The Passion of Christ, Part 5: The Cross and the Crown
John
19:17-27
Introduction:
This weekend we celebrate Memorial Day, a day set aside to remember those who
paid the ultimate price to preserve our freedom… We rightly honor those who
gave their lives for us… Literature and
history are filled with stories of sacrifice, even substitutionary sacrifice. Just
this week, in the reports of the devastating tornado in Oklahoma I heard the
story of a group of kids that were huddled in a bathroom stall, and one of them
told the story of their fear as the storm approached, and how their teacher was
on top of them with her arms outstretched protecting them – she was willing to
sacrifice herself to save the kids that were entrusted to her. In that case she came safely out of the rubble
with her kids. Sometimes the stories don’t
end so happily, the intentions of the would be rescuers are good, they are willing to save, even to sacrifice
themselves, but they fall short. We remember the stories of the teachers at
Sandy Hook who sacrificed themselves, trying to stand between the gunman and
their kids. These scenes and these
stories remind us that we live in a fallen world, the consequences of sin are
all around us, and we need a spiritual deliverance that no mere human could
provide for us. As John presents the
Gospel of Jesus he wants us to know that Jesus loved us that much, and
he was both willing and able to save.
That
is the Big Idea in this
passage: Jesus Christ, the Passover King, willingly laid down His life in
fulfillment of Scripture and so made us a part of God’s family.
I.
Jesus was crucified as a willing sacrifice: As Isaac carried the wood upon which he would be
“sacrificed,” Jesus carried His own cross to the place of execution (16-18).
When we study the story of Jesus, we can’t avoid the question: Why did
God give us four gospels, instead of one, comprehensive biography of the life
of Christ? For one thing they are multiple witnesses that complement and
reinforce one another. For another, each one has its own specific “message,”
something(s) the writer was trying to teach to the original audience. This
first point is a good reminder that the gospel writers were “selective.” They
were absolutely truthful in what they reported, but none of the gospels was
trying to give us every detail in exact, chronological order. They wrote with purpose, emphasizing certain
aspects of the story of Jesus to teach their hearers!
One thing we notice immediately in this part of the story of the passion
of Christ in the Fourth Gospel, is that John doesn’t mention Simon, who we know
from the synoptic gospels, was pressed into carrying the cross of Jesus at
least part of the way to Calvary. As we read Matthew, Mark and Luke, the detail
of Christ falling exhausted to the ground and needing help to carry the cross
reminds us of the humanity of Jesus, his suffering, and the fact that we too
are called to share in His suffering.
John knows that His readers already know that part of the story, just as
surely as he knew that the readers already knew about the baptism of Jesus
(which John never mentions) and his birth in Bethlehem (which isn’t recorded in
John). He is not contradicting it or denying what happened, but He mentions only
Jesus carrying his own cross (which he did for part of the Via Dolorosa), because he is emphasizing two things:
First, that Jesus is in control. That He is purposefully
carrying out the Father’s plan, willingly
drinking the cup that He was given. He wasn’t forced to go, but “He went out” to
the place of crucifixion (v.17).
Secondly, he wants us not to miss a parallel with a scene in the
Old Testament. In Genesis 22 Abraham and Isaac head up a hill, with Isaac
carrying the wood on which he is to be “sacrificed.” In that case, God
stayed the hand of Abraham and provided a substitute, a ram stuck in a thicket.
In this case Jesus is the Lamb,
he himself is the sacrifice, the substitute for a world of condemned sinners.
In this case the Father would “…spare not
His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all…”
John, like the other Gospel writers, reports the fact
of the crucifixion, without getting into the gory details. It wasn’t necessary. Anyone
living under Roman rule knew what crucifixion was, they had seen the horror of
it. It was done publically to instill fear of the Roman power in the populace. V. 18 says it simply, no elaboration, no gory
details, simply “they crucified Him.” This is His purpose. This is how God
showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we
might live through Him (1 John 4:9). Jesus
Christ, the Passover King, willingly laid down His life in fulfillment of Scripture
and so made us a part of God’s family.
