John 19

     19:1-5.  Jesus had been abused at his trial.  The mocking of Jesus with the purple robe began at the hands of Herod (Luke 23:11), was adopted and became more vicious after the scourging by Pilate’s soldiers, and was continued after the final sentencing (Mt.27:27-31; Mark 15:16-20). Cf. Pilate’s words, “Behold the man,” to Zech 6:12.

     19:11.  He means Caiaphas, the high priest (John 11:49-51).

     19:7,12.  Both Jewish and Roman law was corrupted to get rid of Jesus.

     19:14.  This translation makes it sound as though it is the Passover that is being prepared for.  This would appear to support the argument that Jesus ate the Supper a day early in order to die when the Passover lamb was killed, and have John contradicting the other gospel accounts.  What is actually meant is clearer in the NIV, “It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week….”  In other words, it was the day before the Sabbath (i.e., Friday) of Passover Week.  Preparation day always has this meaning (31,42; cf. Ex.16:5; Mark 15:42).     

     There is no question that John uses Roman time, as do we (margin), rather than Jewish time as the other gospels do.  So, it is about 6:00 a.m. our time.  Using Jewish time, Mark 15:25 says that “it was the third hour when they crucified him,” meaning 9:00 a.m. our time.  (Cf. Mt.27:45-46; Mark 15:33-34; Luke 23:44).

     19:15.  Cf. Luke 19:14, “We do not want this man to reign over us.”  What is there about Jesus that is so intolerable?  He makes those who supposed that they were wise, righteous, innocent, brave, and secure to feel foolish, unclean, guilty, fearful, and jealous.  They have hated Caesar, but how they embrace him now, if only this perplexing dangerous man is taken away!

     19:17.  Cf. Mt.27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26.  John is not contradicting these accounts, that Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry Jesus’ cross.  He is reporting what he himself witnessed (35).

     19:22.  After yielding on the main issue, Pilate sooths his ego by being firm when they ask him to change the wording of the charge.  He wrote what he did as an insult to the Jews, but he did not know that he wrote God’s own truth for all the world to see.

     19:24,28-29, 36-37.  John calls his reader’s particular attention to the fulfillment of these Scriptures: v.24, see Ps.22:18; vv.28-29, see Ps.69:20-21; v.36, see Ex.12:46 (which forbids a bone of the Passover sacrifice to be broken), and Ps.36:20; v.37, see Zech.12:10.

     19:25.  See notes at Luke 24:18,25.

     19:31.  This Sabbath was especially important because of Passover week (14).

     19:34.  The symbolism of the water and the blood are significant to John (cf. 1 John 5:6,8; Heb.9:19-20).  This is the water of purification (as in baptism) and the blood of the covenant (as in the Lord’s Supper).  It is poured out for us.

     19:35-37.  John is saying, “I write only what I saw of his death, and I know what I saw.  Without any question he really was dead, and he died just as I have said.  He was a real flesh and blood man, and he really died in just the way the Scriptures said he would.  Two witnesses you may believe: what I saw, and what the Scripture says.”

     19:38-42. Two men, who once feared to be seen with Christ, are now moved by their grief, and the grace of God, to act with great boldness.