Senior Class Notes – March 28, 2021 – Toonigh Baptist Church

Spring 2021 Unit 1 Session 4 – The Death of Jesus – John 19:8-11, 16b-18, 28-30 PSG p. 48 – 57

March 28, 2021 – Palm Sunday!

The Point: Forgiveness is possible because Jesus died for our sins.

Inspirational verse: “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Gal. 4:4-5).

John 19:7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. Verse added for clarification. The Jews’ comment may refer to Leviticus 24:16 “he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death” (KJV). We have a law: The Jewish leaders were telling Pilate, “if you are appealing to us, we say that, according to our law, He must die.” As governor, Pilate was bound by Roman custom to respect Jewish law (KJVFSB). Here the Jews acknowledge the real reason they favor Christ’s crucifixion: He claimed to be God, and they were accusing Him of blasphemy (KJSB).

John 19:8 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; Pilate was more afraid. Earlier that morning Pilate’s wife had a dream that had disturbed him “When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.” (Matthew 27:19) (KJV). The dogmatic zeal of the Jews had made them hard for the Romans to govern. Therefore, discovering that it was a religious issue at the heart of the call for Jesus’ execution made Pilate the more afraid. Political uprisings were one thing, but a mob motivated by religious fervor was quite another (KJVTSB). Pilate was well aware that he would have to answer to Rome, with whom he already had a tenuous relationship. Although he disliked the Jews and would rather have not obliged them, he was intent on preserving himself and did not want them going around him to the Roman authorities (NIVJSB).

John 19:9 And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Jesus’ origin – whence art thou – was frequently an issue with His opponents (John 7:27-28; 8:14; 9:29-30). For John, there were clear spiritual overtones to Pilate’s question (cp. 18:36-37). Jesus’ silence before Pilate is reminiscent of Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” (cp. Mark 14:61; 15:5; 1 Peter 2:22-23) (KJV). Three times Pilate had publicly pronounced Jesus innocent “Pilate saith unto him. What is truth? And when he said this, he went out unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all” (John 18:38); “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.” (John 19:4); “When the chief priest therefore and the 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.” (John 19:6) (KJVFSB). Jesus gave him no answer. The reason is not clear, but Jesus had answered other questions readily. Perhaps Pilate would not have understood the answer or would not have believed it (NIV).

John 19:10 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? Fearful and confused, Pilate attempts to hide his weaknesses by the statement, I have power (KJBC). Pilate was incredulous and very conscious of his authority. His second question indicates his personal responsibility for crucifying Jesus (NIV). After Pilate reminds Jesus of his own power, Jesus responds, but only to put Pilate in his place (KJVCRSB).

John 19:11 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. In typical Jewish fashion, Jesus used “from above” to refer to God (KJV). From above: (Greek anōthen) (Luke 1:3; John 3:7; James 3:17) The Greek word is an adverb, formed from ano and the suffix then, indication origin. Its basic use is to describe an action as originating from above, either literally as “woven from the top” (John 19:23) or figuratively as “from heaven” (here in John 19:11; cf. John 3:31). It may have a temporal nuance in the sense of either “from the beginning” (Luke 1:3) or for a long time (Acts 26:5). Anōthen is also a common synonym for palin, meaning “again.” This overlap of the meanings “from above” and “again” plays an important in Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus in John 3:3-8. Whereas Nicodemus emphasized the meaning again (“a second time,” John 3:4), Jesus emphasized the origins of the new birth as being from above or “of the Spirit” (John 3:6-7) (KJVWSB). Any authority Pilate has is a delegated authority. Therefore, Jesus is not concerned about the outcome (KJVCRSB). No one exercises any authority at all in this world unless the Lord first gives it to him or her (Proverbs 21:1; Daniel 4:17; Romans 13:1). As children of a sovereign God, we are never victims of our circumstances (CFSLPB). Pilate’s assertion in verse 10 and Jesus’ response here in verse 11, are reminiscent of Jesus’ third exchange with Satan (Matt. 4:8-10). God alone is Sovereign of the universe (KJSB). Jesus told Pilate that human governments could not override God’s will. Pilate had life-or-death power over Jesus only because it was granted by God for him to use responsibly. Pilate would have to choose how to use that authority (KJVTSB). Greater sin: Although Pilate was responsible for his actions to Christ, Caiaphas, who had planned the entire plot to kill Christ, had committed a greater sin and would be more accountable to God (KJBC). (Not Judas, who was only a means). But “greater” implies that there was a lesser sin, so Pilate’s sin was also real (NIV).

John 19:16b And they took Jesus, and led him away. They clearly referred to Roman soldiers assigned to the execution. While the Jews tended to stone individuals to death (Acts 7:57-60), the Romans preferred crucifixion. Other Gospel accounts share that Jesus was also whipped with a scourge beforehand (Matt. 27:26; Mark 15:15), a common way to speed the death of condemned criminals. Crucifixion involved intense physical pain, but it also included public humiliation before death. The Romans would often conduct crucifixions in public spaces as a warning to onlookers. Many times, they didn’t bother taking the bodies down after death but allowed bodies to start decaying or left them to animals. For a Jew, the suffering carried an additional stigma. The Old Testament law included a curse on anyone who was executed on a tree, removing that one from the covenant family (Deut. 21:22-23). So, Jesus experienced the physical, emotional, and spiritual pain associated with going to the cross. This was the price for humanity’s sins that Jesus willingly accepted (LG p. 54).

