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Jesus was Crucified for Our Sins
Jesus was Crucified for Our Sins John 19:16b-42 Key Verse: 19:30 “When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” Today's passage is about Jesus' crucifixion, death and burial. This seems to be a very sad end for a man who lived such a good life. John was a man who had a deep love relationship with Jesus so this must have been the greatest tragedy of his life, but he describes it very simply and objectively. He does not let his emotions get in the way of reporting the facts as they happened. He does this so in order to reveal that the death of Jesus fulfilled God's will for world salvation, which was prophesied and fulfilled. The crucifixion of Jesus is the climax of God's redemptive history. The death of Jesus was not the end of the story; it was just the opening act which would be followed by his glorious resurrection from the dead and the continuation of God’s world salvation work right up to this present time. The death of Jesus gives actually gives each of us new birth, eternal life and the kingdom of God as our inheritance. According to John's gospel, Jesus was crucified and died for our sins in accordance with the prophecies of God. Jesus was crucified and died so that we may believe in him and have new birth, eternal life and the kingdom of God as our inheritance (Jn 20:31). First, Jesus carries his cross to Golgotha (16b-18). As we studied in the last passage, Pilate gave into the Jewish pressure and handed Jesus over to them to be crucified. Then the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Now Jesus is in the hands of merciless soldiers. The soldiers put the cross on Jesus and whipped him to carry it to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others – one on each side and Jesus in the middle. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus came to this world to save men from their sins as the Lamb of God. John 1:29 says, "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'" Evil men not only made Jesus a political criminal, they also wanted to put him to shame. So they crucified two robbers beside him, placing one on each side with Jesus in the middle. In the past, execution by crucifixion was known as the most terrible punishment. The Jews not only wanted to destroy Jesus in a most terrible way, but also they wanted to shame Jesus, the holy God. So they put robbers on each side of Jesus and Jesus in the middle. On the cross, Jesus took up all our shame. Many terrible sinners want to be honorable persons. So, when they have done something wrong, they hide their faces from exposure, even though they deserve to be shamed. We are all men of shame and guilt. But holy Jesus, who deserves all honor and glory, was shamed so terribly in our places. Thank you, Jesus! Second, Pilate prepared a title of Jesus, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews" (19-24). It was common for a small placard to be made which would be nailed to the cross above the criminal indicating the crime he was being crucified for. Jesus' placard was prepared by Pilate himself. It simply said: "JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS," and Pilot had it written in the three common languages of that time, Aramaic, Latin and Greek so that anyone who saw Jesus could know why he was being crucified. The Jewish leaders wanted to make Jesus a terrible political criminal who deserved crucifixion, but Pilate made Jesus, "JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS." The name Jesus or Yeshua literally means “Yahweh is salvation” or “the salvation of the Lord,” but when we study the Bible we can think of several things about Jesus. We think of Jesus as being the good news of God. We think of Jesus as our good shepherd and friend who was willing to lay down his life for us. We think of Jesus as our healer who solves our fundamental life problem and gives us new life. We think of Jesus as our wonderful counselor, everlasting father and mighty God. However the Jews didn’t think of Jesus in these ways; they thought of him as a criminal who needed to be eliminated. They wanted to show him to the world as a criminal but Pilate had written on his placard "The King of the Jews." Jesus is “The King of the Jews,” if fact he is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the Son of God and the Messiah who saves men from their sins. As I mentioned before Pilate had Jesus' title written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek, the representative world languages of the time, so even though Jesus carried the cross to Golgotha, he was not going as a political criminal; he was going as the King of kings and the Lord of lords and the one who saves men from their sins. When the chief priests saw the title, they were really surprised that Pilate made Jesus the King of the Jews, so they protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” How did Pilot answer their complaint? Look at verse 22. “Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written.’” Even Pilate, the Roman governor, knew that Jesus was the King of the Jews and the Savior of the world. When Pilate said, "What I have written, I have written," he expressed his realization that this title is the most appropriate. While Son of God was on the cross and shedding his blood to save men from their sins, what men doing? Jesus mother, a few women who had followed Jesus and at least one