The Glory of the Cross | John 19:13-36

August 30, 2013

Book: John

INTRODUCTION

This morning, let’s delve into the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, which sets Christianity apart as distinctly unique. Crucifixion lies at the core of the gospel message, with the cross and resurrection defining Christianity. Originating with the Persians and perfected by the Romans, crucifixion, despite its penal nature, bears an inherent glory.

John 19:13-36

¹³Then Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). ¹⁴It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. ¹⁵But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. ¹⁶Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

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). ¹⁸There 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 that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” 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 her, “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 everything had now been finished, and so that 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 Jewish leaders 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,”

You might think that it would be difficult to find any glory in the crucifixion of Jesus. However, John wants us to understand the glory of the cross.

Four Features of the Glory of the Cross

Scripture Fulfilled At The Cross
Sign Placed Over Jesus’ Head
Sympathy On The Cross
Supremacy Of Christ

1. Scripture Fulfilled As The Glory of the Cross

People may think that Jesus was crucified by no will of His. However, when we read the scripture, we find that everything that happened to Jesus right from his birth until his death is the fulfilment of the OT scripture.

a. Jesus Voluntarily Walked To The Cross

When Pilate handed Jesus over to the execution soldiers, usually numbering four, Jesus went voluntarily. Typically, a person destined for crucifixion would fight and resist, terrified at the prospect of the horrors of crucifixion, often needing to be driven like wild animals. However, Jesus went willingly to the cross.

Jesus said in-

John 10:17-18

¹⁷The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Jesus willingly went to the cross, simply following the soldiers without any hesitation on His part.

Isaiah 53:7

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

Jesus was led to the cross like Isaac was, to his sacrifice. Jesus was bearing His own cross.

John 19:17

Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull..

This analogy compares Isaac, who was to be sacrificed by Abraham for God, to Christ. Isaac carried his own wood on his back, mirroring Christ, who carried His own wood to His own execution without any substitute.

b. Division Of The Clothes Of Jesus

Psalm 22:18

They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.

c. The Thirst Of Jesus

John 19:28-29

Psalm 69:21

They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

d. The Suffering Of Christ as the Glory of the Cross

The suffering of Jesus included piercing, exhaustion, the unnatural position of the body, stress on the heart, weakness, thirst, and torture—all characteristics of crucifixion. Psalm 22 explains this.

Psalm 22:14-18

¹⁴I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. ¹⁵My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. ¹⁶Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. ¹⁷All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. ¹⁸They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.

e. Not One Of His Bones Will Be Broken

John 19:36

These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.”

f. They Will Look On The One They Have Pierced

John 19:47

and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

Zechariah 12:10

…They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

God orchestrated everything. Every detail on the cross fulfilled or depicted something from scripture. We witnessed the fulfillment of scripture.

This fulfillment began not only with the crucifixion but from the time Jesus was conceived; scripture was continually being fulfilled.

See a statement made by Matthew during Jesus’ trial:

Matthew 26:56

But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.

So we witness the fulfillment of the glory of the cross in the scripture displayed on the cross.

2. Sign As the Glory of the Cross

The sign placed over Jesus’ head read: Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.

It was customary for someone to be crucified to be paraded through town, dragging their own instrument of execution, their own cross. A man with a sign and a placard identifying the crime would lead the way to instill fear in the hearts of the people about violating any Roman law.

They took Jesus through the city, going directly from judgment to execution, which violated Jewish law. According to Jewish law, there were supposed to be days in-between for new evidence to be heard. Incidentally, this also violated Roman law, which required at least two days between a judgment and an execution. It was Jesus who decided when he would be crucified.

In the process of taking Him out to the place of execution, they placed a sign on Him. The sign itself brings glory to Christ, representing another aspect of the glory of the cross.

King Of Jews – The Glory of Cross

John 19:19

Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.

During the trial process, Pilate said six times, “I find no fault in this man,” officially declaring Him not guilty on six separate occasions. So why then proceed with the execution? Because the Jews wanted Jesus crucified.

Historically, Pilate had previously made several radically foolish decisions that incited riots in Jerusalem. Reports reached Rome suggesting he was incompetent as a leader representing Rome. He feared that one more significant mistake or riot with the Jews could cost him his position, and perhaps even his life.

The Jews threatened him with that.

John 19:12

From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”

“We’re going to report you to Caesar again,” Pilate was blackmailed into doing what he did. There was no crime to put on the sign, so instead, as a mockery to the Jews, he wrote on the sign, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews,” and nailed it over His head on the cross.

a. The Sign Declared The Innocence Of Jesus

I don’t think Pilate was nearly as concerned about Jesus, but he had reached a point where he was so angry with them that he sought vengeance. In his vengeance, he writes, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

Now he knows that the Jews hate Jesus. They have screamed, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” The chief religious leaders perpetrated this all. This is his moment of vengeance.

