Shine - John 19:1-42

Join us as we listen to Jay brings us through John 19:1-42, recounting Jesus' suffering and death on the cross for our sins, a sacrifice made with a willing heart to save you and me.  

Transcript

Oh, good evening, everyone. Wow, that's bright. And I'm sure it's bright for you with my head, so. [LAUGHTER] Are we good? We're good? All right. Well, thank you guys for taking time out of your week to be here. I know you guys have a lot going on. And so it just means a lot that you guys would gather together and worship here tonight. So originally, I was scheduled for next week. Shandy was supposed to teach this week. And some of you guys might know that our Green Tree family has suffered a lot of loss recently. And so she has gone with Ben and just being with her church body and her church family. So I just want to take a second before we start and just kind of pray over Shandy and Ben in the Green Tree community. So would you bow your heads with me? Lord, we thank you so much for just this opportunity to gather together, Lord, just to spend time praying over our brothers and sisters in Christ, Lord, that we weep when they weep, that we hurt when they hurt, Lord. And we want to just come to you in this moment of prayer to just lift up Ben and Shandy in the whole Green Tree community, Lord, that would you just pour out your peace and your comfort over them, Lord? As they walk through just so many moments of grief with families and the loss of loved ones in Lord, would you just continue to make your presence known? Would you not let the enemy get the best of us during this Holy Week, Lord, that death is a very real thing. And death is something that we will all face, Lord, but there is victory through the cross, through your Son Christ. So as we speak about that tonight, would you also just pour that message over Ben, Shandy, in the Green Tree community, Lord? We ask all this in your name, amen. If you would open your Bibles with me to John chapter 19, that is where we're going to be reading from this evening. So for context, we're picking up where Nathaniel left off after bringing forth the message of Jesus being betrayed and taken before Pilate. An innocent man being arrested and brought to an unfair trial. A message of the truth that is Jesus being exchanged for something lesser. Jesus was exchanged for material gain in the case of Judas. Exchange for self-preservation in the case of Peter. And exchange for something that was objectively evil in the release of Barabbas. The innocent, blameless Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one who was fully God and fully man, who brought life-giving truth, exchange for all sorts of lies. And as we examine the crucifixion tonight, please understand that the innocence of Jesus does not diminish his death, but it rather magnifies his death. John's whole point in his gospel account is to lay out and express the deity of who Christ is. He wants those reading to understand that this man he is talking about, Jesus, was indeed God. He begins and ends his account of the gospel with this truth. John chapter 1 verse 14 says, "The word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the only son from the Father, full of grace and truth." And then John chapter 20, which we'll see next week, verse 31 says, "But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." So that when we come to this passage, we find ourselves in tonight. John has displayed for us that this innocent man, Jesus, the Son of God, is the only one who could be a sufficient sacrifice for the sins of humanity. Man was separated from God through sin and Genesis 3. And so God sent his perfect son, as we see in John 1, to pay for our sins through dying on the cross so that we may be redeemed from sin and its consequences. For he was perfect, sinless, blameless, and yet he willingly entered into death. And not only entered into death, but as we'll see next Thursday, he defeated death once and for all. And so as we read of the crucifixion in John chapter 19, we will see Jesus' approach death in the first 16 verses. And we see Jesus' experience and walk through death. And then we see Jesus' confirmed dead. So pray with me before we begin. Lord, may this time tonight, reading over the crucifixion, be something that is from you. Lord, may all of my words be from you, Lord. May it communicate the truth of just the power and the majesty of the sacrifice that your son gave on the cross. Lord, this is not an easy topic. It's a very somber topic, Lord, as death is never easy to talk about. But there is that hope that three days later that your son did rise again. And so there is hope for all of us who believe in Christ. And so as we read through the crucifixion, may we not blow past it. May we understand the significance of what is happening in this moment. So Lord, honor our time together. And Lord, we all walk away with a better understanding of just what happened at the cross. We ask all this in your name, amen. So John chapter 19, verse 1, read along with me. So then Pilate took Jesus and had him flagged. The soldiers also twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and clothed him in a purple robe. And they kept coming up to him and saying, Hail, King of the Jews, and we're slapping him in the face. Pilate went outside again and said to them, look, I'm bringing him out to you to let you know I find no grounds for charging him. Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, here is the man. When the chief priests and the temple servants saw him, they shouted crucify, crucify. Pilate responded, take him and crucify him yourselves since I find no grounds for charging him. We have a law the Jews replied to him. And according to that law, he ought to die because he made himself the son of God. When Pilate heard this statement, he was more afraid than ever. He went back into the headquarters and asked Jesus, where are you from? But Jesus did not give him an answer. So Pilate said to him, do you refuse to speak to me? Don't you know that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you? You would have no authority over me at all, Jesus answered him if it hadn't been given you from above. This is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin. From that moment, Pilate kept trying to release him. But the Jews shouted, if you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Anyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar. When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside, and he sat down on the judge's seat in a place called the Stone Pavement, but in Aramaic, Gabatha. It was the preparation day for the Passover, and it was about noon. Then he told the Jews, here is your king. They shouted, take him away, take him away, crucify him. Pilate said to them, should I crucify your king? And they answered, we have no king but Caesar. Then he handed him over to be crucified. In John 19, 1 through 6, we see the intense and unjust suffering of Jesus as he is flogged, mocked, and ultimately handed over to be crucified. We see that Pilate again re-emphasizes the fact that he finds no fault in this man brought before him. Her last week, John 1838, we see Pilate say, I find no grounds for charging him. And now again in John 19, 4, Pilate says, look, I'm bringing him out to you to let you know I find no grounds in charging him. Pilate was hoping that the flogging of Jesus would be enough for the crowd, that a man brutally whipped with width that was filled with glass, bone, and so much more would satisfy the Jews' appetite for Christ to suffer. That seeing a man who had been beaten and tortured within an inch of his life would bring pity from the crowd to ask him to be done. Not only was Jesus brutally beaten from the flogging, but he was humiliated as well. Verse 2 shows us that they also twisted together a crown of thorns and placed it on his head. And then they clothed them with a purple robe, and they mocked him by saying, hail King of the Jews. Kings wear crowns upon their head, and they wore purple to signify royalty and their status of power. And you would greet a king with reverence and respect. And so the Roman soldiers wanted to signify this supposed royalty of Jesus that has claimed not through an act of admiration and respect. No, this was out of an attempt to humiliate Jesus. This is why they said and did this. Jesus having being flogged and humiliated in front of the crowd was presented once more to them. The Jewish leaders feared that the crowd might even have a little bit of pity and mercy on him and quickly yell, crucify, crucify. Pilate again protests to the Jews after hearing them shout to crucify by saying, take him and crucify him yourselves since I find no grounds in charging him. Pilate wants absolutely nothing to do with Jesus. If you read the other gospel accounts, you're going to see that his wife sent him a letter saying, have nothing to do with this innocent man. And so Pilate wanted nothing to do with this. And we see the Jewish leaders confront Pilate with a new accusation against Jesus, stating that they have a law that because he claimed to be the son of God, he must die. And so this declaration shifts the tone of the trial and starts the deeply unsettled Pilate. While he had previously viewed Jesus as an innocent man caught in just political tension, this claim introduces a divine aspect, that Pilate, a Roman governor with superstitious leaning, finds troubling. His fear grows not out of just political ramifications, but of the possibility that he is dealing with someone far greater than he realized. So then we see Pilate questions Jesus again and ask, where do you come from? But Jesus remains silent. Pilate, feeling the pressure of the moment and that his own authority is being challenged, reminds Jesus that he has the power to crucify him or release him. However, Jesus' reply reframes the conversation entirely. And he says, you would have no power over me if it weren't-- if we're not given to you from above. This statement from Jesus exposes the illusion of control Pilate believes he holds and it emphasizes God's ultimate authority over human matters. Jesus isn't resisting out of pride, but he's rather revealing that even in this dark moment, God's purpose is still unfolding. Jesus was actually walking the past set before him from the beginning. Old Testament prophecies like Isaiah 53 point to a suffering servant who would bear the sins of many. And Jesus had repeatedly told his disciples that he would be handed over, crucified, and rise again. Even in his silence before Pilate, Jesus is in control choosing to submit, not because he's powerless, but because this is how God would bring salvation to the world. In the final moments of this trial in verses 13 through 16, we see Pilate brings Jesus out and presents him to the crowd one final time saying, here is your king. The Jewish leaders, however, reject Jesus completely shouting, crucify him, and even declaring that we have no king but Caesar. And so under intense political fear and pressure, Pilate finally gives in and hands Jesus over to be crucified. So we're going to pick back up reading in John 19, starting in the latter part of part of verse 16. So it says, then they took Jesus away, carrying the cross by himself. He went out to what is called Place of the School, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him and in two others with him, one on either side with Jesus in the middle. Pilate also had a sign made and put on the cross. It said, Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews. Many of the Jews read this sign because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city. And it was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. So the chief priest of the Jews said to Pilate, don't write the king of the Jews, but that he said, I am king of the Jews. Pilate replied, what I have written, I have written. When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, apart for each soldier. They also took the tunic, which was seamless, woven and one piece from the top. So they said to one another, let's not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who gets it. This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that says they divide in my clothes amongst themselves and they cast lots for my clothing. So this is what the soldiers did. Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, his mother's sister, Mary, the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing there, he said to his mother, woman, here is your son. Then he said to the disciple, here is your mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her into his home. And after this, when Jesus knew that everything was now finished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, he said, I'm thirsty. A jar full of sour wine was sitting there. So they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on a his-up branch and held it up to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, it is finished. Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. John 1917 through '30, we arrive at a critical moment in the life and the ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus is being led to his crucifixion. Jesus is nearing the end of his physical life on this earth. Everything in scripture that we read before this moment was pointing towards the cross. And everything in scripture we read after this moment will be looking back at the cross. John doesn't give us a gory or gross details about what happened, because everyone in John's day knew what crucifixion was. John simply says, there they crucified him. But the typical custom of crucifixion on a cross as a form of punishment meant that the individual condemned would be nailed to a cross with their arms stretched out and their feet placed together. And they would be left to die a slow death that entailed great pain and suffering. This was the custom of crucifixion. Not only do we see Jesus enduring this suffering, but scripture says that Jesus was crucified in the middle of two others. And I find this to be a very significant detail that John includes in his witness of Christ's death on the cross. Jesus is in the center. Jesus is in the middle of two criminals. And those who crucified him wanted him to see the company that he was in, and that he was just like them. But I can't help but see the powerful picture that John is giving us. At first glance, it seems as a simple description of Jesus' crucifixion, but the imagery is very profound. Jesus, the sinless son of God, is placed between two criminals positioned as though he were just another guilty man. This fulfillment of Isaiah 53, 12, says he was numbered with the transgressors. It shows that Jesus didn't just die for sinners, but that he died among them. He died among the two that were crucified with him. He died amongst the Romans and the Jews, the men and the women, the rich and the poor. His followers and unbelievers. Jesus was at the center of this moment, dying for them and among them. He entered fully into the brokenness of humanity, taking on the shame, the pain, and the humiliation that came with the cross. His location in the middle is more than geographical. It is symbolic of his role as mediator between God and humanity. A mediator is someone who stands in the gap between two parties to bring reconciliation. Scripture reinforces this in 1 Timothy 2.5, which says, for there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. On the cross, Jesus literally places himself between sinners and a holy God, bearing the full weight of sin, judgment, and separation so that we don't have to. By doing so, he bridges the divide that caused by sin and opens a path for restored relationship with God. That was the purpose of Jesus on the cross. He's bearing the full weight of sin, judgment, and separation on our behalf so that we didn't have to. We'll come back to this point at the end, but we continue on. Our passage continues on by saying that pilot orders a sign to be placed on Jesus's cross that reads, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." And it's written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. And this is the three major languages of the region. This inscription was making a public statement so that everyone could read regardless of their background. The chief priest object wanting to sign to say that Jesus claimed to be King, but pilot refuses to change it, saying, "What I have written, I have written." Ironically, when pilot likely meant this as a sign of mockery or a political move, he ends up proclaiming a profound truth. Jesus truly is the King, even in his humiliation, his identity is declared to the world. Unintentionally, pilot ensured that the message of Jesus's