John 19:1-15 The Day He Wore My Crown April 30, 2023

John 19 Verses 1 to 5 The Day He Wore My Crown April 30, 2023

Class Presentation Notes AAAA

Background Scriptures:

· Isaiah 52:13-14 (NASB) 13 Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted. 14 Just as many were astonished at you, My people, So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men.

· Hebrews 2:12 (NASB) 12 saying, "I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN, IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE."

Main Idea: The crown of thorns represents the painful curse of sin.

Study Aim: To understand that each of us deserves the punishment Jesus received. He died as our substitute. The crown was meant for us.

Quick Read: Jesus could have used His supernatural power to deflect the pain or to remove Himself from the cross. But He did not.

Create Interest:

· The crowd will not have it. They want blood. And even though Pilate tries to get Jesus released through the use of an ancient custom, it is the rebel Barabbas who is chosen and freed. The weakness in Pilate’s character is revealed. He doesn’t want to upset the crowd and cause a problem for himself, but neither does he want to condemn an innocent man; so he tries another tack. He goes for the sympathy vote. He hopes to satisfy their bloodlust through a thorough beating.

· And so, Jesus is taken back into the governor’s palace and handed over to the soldiers so that they can torture him. Indeed, the best commentary upon what happened at this point can be found in the prophetic words of the Old Testament that described this event in anticipation. Let their simplicity record the horror: ‘his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness’ (Isa. 52:14).[1]

· The secular worldview has no understanding or experience with the death of Jesus. Nonbelievers do not see it having any affect on them. For some it is only another story of a good man dying as a martyr. For many the cross is only something on spires of churches or on necklaces to be worn around one’s neck.

· The biblical worldview sees the cross as the fulfillment of God’s plan to provide salvation for sinful humanity. The cross and the resurrection are the basic content of the good news of God’s salvation offered to all people.

o Let’s understand what Jesus did in our place to fulfill Scripture and take our sins upon Himself.

Lesson in Historical Context:

· After Jesus’ arrest, He was subjected to trials at night by the Jewish religious leaders. He went first to Annas, then to Caiaphas. The Jewish leaders condemned Him for what they considered to be blasphemy for claiming to be the Son of God. Because they did not have the power to have someone executed, they sent Him to Pilate, accusing Him of sedition against Rome, which was a capital offense in the eyes of Rome. Pilate found Him innocent of this charge, but he gave in to the pressure of the Jewish leaders when they threatened to accuse Pilate to Caesar on the charge of setting free a seditionist.[2]

· Four times in this account Pilate publicly refers to Jesus as the “King of the Jews.” The first time comes after he questions Jesus (18:39). After having Jesus whipped, Pilate brings him out before the Jews and says, “Here is your king!” (19:14). Then he asks, “Should I crucify your king?” (v. 15). Pilate gives in to the people’s wishes and orders Jesus’s execution but not before having a sign made that calls Jesus the King of the Jews (vv. 19–22).

· Why does Pilate continue to use the title “King of the Jews” to describe Jesus? Does Pilate believe Jesus is the prophesied King and this is his response of faith, or is he doing it to mock the Jews for pressuring him to kill a man he wants to release? Ultimately, Pilate’s motive doesn’t matter.

o Jesus is publicly identified as the King of the Jews. Not only do the Jewish leaders hear Pilate’s repeated pronouncement, but when the sign is tacked up on the cross above Jesus’s disfigured face, the whole world sees who is dying there.

o “The King of the Jews” is written in three languages because this King’s death impacts more than one nation. This King brings men from every nation into his kingdom.

o The pen of Pilate becomes the instrument God uses to announce to the world Jesus is King.

· Not only does Pilate call Jesus the King, but his soldiers also dress him up and present him as a king (19:1–5). Pilate mocks Jesus and the Jews. The soldiers who strike Jesus do so to taunt him, but they don’t understand that Jesus is a King unlike any king this world has ever seen.

o He’s a King who humbles himself to die so he might deliver those who hate him and rebel against him.

o The garments they place on him and the horrible crown they force him to wear reveal he is a humble King who rules through his suffering.

· The suffering of Jesus reveals the wickedness of our sin, our inability to please God, His grace in saving us, and the certainty of future acceptance.

o The horrible mistreatment of Jesus gives us confidence in God’s promises and reminds us Jesus is our ultimate treasure, for only His death could satisfy the debt of sin we owed.

o The suffering of Jesus that day so long ago reminds us of truths and realities we easily forget and overlook. Charles Spurgeon once said,

§ I received some years ago orders from my Master to stand at the foot of the cross until he comes. He has not come yet, but I mean to stand there until He does. (Quoted in Mahaney, “The Pastor’s Priorities,” 133)

· We stand at the foot of the cross because the cross is the ground of our faith and the foundation of our hope.[3]

Bible Study:

John 19:1 (NIV2011) 1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.