disciple, John were their mourning this apparent tragedy, but most sinful people were not in mourning. John only describes the soldiers in order to display fallen man's mentality, but the synoptic Gospel describe others as well. Let’s look at the soldiers that John describes. The soldiers who crucified Jesus, didn’t care about him at all. They were only thinking about how they could divide his clothes between themselves. Here we learn two things. First, fallen man's heartlessness. They didn't care about the tortured and suffering Messiah on the cross; they only cared that the piece of cloth not be cut into four pieces, so that one could have it all. Second, and more importantly, this shows that this event is part of the fulfillment of God's prophecy. Psalm 22:18 says, "They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." These cruel soldiers crucified Jesus and showed the heartlessness of fallen man, but at the same time they revealed that this event was all a part of God’s master plan. This scene brings to mind Paul’s words to the Romans And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Third, beneath the cross of Jesus (25-27). Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. According to Luke, these women and some others served Jesus and his disciples at their own expense (Lk 8:2,3). They came to the cross and deeply mourned for Jesus. They probably could not fully understand why such a good Jesus had to be crucified. Just imagine the sword that must have been piercing his mother’s heart as she stood there watching her son suffer in this way. These women had hoped the world would respect Jesus, because Jesus had done so many good things. Contrary to their expectation, the evil men of the world crucified Jesus on the cross. These women show us the potential beauty and strength of all women. Even when everyone else scattered when Jesus, the good shepherd was stuck, they remained faithful and loving to the end. Jesus must have known just how painful watching her son die in this horrible way must have been for his mother Mary. Jesus felt her pain even as he suffered much pain and shame there on the cross. Jesus knew that she would need someone to care for and love her in her old age after he was gone and he saw his beloved disciple John standing next to her. With a heart full of compassion even on the cross Jesus said to her, "Dear woman, here is your son," and he said his disciple, "Here is your mother." Obviously this was John. Jesus entrusted John to care for his mother. From that time on, John took her into his home. Fourth, the death of Jesus (28-29). There are three important events in a man's life: birth, marriage and death. Among them, perhaps death is the most important because death has a way of summarizing one's entire life. When we read this part, we see that Jesus died as a perfect man. Jesus also died as the perfect God. Look at verse 28. "Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, 'I am thirsty.'" Thus far, Jesus has only suffered. He was arrested, tried again and again and struck in the face again and again, and mocked and insulted again and again. In addition, he was nailed to the cross and his cross was lifted up to the sky. Yet until now, Jesus did not say anything sentimental. Jesus didn't show any sign of sorrow or pain. When he knew that God's will was now completed so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, then Jesus said, "I am thirsty." Jesus was indeed great. He had a human body. He had feelings. But Jesus endured all the sufferings and hardships without complaint. But when God's will was fulfilled, in his humanness, he said, "I am thirsty." Jesus was already thirsty. But he did not feel that he was thirsty until God's will was fulfilled on the cross. In this short sentence, "I am thirsty," we learn how Jesus obeyed God's will unto death, death on the cross. Some heard Jesus say, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there. So they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant and lifted it to Jesus' lips. Jesus received the drop. Fifth, "It is finished" (30). I often wonder if, in history, anyone other than Jesus has ever said, "It is finished" at the time of death their death. Most people I suspect are overwhelmed by regrets and sorrow and the fear of death. Jesus was not like most people. Jesus knew he had completed his mission so when it was time for his death he simply said, "It is finished." Let's think about Jesus' saying, "It is finished." God made the world and man. When God made man, the first thing God did was to give man a mission, to be the steward of the world to take care of his world (Ge 1:28; 2:15). Therefore, we can say "man is mission." Each person has a mission from God, but those who do not love God do not know what God's mission for them is. We each must pray and study the Bible until we know what our personal mission from God is. God’s personal mission for each of us will take our entire life to complete, because God made us this way. This mission can have many different “seasons,” as Solomon would say. For instance right now, I believe my mission season is the season of learning the Korean language. Once I finish this season then God can use me to more effectively carry out the bigger mission he has for the rest of my life. In order to say, “It is finished,” as Jesus did we must know what our mission from God is. So what was Jesus mission that he finished. Jesus’ mission was