II.
Jesus was crucified as the King of the Jews: Though Pilate no doubt meant the inscription on the cross to be a cynical
jab at the Jewish leaders, ironically, the words he wrote on the placard above
the cross were absolutely true (19-22).
The kingship of Jesus had only been mentioned
in a few key points in the story until now (1:49; 6:15; 12:13-15). Nathanael
stunned us with his confession in the very first chapter, “…You are the Son of
God. You are the King of Israel!” (1:49).
After the miraculous sign of feeding the 5,000, Jesus, in His omniscience,
knew that that crowd intended to make him “king by force” in 6:15, and He withdrew
from them. They had just been fed, who doesn’t like a free lunch, but they had
no understanding yet as to who Jesus was, and as to what He had come to do.
Later in that very chapter when He spoke about “eating his flesh” and “drinking
his blood” most of the people, disillusioned and confused, left him. And then in chapter 12, the beginning of the Passover
week, the day we call Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem to the cheers of the
people, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of
Israel!” But as the very Psalm they
quoted predicted, He would be “the Stone the builders rejected…” (Ps
118:22,25).
Now in the passion the theme of His kingship
comes front and center. In fact John draws special attention to it pointing out
not only the phrase written on the cross, but the reaction of the religious
leaders. Why was this such an
offense? The charge against a condemned
criminal, the reason for his execution, was often nailed to the cross.
Essentially Pilate had said that Jesus was being executed because He was King of the Jews!
The leaders want that reworded, it’s not that
He really was “King of the Jews,” but it was because he claimed
that position – but Pilate responds with a little face saving jab at the Jewish
leaders, “What I have written, I have
written.” The word Pilate used here is a familiar one, used also to
introduce scripture, “it is written.” John wants us to consider this: if Pilate’s
word could not be changed, how much more certain is the eternal word of
God! And that is exactly what is revealed
in the following verses as Jesus Christ, the Passover King, willingly laid down
His life in fulfillment of Scripture and so made us a part of God’s family.
III.
Jesus was crucified in fulfillment of Scripture: (23-24). John
wants us to understand what happens next…
“Then
the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four
parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without
seam, woven from the top in one piece. 24
They said therefore among themselves, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for
it, whose it shall be,’ that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: ‘They
divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.’ Therefore
the soldiers did these things” (John 19:23-24).
What the soldiers did in “dividing
up” the clothing of Jesus was probably not unusual, but “casting lots” for the
seamless undergarment was. Even this detail was not simply “chance,” but one
more thing that God had already revealed, one more evidence that Jesus was the
One spoken of by the prophets.
V.24
explains, “This happened that the
Scripture might be fulfilled…” Psalm
22:18 predicted this detail in the prophetic picture of David of the suffering
and rejected King, the servant who would be pierced and seemingly abandoned by
God. Nothing is left to chance, every
detail is planned by God, and its fulfillment confirms that God is working
through the unfolding story of Jesus. The
reader of John by now understands the truth, that Jesus wasn’t a victim of
circumstances that spun out of control, a plan that had somehow failed. Rather,
Jesus Christ, the Passover King, willingly laid down His life in fulfillment of
Scripture and so made us a part of God’s family.
IV. Jesus was crucified and made us part of a new family (25-27). We are God’s children, and we are brothers and sisters in Christ. In this Word of Jesus from the Cross we see
that we have a new life in God’s family. I John 3:1 says it this way: “Behold what manner of love the Father has
given unto us, that we should be called the children of God, and such we are!”
Consider the implications of this tender scene.
First, Jesus is willing to care for his own. Even in his moment of greatest human weakness and vulnerability, Jesus
was taking care of his human family. We hear nothing of Joseph, it appears he had
already died. His brothers aren’t here with Mary, apparently they don’t “believe”
until after the resurrection. You might
think “Of course Jesus was concerned for
Mary and cared for her, she was his mother!”
