Little did the blinded Jews imagine that when they relentlessly harassed Pilate to crucify Jesus they were unconsciously helping to accomplish the only effectual sin-offering of all time. Nothing can for sin atone—Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
The Roman soldiers normally prolonged the torturous death of those crucified. Most hung on their crosses for days before succumbing to a loss of blood, heart failure, dehydration, shock, or asphyxiation.
CHRIST IS CRUCIFIED 19:18
The two men crucified with Jesus, one on each side of Him, represented Adam’s fallen race condemned to death unless they looked to Christ for deliverance. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
But why did the Father permit His beloved Son to be so cruelly and disgracefully treated? The answer: to show us what we deserved. Jesus took the place that was due us because of our sins—the place of shame, condemnation, and punishment.
CHRIST’S CROSS HAD INSCRIBED “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS” 19:19-20
It was customary that a criminal being led away to be crucified be preceded by a man carrying a placard stating the crime committed by those condemned to die.
Still irritated at the Jewish leaders for pushing him into turning Jesus over to be crucified, Pilate got back at them by having “Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews” inscribed on the placard. He knew that this would infuriate the Jewish leaders who hated Jesus and refused to recognize Him as a king.
CHRIST’S ENEMIES REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE HIM AS KING19:21-22
As Pilate had correctly anticipated, the chief priests of the Jews (they were not God’s high priests), were infuriated at being openly mocked and wanted the inscription changed to read, “He said, I am King of the Jews” to make Christ appear to be an imposter who merely claimed to be a king.
To identify Jesus as a Nazarene made the insult worse as its citizens were looked down upon with scorn and contempt by the self-righteous Judeans.
CHRIST’S EXECUTIONERS FULFILL SCRIPTURE 19:23-25a
Three things are to be understood here:
1. God Himself was the master of this whole situation, directing every detail of it to the outworking of His eternal counsels.
2. No word of God’s can fail. A thousand years before hand it had been predicted that these soldiers would divide the Savior’s outer garments among themselves and cast lots for His tunic. Psalm 22:18
3. The One who hung there on the cross was beyond a shadow of a doubt the Messiah of Israel, the One of whom all the prophets had written.
CHRIST’S MOTHER AND THE BELOVED DISCIPLE 19:25b-27
The Jews were present at the crucifixion to satisfy their ravenous craving for the death of Jesus; the Roman soldiers were there out of duty; others out of curiosity; but there was also a small group of disciples drawn there by loving devotion for their Lord. They were not looking on from a distance, nor mingling with the crowds in attendance; they “stood by the cross.”
The first disciple was Mary, the Savior’s mother, who now realized the full force of the prophetic word spoken by Simeon more than thirty years before: a sword will pierce even your own soul (Luke 2:35).
The second disciple was Mary, the wife of Clopas, the sister of Joseph (Matthew 28:1), and therefore the sister-in-law of Mary.
The third disciple was Mary of Magdala, out of whom Jesus cast seven demons, and to whom He appeared first when He was raised from the dead.
The fourth standing by the cross was John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Jesus evidently felt a special closeness to John, for He loved all His disciples except the one who betrayed Him.
CHRIST’S VICTORIOUS DEATH 19:28-30
In His omniscience, Jesus knew there was only one remaining prophecy to be fulfilled. In Psalm 69:21 David wrote, They also gave me gall for my food and for my thirst they gave me vinegar (sour wine) to drink.
Having received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is finished!” (tetelestai) and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit (died by an act of His own will).
“It is finished” was a shout of triumph. The work of redemption that the Father had given Him was accomplished.
