John 19
John 19 provides a detailed account of the crucifixion of Jesus, starting with His trial before Pilate and ending with His burial. In this chapter, Jesus is sentenced to death, mocked, and crucified, fulfilling numerous prophecies. John also emphasizes the significance of Jesus’ final words and actions, underscoring His role as the sacrificial Lamb for humanity’s sins.
John 19:1-3 (NKJV)
1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.
2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.
3 Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.
Pilate, attempting to appease the crowd, orders Jesus to be scourged, a brutal punishment meant to weaken Him. The soldiers mock Jesus by placing a crown of thorns on His head and dressing Him in a purple robe, a color symbolizing royalty. Their mocking cry, “Hail, King of the Jews,” is meant to ridicule His claim as King, not realizing the irony that Jesus truly is the Messiah and King.
John 19:4-6 (NKJV)
4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”
5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!”
6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”
Pilate presents Jesus to the crowd, declaring that he finds no fault in Him, likely hoping that the brutal treatment would satisfy them. However, the sight of Jesus only intensifies their hatred, and they demand crucifixion. Despite Pilate’s authority, he feels pressure from the Jewish leaders, who will not relent until Jesus is condemned.
John 19:7-10 (NKJV)
7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”
8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid,
9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.
10 Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”
The Jews insist that Jesus must die because He claimed to be the Son of God, which alarms Pilate further. His fear is compounded by his uncertainty about Jesus’ identity. When Pilate questions Him, Jesus remains silent, showing that He accepts God’s will and is in control despite Pilate’s authority.
John 19:11-16 (NKJV)
11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
12 From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”
13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
15 But 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 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.
Jesus reminds Pilate that any power he has comes from God, subtly indicating that His death is part of God’s divine plan. Pilate tries to release Jesus, but the Jewish leaders manipulate him by threatening his loyalty to Caesar. This forces Pilate’s hand, and he reluctantly hands Jesus over for crucifixion, though he knows Jesus is innocent.
John 19:17-22 (NKJV)
17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha,
18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.
19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
21 Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.”’”
22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
Jesus is crucified at Golgotha alongside two others, fulfilling prophecy. Pilate has a sign placed on the cross identifying Jesus as “The King of the Jews” in multiple languages, making His identity known to all. Despite the objections of the chief priests, Pilate leaves the title, perhaps as a final act of defiance or a symbolic recognition of Jesus’ kingship.
John 19:23-24 (NKJV)
23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece.
24 They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: “They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.
The soldiers divide Jesus’ garments, fulfilling Psalm 22:18. This detail underscores how Jesus’ crucifixion was prophesied in detail, emphasizing that His suffering was a divine fulfillment rather than a tragic accident.
John 19:25-27 (NKJV)
25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!”
27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
In the midst of His suffering, Jesus shows compassion for His mother, entrusting her to John, the beloved disciple. This gesture reflects Jesus’ love and care for His family, even as He fulfills His mission of salvation for all humanity.
John 19:28-30 (NKJV)
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!”
29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.
30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
In His final moments, Jesus fulfills Scripture once more by saying, “I thirst.” His last words, “It is finished,” signify the completion of His work to provide salvation. Jesus surrenders His life willingly, marking the moment of ultimate sacrifice.
John 19:31-37 (NKJV)
31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should 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 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was 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 immediately blood and water came out.
35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.
36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.”
37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
The soldiers’ actions fulfill further prophecies, as they do not break Jesus’ legs and instead pierce His side, confirming His death. John’s testimony here emphasizes the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, reinforcing Jesus as the true Messiah.
John 19:38-42 (NKJV)
38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being 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 the body of Jesus.
39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.
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 there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, both secret followers of Jesus, courageously arrange His burial. They place Jesus in a nearby garden tomb, fulfilling the burial customs and further highlighting the reverence and care shown for Him by His followers, even in death. This also sets the stage for His resurrection, to be revealed in the coming chapter.