His head and gave up his spirit.’
Read John 19:31
It was the Day of Preparation which is the day before Passover and Passover day is a holy day. It’s a special Sabbath, you can read about it in Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16. Of course they didn’t want bodies hanging on crosses during their Sabbath day. Why would they want to be reminded of what they did the day before a Sabbath day? It’s horrific.
Read John 19:32-37
Every Scripture will be fulfilled. The footnotes tell you where the ones John keeps mentioning are located. The ones yet to be will eventually be fulfilled. Read your Bible. There are at least 300 in the Old Testament alone.
Read John 19:38-42
The Burial of Jesus
Joseph is mentioned in a few other places, he’s a well-to-do believer. Nicodemus a member of the council. Both are men with faith. How much did the myrrh and aloes mixture weigh? What else did they have with them?
This was a last gift. Really, I can’t recommend that Good Friday Worldwide video more, it’s still on Youtube if you want to see it, Max spends time talking about Joseph and Nicodemus. What I find amazing is they did all this despite the fact that it was the Jewish day of Preparation and they would soon need to be done. Write verse 40. See verse 42. John is always well aware of what time it is.
I’m going to include this because this is the Good Friday event that we celebrate every year. This chapter. This video is entitled “What’s So Good About Good Friday?”
Next week chapter 20. Yep, the subtitle is The Empty Tomb. Let all these words grow your faith. They’re written so that you might believe. He is the Son of God. He is coming back soon. He knows those who are His.
Thank You, Jesus, for restoring our relationship with the Father. Thank You for redeeming me and saving me forever. Help us sit here in this chapter long enough to see all there is to see in it, for we are anxious for “the first day of the week.” And we know You are alive even today. Help us all to realize just how much we have been forgiven and let it cause us to glorify You. Thank You, Lord. Amen.