??????????????????????? ??????????????????????? ???????????JOHN 19:17-42 ????????? ??????????????????????? ??????????? ???????????Lesson # 40

??????????????????????? ?????????????????????????? THE CRUCIFIXION

I.? Introduction:

???????????Tonight we are going to look at the center of Jesus’ ministry, we are going to look at the Crucifixion.?

II.? Jesus Crucified:? John? 19:17-22

>>>>? Have someone read John 19:17-18

???????????Q? Where was Jesus crucified?

????????????? An = At the place of the skull or “Golgotha” in the Hebrew.

???????????Q? Was Jesus crucified alone?

????????????? An = No he was part of the regular execution schedule seemingly already established.? Jesus is crushed like so many others.?

Note:? The world had conquered.? It had stopped the voice of God and done so with its regular machinery.

>>>>? Have someone read John 19:19-20

Note:? Today, we are not really sure where this place was, but it was “near” the city.

???????????Q? In how many languages was Jesus’ inscription written?

????????????? An = Three

???????????Q? What was the affect of the nearness and multiple languages?

????????????? An = Many people were able to read the inscription.? This is a major feast day, and thousands of visitors from all over the Roman Empire are gathering for the Passover.? Many of the travelers did not read Hebrew, but they most likely were able to read Greek and Latin.

>>>>? Have someone read John 19:21-22

???????????Q? What did the Jewish leaders in effect want?

????????????? An = Pilate has subtlety humiliated them.? He, the representative of the Roman government, has crucified their king.? They see this and want the inscription to read as a “self made claim”, not a claim agreed to by the Jewish leadership.

???????????Q? Does Pilate comply?? Why not?

Note:? Pilate is obviously irritated by the Jewish leadership, they have won, so he tries to “trump” them at least in a minor issue, but even that too backfires.? He boldly displays a miscarriage of Roman justice (a deep injury to Pilate’s sense of justice) because Jesus is clearly not a threat to Roman rule and thus guilty of treason against Rome.? Yet, Pilate has him killed.

III.? Jesus On The Cross:? John 19:23-37

Note:? We have noted that John has several triads or bookends in his passion week record.? Here possibly is another one:? The soldiers, Jesus’ words, the soldiers.

???????????A.? The Actions of the Soldiers:? John 19:23-25. ????????

>>>>? Have someone read John 19:23-24

???????????Q? Why were the soldiers dividing up Jesus’ clothing?

????????????? An = Jesus was convicted on the charge of “treason”, (remember the inscription) and the belongings of a person so convicted had his belongings confiscated by the State.? Jesus did not have much, only the clothes on His back.

???????????Q? Is Jesus innocent?

???????????Q? If we are innocent, will we suffer?

???????????Q? How did John view this action?

????????????? An = As a subtle triumph.? This is not the sign of the world’s evil succeeding against justice, but a sign of the “sovereignty of God”.? It is a fulfillment of Scripture.? Even what men meant for evil is being turned into good.

???????????B.? The Last Words of Jesus:? John 19:25-30.

>>>>? Have someone read John 19:25-27.

???????????Q? How many women are recorded as standing there?

????????????? An =? Four:? Jesus’ mother, His mother’s sister, Mary, and Mary Magdalene.

???????????Q? How many does Jesus address?

????????????? An = He addresses only His mother, and now John’s presence is recorded, and he too is addressed.

???????????Q? What is Jesus doing with His speeches to these two?

????????????? An = It is clear Jesus is “other-centered” and is reaching out to others in His time of need.? One speculation is Jesus could be is helping them grieve by helping John find and His mother find “substitutes” for their affection.? Another is by William Temple (367) who sees John’s instructions as “take my mother away” from having to watch this to your home now.? He believes John immediately took Jesus’ mother home.? Either way you see it, Jesus is other-centered.? Temple believes John left and missed other words Jesus said on the cross but returned to hear what will follow in his record….

>>>>? Have someone read John 19:28-29.

???????????Q? What does Jesus say?

????????????? An = Temple speculates that the Jesus wanted to be able to make His final proclamation so He asks to have His parched throat cooled (368).? Psalm 22:15 and 69:21 were seen as prophecies of this word.

>>>>? Have someone read John 19:30

???????????Q? What are Jesus’ final words?

???????????Q? What do they mean?

????????????? An = In the world’s eyes righteousness has failed, all is ruined (Bultmann, 675), but to another’s perspective, righteousness has triumphed.? >>>? Have someone read John 17:4-5.

???????????Q? Why does the glory of God seem hidden from men’s eyes?

???????????Q? What does that say to you if you really access the true glory of God?

???????????C.? The Actions of the Soldiers:? John 19:31-37.

>>>> Have someone read John 19:31-34

???????????Q? What are the soldiers attempting to do?

????????????? An = Hurry death.?

???????????Q? What is the reason for the soldier’s action?

????????????? An = The leaders have crucified an innocent man and yet are still religious.? Religion often hides murder.? It still does so today.? It seems that men can flaunt God’s will and still be very religious and (seemingly get away with it).? In fact, Jesus is already, conveniently dead.? The thrust of the spear proved that.? Again, the world seems to have conquered.

>>>> Have someone read John 19:35-37.

???????????Q? How does John see the actions of the soldiers?

????????????? An = John sees their work as fulfillment of prophecy, not failure.? He sees lack of broken bones and the piercing as fulfillment of Psalm 34:20 and Zechariah 12:10.

???????????Q? What is the difference between John’s view of the soldiers’ actions and how the state would have viewed the “casting of lots” and “piercing”?

IV.? The Burial of Christ:? Mercy Comes From Unlooked for Quarters.? John 19:38-42.

>>>>? Have someone read John 19:38

???????????Q? What act of kindness did Joseph of Arimathea do for Jesus that the disciples did not do?

???????????Q? What does the author tell us about the man?

????????????? An = He was a disciple, but feared the power structure.? He was not courageous.

>>>>? Have someone read John 19:39.

???????????Q? What did Nicodemus do for Jesus?

????????????? An = the amount he brought is enormous and the extravagant amount expresses veneration (Bultmann, 680).

???????????Q? What does the author tell us about him?

????????????? An = He was the one who had come to Jesus by night.?

???????????Q? What do the two men have in common?

????????????? An =? Both were drawn to Jesus but did not have the courage to stand up publicly for Him.

>>>>? Have someone read John 19:40

???????????Q? Why did God allow two non-courageous men to be the ones who showed respect for Jesus’ body?

>>>>? Have someone read John 19:41-42

???????????Q? What motivates the placement of Jesus’ body?

????????????? An = Ironically, it is religious scruples.? They had killed God, but religious scruples dominate the story.? The author is deliberately drawing our attention to this.

Note:? So often, it does seem like phony religious show, “imaging”, appears to triumph.? It seems like it does in the short run.? That seems to be part of the message of John’s Gospel.?

???????????But the story is not over!