to give up the glory, power and honor of his kingdom and come to this world and become as nothing in order to save men from their sins. Jesus' mission was to shepherd God's flock at the beginning of his earthly Messianic ministry and later to raise twelve disciples. Jesus did these things and obeyed God's mission for in these season, but in order to fully carry out his mission he had to die on the cross. Jesus carried out his mission by giving his life. Only when Jesus knew that his mission was fully complete could he say, "It is finished." Actually, only God can say, "It is finished." No one in history can say, "It is finished," because when one has to die, there seems to be so many unfinished tasks, and he is full of remorse and regret about his transgressions and iniquities. This usually leaves people not knowing what to say, but Jesus said, "It is finished." Jesus is indeed the Alpha and the Omega (Rev 1:8). Jesus is the beginning and the end. There is a beginning and an ending only in Jesus. Jesus is the Creator God, our shepherd and the judge for the living and the dead. As in the beginning he created the heavens and the earth, at the end of the age he will come again to collect his beloved ones from the four corners of the world. So when Jesus said, “It is finished,” it had a very deep meaning. Jesus has completely finished the work of saving us. He has completely finished the work of making us right with God. He has completely finished the work of enabling each of us to become the children of God and inherit eternal life. We simply must accept him and the work he has finished for us. Sixth, the Jews' desire to enjoy the weekend (31-34). Verse 31 indicates that the week Jesus died was a very important long weekend for the Jews and the next day, which would begin at sunset, was to be a special Sabbath to the Lord. The Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, so they asked Pilate to have the legs broken so that they would die more quickly, and the bodies could be taken down before sunset, the beginning of the Sabbath. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other, but when they came to Jesus, they found that he was already dead. They did not break his legs because he was already dead, but a soldier did pierce Jesus in the side with his spear just to make sure. This caused a sudden flow of blood and water to gush out from Jesus' side (34). Jesus had already suffered so much from the beatings and floggings that he died on the cross sooner than the others. Humanly speaking this flow of blood and water seems to be not so significant, but according to the Bible Jesus had to shed his blood for our sins, to cleanse our sin stained blood. Seventh, John, the eyewitness (35-37). Look at verse 35. "The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe." Here, "the man" refers to John. John was the eyewitness of Jesus' crucifixion and death, and John is the one who heard Jesus' final words. So he claims that his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth and he testifies so that many may believe. John's description of Jesus' death on the cross is very factual, and his descriptions are in accordance with prophecies. Look at verses 36-37. "These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: 'Not one of his bones will be broken,' and, as another scripture says, 'They will look on the one they have pierced.'" Jesus' death on the cross was prophesied and fulfilled and there were many witnesses. Among them, John is one. Therefore we must believe that Jesus died for our sins. We must believe that Jesus died to obey God's will for world salvation. We must believe that Jesus' death on the cross is an event that took place, once and for all in history, to save men from their sins. Eighth, Jesus was buried by prominent Sanhedrin members (38-42). Jesus was buried by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. Both of them were Sanhedrin members. They were secret disciples of Jesus, but at the death of Jesus, something unusual happened. When Jesus was alive, they were fearful, but when Jesus died, they saw God in Jesus. So Joseph fearlessly went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body (38). Pilate gave him permission. Nicodemus was the man who earlier had gone Jesus at night to avoid being seen by others, but when he saw Jesus there on the cross suddenly heavenly sunshine filled his heart all the darkness and doubt was now gone. So he brought seventy-five pounds of a mixture of myrrh and aloes (39). Other Sanhedrin members were busy – they wanted to enjoy the weekend, but Joseph and Nicodemus were busy taking care of Jesus' burial. The death of Jesus brought light to the hearts of Joseph and Nicodemus. The two men of standing were powerful witnesses of the death of Jesus. According to Isaiah, God decided to punish Jesus for men's sins, so he was buried with the wicked (Isa 53:9). Jesus was the Son of Almighty God, but Jesus was buried among the wicked. In this way, Jesus was buried to take all our punishment. The death of Jesus was the death of the Son of God, but it was not just another tragic event in human history. It was the completion of God’s world salvation plan. At the same time it is the beginning of our new life in Jesus. On the cross, Jesus finished all the work required to make us new creations – making us right with God and children of God who can inherit eternal life. |
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