What Words Reveal on Your Belief on the Crucifixion

We are all familiar with the crucifixion, but what do our words reveal about our belief? As I thought about that this week, I began to wonder what did the words of those in John 19 reveal about their feelings on the crucifixion. Tonight we are going to focus on the statements others made during the crucifixion.

Hail the King (V. 3, 14, 19, 21-22)

In all the times Jesus is refereed to as King in this chapter did a single soul mean it? No, their words were full of mockery. They knew the words of Jesus and what he claimed to be, but instead of believing they mocked. Many today will say Jesus is King, but their lives are a mockery. Mockery is contemptuous behavior.

John 19:3 ESV

They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands.

Some will acknowledge Jesus existed and straight up mock him. Some have no care for who Jesus is. In fact some have hearts so hardened against God they straight up mock. It is not uncommon in our culture for people to make fun of Jesus. they acknowledge he was real but lack any respect for him.

John 19:14 ESV

Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”

John 19:19 ESV

Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

Pilate acknowledged Jesus as king of the Jews, but not as his personal king. People in the world today will look at you being a Christian and may be alright with it, but don’t want nothing to do with Jesus being their king. So they say let him be your king and do what you want with him, but I am too good for your faith and just don’t let it interfere with my life

Pilate would have looked down on the Jews and would have seen Jesus as a Jewish problem that he wanted to wash his hands of.

Are we called to live in a box? Is Jesus in a box? No we are suppose to be evangelistic. Be out of the box.

John 19:21–22 ESV

So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’ ” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”

Then they were debating to what extent Jesus was king. Today we do that a lot. We get lost in arguing over definitions and to what extent Christ is King. But should there really be any debate.

Or we get to the mindest of he is only King if he fits my box and he stays in it. Do you put limits on Christ?

Hypocrisy (V. 4, 24)

John 19:4 ESV

Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.”

Pilate said he found him guiltless, but yet let him be flogged and mocked. He presented a bloodied Christ, but said he found Him guiltless. What a picture of our lives sometimes. We believe Jesus is guiltless, but how often do we sit silent as Him and our faith is mocked? How many times do we choose not to act and let the punishment persist? How many times do we not do what we know is right?

John 19:12 ESV

From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”

The Jews hated the Romans, they were invaders. Any other time they would have cherished the moment a ruler done something rebelling against the Romans. Just to drive home the point of the hypocrisy, they had just been shouting for the freeing of Barabbas, an insurrectionist. Let us free one guy truly making trouble, but kill the guy doing good. At times though this world is willing to tweak their worldview and to unify with enemies if it means hurting the church and Christ. Hate for God can cause people to act irrationally.

Do You Believe He is God? (V. 5)

John 19:5 (ESV)

So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!”

Pilate does not say behold God, but behold the man. All he saw was a hated, defeated man. Their was nothing god like about Jesus to Pilate

Do you see Jesus as just a man or fully God and fully man? Do you pray like you mean it? Do you read scripture like you mean it? Do you talk like you mean it?

Gambling with Eternity (V. 24)

John 19:24 ESV

so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things,

The soldiers were responsible for putting Jesus upon the cross. These soldiers put 100s, possibly 1000s on the cross. They were brutal. They were calloused to death and little regard for life. Death to them was something that they were familiar with and in their prime may have been something they felt like they had control over. As younger people at times we distance ourselves from it.

Many today do that. We get immune to the darkness of life or we let the health technology make us feel invincible and that death is far off and we have plenty of time to get right. in 2020 64,550 people below the age of 24 died. No one plans to be a part of that statistic, so don’t gamble on your eternity. Life is not a game.

What Authority Do You Recognize? (V. 10, 15)

John 19:10 ESV

So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?”

We sometimes believe we have freedom, moral freedom, freedom over our life. When in reality you don’t. Pilate was only able to do what God allowed, but He could not go outside those limits set by God. Think of like a dog on a chain or runner that doesn’t realize it is on one until it takes off after someone. Realize you may be thinking you can do what you want, but realize God is showing you grace, he could us rightfully in our sins. Did you choose where you were born? To who you were born?

John 19:15 ESV

They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”

The Jews were saying only earthly authority has control over them, but what does Romans 13:1-2 tell us? Was the Roman government able to keep Jesus in the grave? In the end even Caesar answers to God. Trump answers to God. Biden Answers to God

Care for Christ (V.38)

John 19:38 ESV

After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body.

Joseph of Arimathea saw His Jesus abused and murdered. And he took action. Him and Nicodemus took time to bury Jesus in a tomb and clean his body. They used enough anointing material that it was equal to the amounts used for royalty. Did they lack faith in him? But if you were their it would not have been confusing. they done the best they knew how. When we don’t understand what is happening to us and Christ’s church we need to do our best and care for one another and search for opportunity to glorify Christ.