kingship was proclaimed to the entire world, foreshadowing the global reach of the gospel. This moment reminds us that God's sovereignty is not limited by human resistance or unbelief. Even when people actively oppose him, whether out of pride, fear, or ignorance, God still weaves their actions into his greater purpose. Pilot had no faith in Jesus as the Messiah. He was a Roman governor trying to manage a politically tense situation. And the sign he wrote was likely meant to mock both Jesus and the Jewish leaders. But despite pilot's intentions, his words declared a truth that was deeper than he realized. Jesus is the King. This shows us that God does not need perfect conditions or willing participants to accomplish his will. His purpose can shine through even the most unlikely people in situations. And not only does opposition not stop God's plan, it actually becomes the backdrop that makes it even more clear. The rejection of Jesus by the religious leaders in the mockery by the Roman government only emphasized the contrast between earthly power and heavenly authority. The cross that was meant to humiliate becomes a throne. The sign that was meant to mock becomes a proclamation. This is the paradox of God's kingdom, where suffering becomes victory and where rejection by the world becomes a revelation of eternal truth. Christ was glorified even in this moment upon the cross. And after this, the Roman soldiers divided Jesus' clothes and cast lots for his seamless garment, fulfilling a prophecy from Psalm 22, 18, saying, they divided my garments amongst them and cast lots for my clothing. What seems like a small, even meaningless detail in the chaos of the crucifixion actually reveals the intentionality of God's plan. Even in the soldier's casual cruelty and indifference, scripture is still being fulfilled. In the last verses of this section, we are brought to the final moment of Jesus' life. Seeing Jesus hanging on across his life coming near an end, we're given a striking picture of Jesus' heart, even in the midst of suffering. And as he hangs on the cross, being physically tortured, emotionally abandoned, and carrying the weight of the world's sin, he looks down and sees his mother in the disciple whom he loved. And in a quiet, but powerful moment, he entrusts them to each other, forming a new kind of spiritual family. This shows us that even in his final hours, Jesus is not self-absorbed. He is relational, he's present, and he's loving. He cares about the people that were right in front of him. And then knowing that everything had been accomplished, he says, I am thirsty. Fulfilling the words of scripture once again, which is Psalm 69, 21. His thirst is not only physical, but it also reflects the full weight of his suffering, having poured out everything for the sake of humanity. Finally, Jesus speaks three of the most powerful words in all of scripture. It is finished. He's not just announcing the end of his life. He's declaring the completion of the mission that sin has been paid for. The distance between God and humanity has been bridged, and redemption has been made available to all. Jesus willingly gives up his spirit. No one takes his life from him, but he lays it down in perfect obedience and in perfect love. It is finished, is not a cry of defeat, but it is a bold declaration of victory. Jesus wasn't saying that his life had simply ended, but that his mission had been fully accomplished. Every prophecy, every promise, every step of God's redemptive plan had now been complete. The debt of sin had been paid in full. It is finished means we don't have to work our way to God. Jesus has already done the work. His sacrifice on the cross is enough. And in a world that constantly says, do more, the gospel says, Jesus already did. And that's the freedom we get to live in. Not only have we seen Jesus' approach, Jesus' approach, death, and Jesus' experience and walk through death, but we read in these final verses that Jesus was confirmed then. Read with me, starting in verse 31. Since it was the preparation day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross on the Sabbath. For the Sabbath was a special day. They requested that Pilate had the men's legs broken and that their bodies be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs the first man and of the other one who had been crucified with him. When they came to Jesus, they did not break his legs since they saw that he was already dead. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with the spear and at once blood and water came out. He who saw this has testified so that you may also believe. His testimony is true, and he knows he is telling the truth. For these things happen so that Scripture would be fulfilled. Not one of his bones will be broken. Also, another Scripture says that they will look at the one they pierced. After this Joseph of Arimathea, who is a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might remove Jesus' body. Pilate gave him permission so he came and took his body away. Nicodemus, who had previously come to him at night, also came and brought a mixture of about 75 pounds of murder and allows. They took Jesus' body and wrapped it in linen cloth with the fragrant spices according to the burial custom of the Jews. There was a garden in the place where he was crucified, a new tomb was in the garden. No one had yet been placed in it. They placed Jesus there because of the Jewish day of preparation, and since the tomb was nearby. Because it was the day of preparation before the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders didn't want the bodies left on the crosses. They asked Pilate to hasten the deaths by breaking the legs of those crucified. And this was a brutal act that if they crucified, they were still alive who would prevent them from being able to push up to breathe. This quickens the impending suffocation that they were already fighting. The soldiers began with the two criminals, but when they reached Jesus, they found that he was already dead. Instead of breaking his legs, a soldier pierced his side with a spear, and we see that blood and water pour out. This detail is significant, not only because it confirms to us that Jesus truly died, but also in the way that scripture had foretold. In verse 36, when the soldiers didn't break Jesus's legs, it fulfilled Exodus 12, 46, and Psalm 34, 20, which speak about the Passover lamb and how not one of its bones would be broken. This shows that Jesus is the true Lamb of God, sacrifice for our sins. In verse 37, when the soldier pierced Jesus's side, it fulfilled Zachariah 1210, which says they will look on the one they have pierced. Scripture was being fulfilled even at this moment. Jesus' death fulfilled scripture exactly, showing that God's plan of salvation was intentional, trustworthy, and full of purpose. Jesus' death was not a mistake. It was part of God's plan from the very beginning. And so as we come to a close, we read of the burial of Jesus. After his death, Joseph of Arimathea, who had been secretly a follower of Jesus, courageously went to pilot to ask for his body. And he's joined by Nicodemus, the Pharisee, the one who came to see Jesus as we read in John 3. And together, they prepared Jesus' body with the myrrh, and howl lows, and wrapping it, and placing it in a new tomb. John 19 tells us the story of Jesus' crucifixion. But more than that, it tells the story of God's love and its clearest form. Jesus, who had done no wrong, was betrayed, mocked, beaten, and nailed to a cross. He suffered not because he was powerless, but because he was willing, he chose the cross. Because our sin, our rejection of God, our selfishness, our pride, created a separation between us and God that we can't fix our own. But Jesus came to bridge that gap. On the cross, Jesus took the punishment that we deserved. When he said it is finished, he wasn't simply just talking about his life ending. He was saying that the work of salvation was complete. The debt of sin was paid in full. He became the perfect sacrifice, the true Passover lamb, so that we could be forgiven and made right with God. John 19 also shows us that this was God's plan all along. After scripture is fulfilled in these final moments, Jesus didn't die by accident or lose control. He gave his life so that anyone, no matter who they are or what they've done, can receive grace, forgiveness, and eternal life through him. So what do we do with this? Gospel calls us to respond to believe that Jesus is who he said he is. To receive what he's done as a gift that we can never earn and to follow him, not just privately, but boldly, just like Joseph and Nicodemus eventually did. If you're here tonight and you've never put your faith and trust in Jesus, I invite you so to do so tonight. You can come and find one of us staff members. You can find a friend that's next to you that you know as a Christian maybe came along with them tonight. And we would love to talk with you more about who Christ is and the good news of the gospel. Let's pray. Lauren, we come to you in this time, feeling the significance of the crucifixion, that it was a very significant moment for your son, the innocent, blameless one, who died on the cross to pay for our sins. Lord, we feel that weight as we head into Easter weekend. Lord, may we not breeze past and may it never become just something that we brush off day to day. But Lord, would it be something that we remind ourselves that for those of us who call ourselves followers of Christ, who call ourselves Christians, that we would constantly remind ourselves and encourage ourselves that we don't have to pay the price that Jesus did. Lord, that doesn't give us the freedom to do anything. That doesn't give us the leeway to just sin and sin and sin again, that causes us to follow Christ, to live in obedience, because someone paid the price that we should have. So Lord, as we just meditate on what John 19 has to say, or we just continue to understand that the gift of salvation is for everyone. It's not just for engineers, it's not just for men, it's not just for women, it's for everyone. Lord, would we see those that don't know you and just have such a desire to share the good news of the gospel with them? Lord, we thank you for the students here tonight. Lord, would they be bold in their witness on campus? Would they be filled with courage to talk to someone that they know is not a Christian, but they've been just a little bit afraid to talk to them? They don't know what to say, Lord. Would you fill them with your spirit, that you will give them the words to say if they step out in faith and trust in you? Lord, maybe some of us are heading home for Easter this weekend. Would we rejoice with our church family and the hope that there is? Because while there was a crucifixion, there was also a resurrection. And Lord, that death tried all that it could, and Jesus still conquered their grave. Would we take that encouragement? Would we believe that deep down in our hearts? Lord, thank you for this time. Bless these students as they leave and go about their weeks. Would you just watch over them and protect them? we ask this in your name. Amen.