John 19:16-37
The Crucifixion
16 So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
19Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews."
22Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."
23When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
24"Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it."
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said,
"They divided my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did.
25Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
The Death of Jesus
28Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29A 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. 30When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
31Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35The 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. 36These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," 37and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."
Jesus had just been tried by the Jews in the Sanhedrin court...The presiding judge over the Jewish court was the high priest...Then He was tried by the Roman Court...The presiding judge over the Roman court was Pilate...The Roman court takes precedent...The Roman soldiers took charge of Jesus after Pilate turned Jesus over to them...He would be beaten by the Roman soldiers John 19:1)...He would now be bleeding and in much pain (from the beating)...He would be weak and tired from the scourging...Then He had to walk about a mile, bleeding from the flogging, carrying weight...He carried the top part of His cross that would weigh up to one hundred pounds...His heart would be pounding, from the pain, the suffering, and the weight of the cross...He would get help, because of His condition, carrying His cross from Simon from Cyrene (Matthew 27:32)...He and Simon would carry His cross to a place called the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha)...He would be very weak, by now, from His earlier flogging, bleeding, and weight of the cross...Here, at the Skull in Golgotha, they crucified Him...The Romans crucified people which is slow suffering, painful death...His wrists were nailed to a cross...His feet were nailed to His cross...He will suffer greatly...Beside Him, and His cross, were two others also being crucified, one on each side of Him...He has done nothing wrong...
Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to Jesus' cross...The sign said: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS...(In all four gospels, we are told Pilate puts a sign on Jesus' cross, that says He is the King of the Jews)...Many of the Jews read this sign because He was crucified near the city...The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate and told him to change the sign to king of the Jews, but this man claimed to be King of the Jews...Pilate tells them what is written will stay...Then the soldiers took His clothes and divided them into four shares. one for each of the soldiers, with the undergarment remaining...This dividing of His garments fulfilled the Psalm Scripture 22:18 that says, "they divided My garments among them and cast lots for My clothing."...This is what the soldiers did...
Near the cross watching was Jesus' mother, Mary...Also standing was Mary's sister, also named Mary, wife of Clopas...Also there was Mary Magdalene...When Jesus saw His mother there, and the disciple whom Jesus loved standing nearby...Jesus said to His mother, "Dear woman, here is your son" and to His disciple He said, "here is your mother."...From that time on the disciple took her into his home...
Jesus is greatly suffering...He is dying on a cross...His is bleeding...He is in pain...Knowing the Scriptures had been fulfilled to this point, Jesus says "I AM thirsty."...A jar of wine vinegar was given to Him on a soaked sponge, on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and it was lifted up the His lips...Jesus said, "It is finished."...With that He lifted His head and gave up His Spirit...Jesus has died, a slow and painful death on a cross...
Now this was the day of the Preparation of the Passover...This would be a Friday, Good Friday...Mosaic Law did not allow a body to be left on the cross during the Sabbath (Deuteronomy 21:23)...So the Jews ask Pilate to break the legs of those on the crosses to speed up the death process...The soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men being crucified by Jesus...Jesus was found dead and they did not break His legs...But they did pierce Him in the side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water...This happened and fulfilled two more Scripture...One is the none of His bones would be broken (Psalm 34:20, Exodus 12:46)...Second, they will look on the One who they pierced (Zechariah 12:10)...
Jesus has died and has fulfilled all Scripture...Even after His death, the two final Scriptures are completed...God overrules and controls all...Jesus was the only One, of the three crucified, who did not have His legs broken... Instead He was pierced...God is in control...No doubt the soldiers did not understand they were fulfilling Scripture, when they did not break His legs...
As the people gathered and watched, and as others knew about His crucifixion, they did not realize He was dying for them (and us)...He suffered for us on the cross...He was so painfully dying and suffering for all our sins...He did nothing wrong...We caused His death...Like the sacrificial laws for sinning, He is sacrificed for us...He is the ultimate sacrifice...He is our ultimate sacrifice...God's grace allows the greatest One on earth to suffer and die...This is why St. John writes that God is Love (1 John 4:16)...He does this for us...God loves the world so much that He gave His One and Only Son to die for us, so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life (John 3:16)...Only later, after some thought and His resurrection would the disciples realize this...
Jesus has fulfilled the Scripture...Jesus had said earlier, I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life....Truth is a Man...His name is Jesus...