John 19:17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: Jesus carries His own cross, as was the custom, to the place of execution called the skull or Golgotha (cf. Matt. 27:33). His path through Jerusalem has been called the Via Dolorosa (sorrowful way) (KJSB). The place of a skull was probably so named because it was the repository for the bones of all those who had been crucified by the Romans or by its physical shape. In cases of crucifixion, the victim’s family had to obtain permission to take down their loved one’s tortured body; if they did not, scavenger animals would devour the corpse and the remains would fall to the ground – a horrific end for first-century Jews, who highly valued a proper burial (NIVJSB). Jesus set out bearing his cross until He collapsed. Simon of Cyrene was then pressed into service, and he carried it to the execution site (Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26). Went forth means “out of the city,” where Jewish custom prescribed that executions should take place (Lev. 24:14, 23; Num. 15:35-36; Deut. 17:5; 21:19-21; 22:24; cp Heb. 13:12) (KJV). The place received its name probably because the shape of the place resembled a skull (which is Golgotha in Aramaic and Calvariae in Latin, the word from which we get Calvary). As Jesus carried the cross by himself up to Golgotha, He was walking a path reserved for us. We are the ones deserving death. As He was nailed in place, His hands and feet were nailed when it should’ve been our hands and feet. And when He died, He died a death we deserved to pay, a price we could never afford (PSG p. 52-53). John shows the Crucifixion simply and clearly. His focus is the glory of Jesus, not the horror of the cross (KJVCRSB).

John 19:18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. “That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die” (John 18:32). Crucifixion horrified Jewish sensibilities. It was considered the same as hanging (Acts 5:30; 10:39), about which Mosaic law said, “he that is hanged is accursed of God” (Deut. 21:23; cp. Gal.3:13). If Jesus had been put to death by the Sanhedrin council, He would have been stoned for blasphemy (Lev. 24:16; cp. John 10:33; Acts 7:57-58) (KJV). Jesus is hung between two thieves – an important detail because Isaiah 53:12 prophesized that the Messiah would be “numbered with the transgressors” (KJVCRSB). None of the gospel writers dwells on the physical sufferings of Jesus. One on either side: Perhaps meant as a final insult, but it brings out the important truth that in His death Jesus was identified with sinners (NIV). Group crucifixions were common practice. The Romans staged such events as a public spectacle to remind passersby about who was in authority – and the dire cost of challenging that authority (NIVJSB). Verses 18 – 27 record the first three hours on the cross, from nine o’clock in the morning to noon (KJSB).

John 19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. The reference to Scripture being fulfilled builds on verse 24, most likely in allusion to Psalm 69:21 “They gave me vinegar to drink” (cp. Matt 27:34, 48; see Ps. 22:15) (KJV). Jesus finished his work on earth, fulfilling the requirements of scripture as he hung on the cross (John 17:4). This was not the despairing cry of a helpless individual or the last gasp of a worn-out life. These were the declarations of the Redeemer – all He came from heaven to do was, in fact, done; the price for all human sin was paid (NIVJSB). These verses (28-30) record the second three hours on the cross from noon to three in the afternoon. Notice that the only words Jesus spoke indicating pain or discomfort were “I thirst”. It was not that He did not suffer, but only that He did not complain (KJSB). Crucifixion provided many physical reasons for Jesus’ thirst. Blood loss, exposure to the hot sun, pain, and labored breathing caused Jesus to suffer terribly from dehydration (KJVTSB). When Jesus said, “I thirst” He was doing two things. (PSG p. 55)

He was expressing His physical thirst. Jesus had gone without food and water since the Passover meal with His disciples. He had lost a lot of blood from the flogging and the crucifixion, the body needs fluids to replace lost blood, so Jesus would have experienced extreme thirst.
He was calling attention to the fulfillment of Scripture. Both Psalms 22 and 69 are about a suffering servant – accused, insulted, humiliated, and in need of rescue
“My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws” (Ps. 22:15).
“They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (Ps. 69:21).

John 19:29 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. Soldiers and laborers used vinegar to quench their thirst “And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.” (Mark 15:36). It is different from the “wine mingled with myrrh” Jesus refused on the way to the cross (Mark 15:23). Wine mingled with myrrh was a primitive narcotic. The offer fulfilled Psalm 69:21. Hyssop was a plant classified in 1 Kings 4:33 as a humble shrub. It was used for the sprinkling of blood on the doorpost at the original Passover (Exod. 12:22) (KJV).