· John’s simple statement, “Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him,” is shockingly plain. Jesus was led to the Roman garrison (the Fortress of Antonia) adjacent to the temple and given over to an expert in torture called a lictor, who used a whip with long, leather tails called a flagrum. The leather straps could be merely knotted or, if the lictorwanted to inflict more damage, he could choose a whip with small, metal weights or even bits of sheep bone braided into the straps.

o “The iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues.

o Then as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh.”

o According to a forensic pathologist, the scourging typically resulted in “rib fractures and severe lung bruises and lacerations with bleeding into the chest cavity and partial or complete pneumothorax (collapse of the lung).”

o The lictor was an expert in the art of torture and knew exactly how to beat a man within an inch of his life.[4]

· So horrible was this punishment that Roman citizens were exempt from it (cf. Acts 22:25). The scourging He endured left Jesus too weak to carry the crosspiece of His cross all the way to the execution site (Matt. 27:32). Pilate hoped that this brutalizing of Jesus short of death would satisfy the bloodthirsty mob.[5]

· Under Jewish law, a person could be lashed not more than 39 times. Under Roman law, there was no limit on the lashings.

o Scourging was used to weaken the person for crucifixion. Without scourging, a strong, condemned man might survive on the cross for several days until exposure, wild animals, insects, or birds contributed to his death.

o The only allowable exemptions to scourging were women, Roman senators, or Roman soldiers (except in cases of desertion).

o The back of the person would be shredded, puffy, and swollen. Peter referred to the scourging of Jesus.

§ 1 Peter 2:24—Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. The word “stripes” is a singular noun in the Greek text, not a plural one, suggesting that the back of the Lord was such a mass of blood and bruised tissue that it appeared as a single wound.

· The scourging of the Lord Jesus Christ was a fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

§ Isaiah 50:6—I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

§ Isaiah 53:5—But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

§ Isaiah 52:13–14.… Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

· As far as we know, this is the first time that Jesus is physically harmed or beaten by men. There was no need to chasten Him as a child.[6]

John 19:2-3 (NASB) 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; 3 and they began to come up to Him and say, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and to give Him slaps in the face.

· Turning Jesus over to the soldiers for their “gaming” with Him would have been a welcomed release from their frustrations of being assigned to duty in hostile Israel. Jewish sicarii, assassins or knifemen, stalked the cities and towns of Israel and loved to come up behind the Romans or their sympathizers and jab them in the back with their sharp knives (cf. the vow of such assassins to the high priests concerning Paul and the response of the Tribune in Acts 23:12–23).

· The number of soldiers involved in this gaming is not stated in John, but Mark 15:16 (cf. Matt 27:27) suggests a large number.

· The crown of thorns the soldiers forced on Jesus’ head may have been woven from the long spikelike thorns of the date palm, which are exceedingly sharp to the touch and can easily puncture thick materials, to say nothing of flesh.

o It has even been suggested that these long spiked thorns would give the impression of radiance coming from the crown of the emperor or an Eastern ruler as portrayed on ancient coins. Although such an idea is not stated in our Gospels, the suggestion would not be inappropriate for the Roman attempt at caricaturing Jesus as a king.

· The purple (John 19:2), or dark red (Matt 27:28), robe that was put on Jesus then was undoubtedly some old cloak or rug grabbed by a soldier and flung around Jesus to give him the comic appearance of being clad with an emperor’s robe.

· To the robe and crown, they added their verbal taunts: “Hail, King of the Jews!” These taunts were likewise a caricature of their revered address to the emperor: “Ave, Caesar!”

o Moreover, instead of the homage paid to Caesar by the bended knee and in some cases the kiss of fealty, the soldiers administered on Jesus the slap of rebuke or challenge.

o This gaming by the soldiers was intended to be a complete mockery of Jesus based on his supposed offense. That charge amounted to treason against Rome.[7]

· Men persecute and attack, crudely mock and scoff at His name, His person, and His Word. They curse, abuse, ridicule, imprison, kill, and heap mistreatment upon His followers.

o Matthew 5:11 (NASB) 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

o Matthew 10:17 (NASB) 17 "But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues;

o John 15:20 (NASB) 20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

o John 16:1-2 (NASB) 1 "These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. 2 "They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.

o Mark 7:6 (NASB) 6 And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.

o Titus 1:16 (NASB) 16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.[8]

John 19:4-5 (NASB) 4 Pilate came out again and *said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him." 5 Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate *said to them, "Behold, the Man!"

· Vs. 4: Pilate speaks. Pilate hoped that seeing Jesus humiliated and beaten nearly to death would satisfy the angry mob in his courtyard, but they would accept nothing less than a sentence of crucifixion. Pilate challenged the religious leaders to defy Rome by carrying out the death sentence themselves. But their reply took the procurator off guard.

o The title “Son of God” was particularly meaningful to Romans. In fact, Caesar Augustus declared himself the son of a god because he was heir to the power and titles of Julius Caesar, who had been declared a god. Moreover, the title “Son of God” cast new light on the Lord’s earlier statement, “My kingdom is not of this world” (18:36).[9]

· Vs. 5: What a contrast this scene presented! The Lord came forth dressed in the mock regalia of kingship on the one hand; on the other hand, a few days previously He had entered Jerusalem from the mount of Olives on an donkey’s colt as the coming King, being acclaimed by the people with the words “Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord” (12:12–16), while in the future He will come as King of kings in the glory of His kingdom and in the power of cleansing judgment (Rev 19:11–16).

