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      "The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ"
      John 19:16-22
      Theme: The crucifixion is an unequivocal demonstration of the love of God for sinners.

        1. The Permission for the Crucifixion – 19:16

          1. The Relationship with Providence

            1. The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ is an event of tremendous proportion – underestimated even by the most devout of followers.
            2. In response to the Jewish hostility toward Jesus, Pilate decided against Christ – to deliver Him to be crucified – "So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified."
            3. This statement is a summary statement showing the result of all the interaction, opportunities, and acknowledgements that resulted in Jesus being "handed … over … to be crucified."
            4. However, despite the depraved motivations and pressures that appear to cause the treachery to the Son of God, they were in reality working in conjunction with what is called the "predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God" – cp. Acts 2:23
            5. This demonstrates that God was clearly working through the depravity of the Jews as well as Pilate to accomplish His purpose – cp. Genesis 45:8; 50:19-20.

          2. The Realization of Prophecy

            1. This act of treachery performed by the Jews and Pilate was something that fulfilled the prophecies regarding the death of the Messiah – cp. Isaiah 53:7-8
            2. We see here that Lord Jesus was handed over or led away to be slaughtered by godless men – in a manner demonstrating the dignity of the Son of God … willingly without resistance (as a lamb going to the shearers).
            3. Isaiah prophesied that He would be handed over for the purpose of suffering on behalf of "my people" (Israel) – cp. the prediction of Caiaphas in John 11:50-51.

        2. The Place of the Crucifixion – 19:17

          1. The Recognition of the Place

            1. "They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross to the place called the Place of the Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha" –
            2. There is a tragic reference here to the journey that Jesus made as He carried the cross on which He would be crucified.
              1. This is most likely the dagger-shaped cross traditionally identified, that Jesus carried along what has been "way of suffering"
              2. He labored to carry the cross and we are told that He was too weak to be able to complete the journey – a man named Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry it for him – cp. Matthew 27:32
            3. We are told that Jesus was crucified at a place called "the Place of the Skull" – a hilltop outside the gates of Jerusalem along the highway around the city.
            4. Although we cannot know for certain why this location was so named (suggestions include: skulls of executed criminals were to be found there, Adam’s skull had purportedly been found there, or because the topography looked like a skull in its formation), we do know that it was outside the city – "He went out"
            5. There is a location near the walls of the ancient city where a rise in the terrain causes a cliff-like face to appear as a skull that overlooks a highway - – premier location for such an execution.

          2. The Realization of Prophecy

            1. In carrying his own cross to Golgotha, Jesus fulfills the type provided by the young man Isaac who carried the wood on his back on the way to being sacrificed – cp. Genesis 22:6
            2. In leaving the city, Jesus fulfilled the requirement of the law in accomplishing the vicarious nature of the sacrifice – cp. Leviticus 16:27
            3. Thus, Jesus fulfilled in every detail the necessary stipulations of the Law and prophecy – and was killed outside the city walls of Jerusalem – cp. Hebrews 13:11-12.

        3. The Procedure of Crucifixion – 19:18a

          1. The Repugnance of the Procedure

            1. We are told that once Jesus arrived at the "Place of the Skull" – "there they crucified Him."
            2. Crucifixion did not originate with the Romans – the Assyrians, Phoenicians, and Persians all did it to embarrass and punish slaves – but did not use it as a form of execution.
            3. The Old Testament saints knew about it and considered a curse – cp. Deuteronomy 21:22ff.
            4. It did not become a form of execution until the 1st Century B.C. by the Romans.
            5. Cicero comments that it was the "cruelest and most hideous punishment possible"
            6. The details of the crucifixion are as follows.
               
              1. The condemned is forced to lay on his back with arms stretched out across the horizontal portion of the cross known as the patibulum.
              2. The Roman legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist and drives a heavy, square, wrought iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. He repeats this on the other side of the patibulum.
              3. The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees moderately flexed.
              4. The cross is then lifted into place and dropped into the hole prepared to receive it with the force of gravity ripping the wounds of the victim as he plunges to the forceful stop at the end of the hole.
              5. As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain – the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves.
              6. As He pushes Himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He places His full weight on the nail through His feet.
              7. Again, there is the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of the feet.
              8. As the arms fatigue, great waves of cramps sweep over the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain.
              9. With these cramps comes the inability to push Himself upward … air can be drawn into the lungs, but cannot be exhaled.
              10. He would fight to raise Himself in order to get even one small breath.
              11. Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream and the cramps partially subside.
              12. Spasmodically, He is able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in the oxygen.
              13. Hours of this limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from His lacerated back as He moves up and down against the rough time.
              14. Finally, a deep crushing pain deep in the chest begins as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.
              15. Because of the loss of fluid, the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues – the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air … until its over.