John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. With the words “It is finished” His passive (Latin patior, “suffering”) ministry is now completed. The words of Jesus on the cross are significant: (KJSB)

The first words concern the Roman soldiers who were crucifying Him: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
The second statement is made to the penitent thief: “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
The third statement comes looking at His grief-stricken mother: “Woman, behold thy son!” To John He says, “Behold thy mother!” (John 19:26-27).
The fourth cry is addressed to God at the ninth hour and comes from Psalm 22: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34).
The fifth statement is “I thirst” (v. 28), followed by His taking of vinegar from a sponge.
The sixth cry is “It is finished” (v. 30).
The seventh cry was addressed to His Father: “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).

The phrase gave up the ghost may express an act of will, echoing “poured out his soul unto death,” which was prophesied of the Suffering Servant (Isa. 53:12) (KJV). As cruel as this entire experience was, Jesus’ suffering was comparatively brief. The physical agony experienced by Jesus for several hours could easily have gone on for a much longer period of time. Even so, Jesus’ suffering was long and severe enough to fulfill the Father’s plan. We see this fulfillment when Jesus said, “It is finished.” This was the victory cry of one whose work was complete, not the cry of defeat (KJVTSB). Having fulfilled every command of the father and every prophecy of Scripture, Jesus voluntarily died. This was not a cry of exhaustion, but of completion. Jesus had done what He had agreed to do (KJVFSB). Each one of us has a sin debt that must be reconciled (Romans 6:23), yet none of us can pay it because of our sin nature. So Christ – knowing every sin we could ever commit – took our record of wrongs upon himself and wiped them all out with His own blood (Mt. 26:28; Ro. 3:23-26; Eph 1:7; Col. 1:20; Heb. 9:11-28). It was finished forevermore! No one can ever condemn us because our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, paid the penalty in full (CFSLPB). This timely death prevented the need to break His legs – (see verse 19:31), as was the custom, to speed up death. This breaking of the legs prevented them from pushing themselves up to open the chest cavity and thus breath better. Since the victims would now have to pull themselves up by the arms instead, suffocation occurred once their arm strength failed. This early death was to honor the prediction “a bone of him shall not be broken” A bone of him shall not be broken. This quotation from the ceremonial of the Passover (Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12), where the lamb offered to God was to be shielded from unnecessary mutilation, is in harmony with the words of John the Baptist, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (Internet and IMO).

References: Spring 2021

(CWB) – Commentary on the Whole Bible by Matthew Henry Copyright © 1960 by Zondervan Publishing House – Grand Rapids, Michigan.
(ESVSB) – The English Standard Version Study Bible, Personal size. Copyright © 2008 by Crossway. Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway.
(ETB) – Explore The Book by J Sidlow Baxter. Copyright © 1960 by J. Sidlow Baxter. Published 1960 by Zondervan Publishing House – Grand Rapids, Michigan.
(IMO) – On occasion, with the prayerful guidance of the Holy Spirit, I will make comments of my own, based on my understanding of the events. I will indicate such times with – In My O
(NIDNTT) – The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology Copyright © 1967, 1969, 1971 by Theologisher Verlag Rolf Brockhaus, Wuppertal. English Language edition Volume 1 Copyright © 1975, 1986, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A. and The Paternoster Press, Ltd. Exeter, Devon, U.K.
(NIVBTSB) – The New International Version Biblical Theology Study Bible Copyright © 2018 by The Zondervan Corporation. Text from the Holy Bible, New International Version Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. previously published as The New International Version Zondervan Study Bible.
(NIVCBSB) – The New International Version Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible Copyright © 2016 by The Zondervan Corporation text from the Holy Bible, New International Version Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. published by the Zondervan Corporation.
(NIVJSB) – The New International Version Jeremiah Study Bible, Copyright © 2016 by David Jeremiah, Inc. Using the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan.
(NIVMEB) – The New International Version Ministry Essentials Bible, Copyright © 2014 by Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC. Based on The Holy Bible, New International Version NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
(NIVSB) – The New International Version Study Bible Copyright © 1985 by the Zondervan Corporation text from the Holy Bible, New International Version Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by the New York International Bible Society.
(NIVZSB) – The New International Version Zondervan Study Bible Copyright © 2015 by the Zondervan Corporation. Text from The Holy Bible, New International Version Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
(NCBD) – The Nelson’s Compact Bible Dictionary Copyright © 2004 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. with Scripture Quotations from the New King James Version of the Bible Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, 1990 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
(NKJVSB) – Holman Study Bible, New King James Version Edition Copyright © 2013 by Holman Bible Publishers Nashville, Tn. Text from the New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
(PSG) – Bible Studies For life – King James Version Adults Personal Study Guide Spring 2021 Vol. 1, No. 1
(QNBD) – Quick Notes Bible Dictionary based on text from the King James Version of the Bible and cross referenced with the NIV and NRSV Bibles. Copyright © 1998 by George W. Knight and Rayburn W. Ray.
(SEC) – Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Dictionaries of the Hebrew Bible and the Greek Testament words. Copyright © 1890 by James Strong. Based on the King James Version of the Bible.
(TDNT) – Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
(THBC) – Today’s Handbook of Bible Characters Copyright © 1979 by E.M. Blaiklock, published by Bethany House Publishers.
(TZPEB) – The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, copyright © 1975, 1976 by the Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan