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John 19: Crucifixion of Jesus
If Pilate ordered Jesus to be flogged, why did the soldiers give Jesus a crown of thorns and purple robe?
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John 19:1–3 Pilate ordered Jesus to be flogged.
Soldiers wove a crown out of thorns, put it on his head, and gave him a kingly purple robe. “Hail! King of the Jews,” they said, mocking as they slapped him with their hands.
King James
John 19:1–3 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
Why did Pilate present Jesus to the people still with his crown and robe?
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John 19:4–5 Again, Pilate went out to the people. “Look, I am bringing Jesus before you to declare that I find him not guilty.”
When Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and purple robe, Pilate said, “Behold the man.”
King James
John 19:4–5 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!
Why did Pilate say the Jews could crucify Jesus?
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John 19:6 As soon as the chief priests and guards saw Jesus, they shouted, “Crucify him. Crucify him!” “You crucify him, then,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.”
King James
John 19:6 When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.
What were Pilate’s concerns when he heard that Jesus claimed to be God’s son?
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John 19:7–9 The Jewish leaders said, “By our law, he must die because he claimed to be the Son of God.”
When Pilate heard this, he became more fearful. He went back inside and said to Jesus, “Who are you?”
Jesus said nothing.
King James
John 19:7–9 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
What did Jesus know that Pilate didn’t know about authority?
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John 19:10–11 “Why won’t you answer? Don’t you know I have the authority to either release or crucify you?”
“You would have no authority over me at all if it had not been given to you from above. Therefore, those who delivered me to you are guilty of the greater wrong.”
King James
John 19:10–11 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
Why did Pilate sit on the judgment seat and declare Jesus to be King?
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John 19:12–14 After they had talked, Pilate sought to release Jesus, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”
At these words, Pilate brought Jesus out and sat in the judgment seat, a mosaic called the Platform, Gabbatha in Hebrew. It was about noon on the preparation day of Passover. He said to the Jews, “Behold your king!”
King James
John 19:12–14 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
Did Pilate have a choice whether to release Jesus? Why?
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John 19:15–17 “Away with him,” the people shouted. “Away with him. Crucify him!”
“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate said.
The chief priests said, “We have no king except Caesar.”
Then Pilate gave the order for Jesus to be crucified, and the soldiers took him away, bearing his cross, to a place called the “skull” that is called Golgotha in Hebrew.
King James
John 19:15–17 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
With the fullness of the Holy Spirit within Jesus, how great was the pain of crucifixion?
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Matthew 28:18 Jesus said to them, “I have been given all authority in Heaven and on Earth.”
John 19:18 The soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross, and two others with him, one on the right, the other on the left.
Colossians 2:9 Everything about God is expressed in physical form through Jesus Christ.
King James
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
John 19:18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
How was Jesus dressed while hanging on the cross? How was he dressed on the way?
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John 19:18 The soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross, and two others with him, one on the right, the other on the left.
19:23 After the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his garments among the four of them. The tunic was a single woven piece, without seams.
King James
John 19:18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
19:23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
Why did Pilate order the posting of a sign on Jesus’ cross? Why did some object to the message?
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John 19:19–22 Pilate ordered the posting of a sign on the cross that said, “Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.”
Many of the Jews read the sign, because the crucifixion took place near Jerusalem and the message was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
The chief priests said to Pilate. “You should not have written, ‘The king of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘He claimed to be king of the Jews.'”
Pilate said, “What I have written, I have written.”
King James
John 19:19–22 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.
Why did the soldiers gamble for ownership of Jesus’ clothes?
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John 19:23–24 After the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his garments among the four of them. The tunic was a single woven piece, without seams. Rather than rip it, they decided to gamble to determine its rightful owner. This fulfilled the scripture that says, They divided my clothes and threw dice for my garment.
King James
John 19:23–24 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.
Why were Jesus’ mother and other women standing near the cross? Who else was present, even at a distance?
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John 19:25–27 Jesus’ mother, his mother’s sister, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the wife of Clopas stood near the cross.
When Jesus saw his mother standing next to his beloved disciple, he said, “Woman, he is your son.”
To the disciple, he said, “She is your mother.”
From that moment, the disciple took her to live in his own home.
King James
John 19:25–27 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
Why did Jesus say he was thirsty?
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John 19:28–30 Later, after everything was finished, he said, “I am thirsty,” so the scripture would be fulfilled.
Someone filled a sponge from a nearby jug of sour wine, put the sponge on a hyssop branch, and held it to Jesus’ mouth.
After Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” He bowed his head and quit breathing.
King James
John 19:28–30 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Why did the Jews object to criminals hanging on a cross for another day?
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John 19:31–33 On the day of preparation, the Jews asked Pilate to break the legs of the crucified so they would die and could be taken down before the Sabbath, a special day because of Passover.
So the soldiers broke the legs of the two who were crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
King James
John 19:31–33 VThe Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
Why was Jesus’ side pierced with a spear?
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John 19:34–37 One of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and bloody water gushed out.
An eyewitness has given this true testimony so you will believe. These things happened to fulfill the scripture: He protects his bones so none are broken. And another scripture: They will look upon the one whom they have pierced.
King James
John 19:34–37 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
What was the basis of Joseph’s fear of the Jews? Why didn’t that fear prevent his asking for Jesus’ body?
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John 19:38–40 Soon afterward, Joseph from Arimathea, disciple of Jesus in secret because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Given permission, he took the body down from the cross.
Nicodemus, the one who had come to Jesus by night, went with Joseph and carried about seventy-five pounds of a mixture of myrrh and aloes.
According to Jewish burial custom, they wrapped the body in linen, with the spices.
King James
John 19:38–40 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
Why was Jesus buried in this particular unused tomb?
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Matthew 27:59–60 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean linen, and laid it in his own unused tomb that was cut into the rock. He rolled a huge stone to close the entrance and left.
John 19:42 They buried Jesus there because it was near the end of the day of preparation, and the tomb was nearby.
King James
Matthew 27:59–60 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
John 19:42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.