          2. The Realization of Prophecy

            1. The horrors of the crucifixion were anticipated long before the happened by the author of the Psalms – cp. Psalm 22:14-16
            2. It was the divinely ordained means by which the Son of God would suffer for the sins of the world – being lifted up on the cross – cp. Numbers 21:6-9; John 3:14-15; 12:32-33
            3. Thus, Jesus suffered the full weight of God’s wrath toward sin – physically, this was accomplished best through crucifixion; spiritually, this was accomplished through the suspension of His fellowship with the Father and knowing the agony of separation from God.
            4. It is for this very reason that it has been said that "only the damned in Hell know what Jesus suffered when He died on the cross."

        4. The Peers in the Crucifixion – 19:18b

          1. The Reprobation of the Peers

            1. We are told that Jesus was crucified with two other men – "and with Him two other men, one of either side, and Jesus in between."
            2. We are not told why Pilate crucified Jesus along with these two thieves – perhaps it was in mockery of the Jews to allow their "King" to be so humiliated as to be treated as a common thief.
            3. Jesus died for evildoers, being considered as an evildoer, together with evildoers, at the hands of evildoers.
            4. We are told in other places that both of these men were bitter and hostile toward Christ – mocking Him together with all the others who were railing against Jesus – cp. Matthew 27:44
            5. However, one of the thieves experienced the convicting power of God’s Holy Spirit and appealed to the Lord for mercy and pardon – cp. Luke 23:39-43.

          2. The Realization of Prophecy

            1. This detail is once again evidence of God’s tremendous love for sinners – highlighting that it is the sinfulness of man that is the focus of redeeming love – cp. Isaiah 53:9, 12
            2. This is the very heart of the atonement – the righteous dying for the unrighteous – receiving upon Himself the guilt and punishment for our sins – becoming sin for us – cp. 2 Corinthians 5:21.

        5. The Proclamation of the Crucifixion – 19:19-20

          1. The Revelation in the Proclamation

            1. Pilate, in reaction to the attitude and injustice exhibited by the Jews in the situation pertaining to Jesus, decides to provide them an insult.
            2. He "wrote an inscription and put it on the cross." – a practice common to the protocol of crucifixion: the offense for which the criminal was executed was posted so that association might deter others from the same crime.
            3. In this particular case, the charge posted above Jesus’ head on the cross was sarcastic: "Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews."
              1. Each of the Gospel writers provide additional information about what was written.
                1. Matthew indicates that it read: "This is Jesus the King of the Jews."
                2. Mark indicates that it read: "The King of the Jews."
                3. Luke indicates that it read: "This is the King of the Jews."
              2. When all these are combined, we understand that the full inscription read: "This is Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews."
            4. The inscription that Pilate wrote was intended to scorn the Jews for the inappropriateness of their thirst for the blood of Jesus – to mock them for their desire to execute Him.
            5. His inscription was a statement of displeasure by Pilate that he was forced to do what he did when he crucified an innocent man – and publicly made sure everyone was aware of why Jesus was being crucified: "Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek."

          2. The Relevance of the Proclamation

            1. In truth, Jesus was and is the King of the Jews – confessing the very same before Pontius Pilate – cp. John 18:37
            2. At His birth, the announcement was made to Mary that Jesus was to "rule over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." – Luke 1:33
            3. The Wise Men came to see the one who was born "King of the Jews." – cp. Matthew 2:2
            4. The very same people who were now calling for His crucifixion had regaled Him as the King of the Jews – John 12:13.
            5. Thus, Pilate’s cynicism was in reality a prophetic utterance that rightfully identified Jesus.

        6. The Protest During the Crucifixion – 19:21-22

          1. The Reaction of the Protest

            1. Clearly, this inscription was an insult to the Jews – "So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate ‘Do not write, "The King of the Jews"; but that He said, "I am the King of the Jews".’"
            2. They recognized the stark realities politically of what is suggested by the terse black and white statement of why Jesus was being crucified.
            3. They saw that it truly made them "look bad" – killing a man who was favored by the general population, who many sought to make King, and who had shown nothing but affection for the people of God.
            4. They objected to the established government of Rome making a statement of indication that Jesus was indeed the King of the Jews.

          2. The Reiteration by Pilate

            1. Pilate’s reply was one of resolution: "Pilate answered, ‘What I have written I have written’."
            2. It is amazing to see the incredible hypocrisy of man – the Jews had just connived to accomplish the murder of the Son of God while concerning themselves with the comparatively insignificant matter of what was written on the inscription.
            3. It is apparent that they see their own guilt and in refusing to change what was written, Pilate serves as a tool in the hands of God’s Spirit to condemn the Jews.
            4. It at once demonstrates the hardness of the heart of Pilate as well as the Jews – a contrast to the innocence and love of the One being killed.

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