That is certainly
true, but we also know from the New Testament that You are important to
Jesus. Remember the scene in Luke 8:19–21:
“His mother came to him… And it
was reported to him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside,
wishing to see you." But he answered and said to them, "My mother
and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." That was not a depreciation of his mother
and brothers, but an affirmation of something more profound and eternal than
blood relation. Loving obedience to the Word of God shows we are in a relationship
to Jesus.
Think about this:
Jesus makes provision for the needs of his mother at Calvary. Those who hear
and do the Word of God have an even greater claim on Jesus' care than she had
based on her biological relation. So, if
he took care of her, will he not much more
provide for us? That’s really what the
whole teaching of the upper room was about in John 13-16, as well as the prayer
in John 17. Jesus was getting His disciples, and those who would believe
through their word (us!) ready to continue His mission in this world until that
day when we see Him face to face. Jesus knows you, He loves you, He has a plan
for your life. The Apostle Paul said it
this way to the Philippians: “… being confident of this very thing, that He
who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…”
Secondly, we can see that Jesus is able to
take care of his own. Even in his moment of greatest human weakness and vulnerability, Jesus
was taking care of his family, and now, as the exalted Son, at the Father’s
right hand, he knows you, and is more than able to take care of you. His
present position and eternal power should encourage us! He is both willing and
able!
According to Ephesians
1:19, 20 the greatness of God's power which is working on behalf of us who
believe "accords with the working of
the strength of his might which God generated by raising Christ from the dead
and seating him at his right hand in heaven." The satisfaction made
for our sin at Calvary was so complete that God honored this sacrifice by
raising Jesus from the dead and giving him incomparable glory and power and
wealth of all things. This same Jesus knows you and cares about you, he calls
you his child.
Therefore, the word of
Jesus to his mother from the cross is a great encouragement to us. Think about it: if He could provide for his
own in the moment of His human weakness and humiliation, He can certainly meet
all of our needs today from the right hand of the Father, full of power and
glory.
Note well what happens next: Jesus ordained the Church as a New Spiritual Family. Notice that contrary
to custom and expectation, Jesus did not admonish his own half-brothers to care
for their mother. It may be they were not yet believers. The new relationship between Mary and John
illustrates for us the provision made for us in the body of Christ. Is the church like a family? NO! We are a family! We have the same Father, we are brothers and sisters.
When Jesus says to Mary: "Look on
John as your son"; and to John: "Look on Mary as your mother";
he is showing us how our needs are to be met when we have left everything to
follow him. Paul said in Acts 20:28 that Christ "purchased the church of God with his own blood." Therefore, one of the gifts Jesus gave to us
from the cross was the church: a loving, caring, sustaining, encouraging family.
He illustrates that in the relationship
between John and Mary.
If
he was eager to care for his mother, how much more eager will he be today to
care for those who hear and do the Word of God! If Jesus could provide for the
needs of his own in the moment of his greatest weakness and humiliation, how
much more can he provide for your need in his present position of power and
exaltation. And if Jesus purchased the
church with his own blood then no one should be without a caring family today
in the body of Christ, we are a family, God is our Father, we are brothers and
sisters.
What
is God saying to me in this passage? Jesus Christ, the Passover King, willingly laid down His life in
fulfillment of Scripture and so made us a part of God’s family.
What
would God have me to do in response to this passage? Memorial Day – we do well to remember those who gave
their lives to preserve our freedoms. We should remember their sacrifices today
and every day. There is a spiritual freedom that only One man, the God-Man,
could secure for us: “If the Son
therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” Brothers if God
so loved us, and we know it, of course we love Him in return. But John goes
further: 1 John 4:10-11 “In this
is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the
propitiation for our sins. 11
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” What should
that look like? One of the things that characterized the New Testament church
was koinonia, that is, “fellowship.” They
were involved in each other’s lives. They knew each other’s needs, and so they
could “bear each others burdens”. Small
group is one place where that can happen.
Also more spontaneous times of being together for meals and the like.
And what about our neighbors? If we are going to love them, we need to
recognize that there is only one way to Heaven, that is through faith in Jesus.
How will they hear? Think about
that. AMEN.
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