Sunday Messages

John 19

Jesus Sentenced to Death

1Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. 2The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. 3“Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face.

4Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.” 5Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!”

6When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

“Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.”

7The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.”

8When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. 9He took Jesus back into the headquarters*19:9 Greek the Praetorium. again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. 10“Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”

11Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”

12Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no ‘friend of Caesar.’*19:12 “Friend of Caesar” is a technical term that refers to an ally of the emperor. Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.”

13When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). 14It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people,*19:14 Greek Jewish people; also in 19:20. “Look, here is your king!”

15“Away with him,” they yelled. “Away with him! Crucify him!”

“What? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back.

16Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

So they took Jesus away. 17Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). 18There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. 19And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth,*19:19 Or Jesus the Nazarene. the King of the Jews.” 20The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it.

21Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’”

22Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.”

23When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice*19:24a Greek cast lots. for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.”*19:24b Ps 22:18. So that is what they did.

25Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” 27And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus

28Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.”*19:28 See Pss 22:15; 69:21. 29A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.