They had even said:

John 19:15

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

They refused Jesus as their king, but Pilate identifies Him as “Jesus of Nazareth” because Nazareth was an utterly unimportant, insignificant town above the Sea of Galilee. Early in the gospel of John:

John 1:45

“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

So Pilate mocks the Jews. This Jesus from absolutely nowhere, this weak man, is your king? To add to the insult, Pilate wrote in triplicate, in three languages: “King of the Jews.” Hebrew, the language of the Jews. Greek, the language of culture. Latin, the official Roman language. Those were the languages that Pilate chose so that everybody could read.

b. The Sign Declared Who Jesus Is

In his folly, Pilate unwittingly declares the truth: Jesus is the King of the Jews. From His birth, prophesied by an angel to Mary, to the visit of the wise men from the east, Jesus’ kingship was foretold. In fact, on the same Monday, during the triumphal entry as Jesus came to Jerusalem, all the people were shouting, “Blessed is the King of Israel”, affirming His true identity.

So, the chief priests came to Pilate and said, “Don’t let that sign stay there.”

John 19:21-22

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.”

History does not record a crucified Savior with a list of crimes over His head. It records a crucified Savior with the truth over His head: King of the Jews. He is the King not only of Israel but will be the King of the entire world.

I think the sign played a role even that day. Maybe it acted like an evangelistic tract to one of the thieves on the cross when he said, “Lord, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.”

So when you look at the cross and you’re looking at the glory of the cross, it is there in the fulfilled scripture. Secondly, the glory of the cross is in the sign, Jesus, king of the Jews.

3. Sympathy

John 19:26-27

²⁶When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” ²⁷and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

At the foot of the cross, there is the crowd—chief priests, rulers, and the Sanhedrin—along with the Roman authorities, executioners, and Roman soldiers exercising crowd control, led by a centurion. However, in sharp contrast to them, there is a group of five standing very near the cross: four courageous women and one courageous man. There is just one disciple here. So for some time during Jesus’ suffering, he is not alone. He has five close people there, even though after some time they move into obscurity.

The women are Mary, the mother of Jesus; Salome, the wife of Zebedee; Mary, the wife of Cleopas; and Mary Magdalene. Mary was a common name. By the way, Mary means “bitterness.”

This is the moment that was prophesied to Mary, that a sword would go through her own soul. It was the agony of watching her Son die. The sword pierced him and her as well. There’s no hysteria on her part. There’s no crying. She suffers in unbroken silence, realizing the promise of the sword. The crowds are mocking. One thief is taunting. The soldiers are gambling. Her Son is bleeding, and she is watching.

Jesus’s duties towards his mother in Cross

John 19:26

When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,”

Jesus focuses on His mother. She, being a widow and now with her Son on the Cross, needs someone to care for her. So Jesus looks down at her and says, “Woman, here is your son!” directing her to the apostle John.

John 19:27

..and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

This is the heart of Jesus, showing sympathy even in the midst of the most horrible suffering.

Jesus has been sympathetic to the people right from the beginning of His ministry. He healed the people. He had compassion for people. Look at the final days of Jesus. On Thursday night, he washed the feet of the disciples. Usually, this act was done by the lowest servant in a household. Jesus said to them-

John 13:34-35

³⁴“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”

Jesus’ Loving And Sympathetic Statements

In chapter 14 His love and sympathy continue. The thought that Jesus is going to die troubled them. Jesus said:

John 14:1

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. Jesus’s death and his return to the Father troubled them.

John 14:16

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—

John 14:18

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

John 18:25-26

²⁵“All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

John 18:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 18:28

I am going away and I am coming back to you.

This is just a massive expression of love. This is a sympathy that is literally beyond our ability to understand. In the scene of the greatest hate, love dominates.

So we witnessed the glory of the cross in Scripture fulfilled and in the Sign on the cross. Finally, the sympathy of Christ demonstrated the glory of the Cross.

CONCLUSION

After fulfilling the scripture and showing sympathy to his mother, Jesus died.

John 19:28-30

His blood became the ransom for our sins. If you truly see, Jesus was not only sympathetic about his mother, but he was sympathetic about the entire humanity who was in sin, separated from God, and deserving the wrath of God. Today, he is primarily looking at your sins and willing to forgive you.

Will you come and stand at the feet of Jesus today? Are you willing to surrender your life to see the glory of the cross in your life?

Commit your life to God’s hand. He died for you. Appropriate it in your life. Wherever you are, with surrendered hearts, let us look to him today.

The Glory of the Cross | John 19:13-36