JOHN LESSON 51


     We will begin this lesson in John 19:18.

     V-18, "Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on
either side one, and Jesus in the midst."

     In the last lesson, we finished with them carrying Him to
Golgatha and crucifying Him betwen two common thieves.

     V-19, "And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross.  And
the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS."

     Pilate wrote the name on the cross, because Pilate knew in his
own heart that Jesus was who He said He was.

     V-20, "This title then read many of the Jews:  for the place
where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city:  and it was written in
Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin."

     Pilate wanted to make sure that whoever read this title could
understand.  In fact, this hill of Golgatha is just outside of the
wall on a busy road leading out of Jerusalem.  Scriptures were
fulfilled in every detail of this crucifixion.  Here are some
Scriptures of prophecy that you should read in the Old Testament about
the crucifixion:  Psalms 41:9, Zechariah 11:12, Isaiah 50:6, Psalms
69:4, Isaiah 53:4-5, Isaiah 53:12, Psalms 22:16, Psalms 22:6-8, Psalms
69:21, Psalms 22:8, Psalms 109:4, Zechariah 12-10, Psalms 22:18,
Psalms 34:20, and Isaiah 53:9.

     V-21, "Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write
not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am the King of the
Jews."

     V-22, "Pilate answered, What I have written I have written."

     These chief priests knew that, even in death, this would make a
strong statement to the people and they wanted this sign done away
with.  As we said before, Pilate would not take it off.

     V-23, "Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his
garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his
coat:  now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout."

     V-24, "They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it,
but cast lots for it, whose it shall be:  that the scripture might be
fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my
vesture they did cast lots.  These things therefore the soldiers did."

     You can find this prophecy in Psalms 22:18.  These soldiers had
no idea that they were fulfilling prophecy.  This tells me that God
can use people who are not even saved to carry out His purposes.

     V-25, "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his
mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene."

     These women seem to be near the cross.  The same group of women
are mentioned in Matthew 27:56 and in Mark 15:40.  From the Scripture
in Matthew and Mark, it appears that the mother's sister is wife of
Cleophas.  It really doesn't matter if there were 3 or 4.  It is just
interesting to note that the sister of Mary (the mother of Jesus) was
there with her.

     V-26, "When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple
standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold
thy son!"

     This is most assuredly John that Jesus tells Mary (His mother)
that John is her son.

     V-27, "Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother!  And
from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home."

     John was more than just a disciple of Jesus.  He was a trusted
and much loved friend.  The greatest honor Jesus could have paid
anyone was to have entrusted His mother to him.  John accepts this
responsibility without hesitation.  Mary then lives wit h John in his
home as his mother.  Jesus gave His mother to his closest and dearest
friend, John.

     V-28, "After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now
accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst."

     This is speaking of Psalms 69:21.  Jesus had taken care of
everything to be done.  Now to fulfill a Scripture He says, I thirst.

     V-29, "Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar:  and they
filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to
his mouth."

     This, as we said before, was to fulfill the Scriptures.  This
hyssop, or reed as it is called in the other gospels, grows to 4 or 5
feet and would easily reach Jesus' mouth.  This vinegar possibly was
here for the soldiers and those crucified to dull their senses.  In
the next verse, we will see exactly why this was done here.

     V-30, "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It
is finished:  and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost."

     What was finished?  The work on the cross:  six hours of
suffering.  The Scriptures had now been fulfilled.  In Luke 23:46, we
learn that Jesus commanded His Spirit to leave His body and go to the
Father.  At this moment, nothing was left on the cross, but the empty
shell of a body.

     V-31, "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that
the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for
that sabbath day was an high day,)  besought Pilate that their legs
might be broken, and that they might be taken a way."

     V-32, "Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first,
and of the other which was crucified with him."

     V-33, "But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead
already, they brake not his legs:"

     It was very important that the legs of the Lamb of God not be
broken.  This sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread was also
associated with the Passover celebration.  For Jesus to be the
Passover Lamb, He must be dead before 6 p.m.  He was de ad at 3 p.m.
He hung on the cross six hours from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  He had to be
entombed before 6 p.m. when sabbath started.  It was a very serious
offense to work on sabbath.  This death at 3 p.m. gave time for them
to go and ask His body and bury it in the cave.

     V-34, "But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and
forthwith came there out blood and water."

     V-35, "And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true:
and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe."

     We read in I John 5:6, "This is he that came by water and blood,
even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood.  And it
is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth." Read
on through verse 8 to get a more detailed explanation.  Without the
shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.  Jesus shed His blood
for our sin.

     V-36, "For these things were done, that the scripture should be
fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken."

     V-37, "And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him
whom they pierced."

     These prophesies are found in Zechariah 12:10 and Psalms 34:20.
The Lamb sacrifice could not have broken bones to be acceptable to
God.

     V-38, "And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of
Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he
might take away the body of Jesus:  and Pilate gave him leave.  He
came therefore, and took the body of Jesus."

     V-39, "And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to
Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an
hundred pound weight."

     Joseph of Arimathaea was a rich man and had a tomb which had not
been lain in.  Pilate surely was even more convinced of who Jesus was
after the earthquake and the three hours of darkness on the land.  He
was very cooperative with Joseph.  Joseph h ad to get the body
entombed before 6 p.m. when sabbath started.  Nicodemus believed, but
was a fearful man.  He brought the perfume for the burial.  Jesus was
not embalmed.  Jews were never embalmed.  They were buried
immediately.  Embalming was an Egyptian custom.

     V-40, "Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen
clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury."

     The Romans cremated, the Egyptians embalmed, and the Jews wrapped
in linen with perfumes.

     V-41, "Now in the place where he was crucified there was a
garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet
laid."

     V-42, "There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews'
preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand."

     The sepulchre was actually at the foot of the hill where Jesus
was crucified, so it would be no problem to quickly entomb Jesus' body
here.  The Jewish people spent what they could afford to have a big
funeral, so this expensive tomb hewn out in the side of the mountain
and the expensive perfume makes this a very appropriate entombment for
a Jew.


                                 Notes



























                           John 51 Questions



1.  Who was crucified with Jesus?
2.  What was the title Pilate put on the cross?
3.  What languages was it written in?
4.  Who read the message on the cross?
5.  Name at least five prophecies fulfilled here?
6.  Who complained to Pilate about the title?
7.  What did they want him to change it to?
8.  Did Pilate do what the Jews asked?
9.  What happened to Jesus' garments?
10. Why did they not tear the robe?
11. How did they decide who got the robe?
12. Who were the women standing by the cross?
13. Who did Jesus give His mother to?
14. Did the disciple accept this responsibility?
15. When Jesus knew all was fulfilled, what did He say?
16. What was put to Jesus' mouth?
17. When did Jesus say, It is finished?
18. How long did Jesus hang on the cross?
19. In Luke 23:46, what do we learn about Jesus' Spirit?
20. What was left on the cross?
21. Why did the Jews want Pilate to have the prisoners' legs broken?
22. Why did they not break Jesus' legs?
23. What did one of the soldiers do with a spear?
24. Where, in I John, do we read about the water and the blood?
25. Where was the Old Testament Scripture that says a bone of Him
    shall not be broken?
26. Who was the disciple of Jesus who asked for His body?
27. Did Pilate do it?
28. Who brought 100 lbs. of myrrh and aloes to use in the entombment?
29. Who cremates their dead?
30. Who embalms their dead?
31. Who wrapped their dead in linen?
32. Where was Jesus laid?


                                 Notes