· Pilate speaks. Pilate’s great declaration “Behold the man” should move the heart of every believer, though Pilate spoke as an unbeliever. In the Scripture, we have four declarationsconcerning the Lord that correspond to the four Gospels:

o “Behold your God!” (Isa 40:9), corresponding to John’s Gospel.

o “Behold my servant” (Isa 42:1; Matt 12:18), corresponding to Mark’s Gospel.

o “Behold the man!” (John 19:5), corresponding to Luke’s Gospel.

o “Behold your King!” (John 19:14), corresponding to Matthew’s Gospel.

· Two of these are the words of Pilate, one of God, and one of the Spirit of prophecy. As far as the declarations of Pilate are concerned, that in v. 5 refers to the Lord personally, while that in v. 14refers to the Lord officially. There are other declarations introduced by “Behold” that we may mention:

o “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 36), spoken by John the Baptist.

o “Behold, thy King cometh unto thee” (Zech 9:9).

o “Behold the man whose name is The Branch” (Zech 6:12).[10]

· “Behold the man!” cried Pilate with a gesture that pointed out his handiwork. The chief priests looked at Him, Caiaphas and his crowd. The temple officers looked at him. And from the lips of these religious men, too scrupulous to enter Pilate’s judgment hall, there burst forth a hellish cry: “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

· All of us face this timeless challenge and respond one way or another. We cry either “Crucify him” or “Crown him.” There is no middle ground, as Pilate soon found out.[11]

Thoughts to soak on:

· Compromise is not the way with Jesus. Pilate needed to declare Him innocent, for He was innocent. He was not guilty of any wrongdoing. Every man needs to declare Jesus innocent, for He was completely free of sin. He was the Son of Man Himself who stands before the world as its Savior.

o Luke 11:23 (NASB) 23 "He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.

o Deuteronomy 30:19 (NASB) 19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,

o John 5:23 (NASB) 23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

Thoughts in Closing:

· The cross involves much more than an exhibition of innocent suffering. On that cross, the Son of God paid the price for the sins of the world and thereby declared the love of God and defended the holiness and justice of God.

o We are not saved by feeling pity for Jesus.

o We are saved by repenting of our sins and trusting Jesus, the sinless Substitute.

§ “If Christ was not actually doing something by His death,” wrote Dr. Leon Morris, “then we are confronted with a piece of showmanship, nothing more.”

· This does not mean that it is wrong for the believer to contemplate the cross and meditate on Christ’s sufferings. The familiar hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” helps us realize afresh the price that Jesus paid for us, but we must not confuse sentimentality with true spiritual emotion.

o It is one thing to shed tears during a church service and quite something else to sacrifice, suffer, and serve after the meeting has ended.

o We do not simply contemplate the cross; we carry it.[12]

· The Flagrum used by the Lictor for flogging. I observed that since it was 18” to 24” long, the lictor had to be very close to the victim and would be himself covered in the blood of the victim as the Flagrum was drawn back for another swing. Yanking/tearing the skin and bones was very tiring and multiple lictors were involved in the gaming for rest between their turns. On this picture with 9 strands with four opportunities for damage per strand plus the strand itself, 45 wounds would be inflicted per strike…times 39 (though Rome had no limit) equals 1755 bleeding wounds inflicted at a minimum. Perhaps we now can understand that, instead of dying as many did during the flogging, Jesus was too weak to carry His cross all the way to Calvary.

📷

I am sure that the lictors learned special techniques by inflicting their torture and got quite good and making flagrums that would inflict the most damage….As it was a game for them/sport if you will, it might be like a fly fisherman making his special fly for the unsuspecting fish just out for a quick bite.J You would have to be super human to endure what Jesus endured and carry a heavy cross-piece the long distance he did on the “Villa de la Rosa” before collapsing and getting help the rest of the way. Much to soak on if you are visual type of person.

Grace and peace,

Perhaps this will be useful for teachers to share with their classes

[1]Andrew Paterson, Opening Up John’s Gospel, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2010), 158–159. [2]Robert J. Dean, Family Bible Study, Summer 2001, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, 2001), 60–61. [3]Matt Carter and Josh Wredberg, Exalting Jesus in John (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 360–361. [4]Charles R. Swindoll, John, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Tyndale House Publishers, 2018), 359–360. [5]John F. MacArthur Jr., John 12–21, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2008), 338. [6]Rod Mattoon, Treasures from John, vol. 2, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2006), 292–293. [7]Gerald L. Borchert, John 12–21, vol. 25B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002), 248–249. [8]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, The Gospel according to John, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2004), 366. [9]Charles R. Swindoll, John, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Tyndale House Publishers, 2018), 361. [10]John Heading, John, What the Bible Teaches (John Ritchie Ltd., 2000), 302–303. [11]John Phillips, Exploring the Gospel of John: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Jn 19:4–5. [12]Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 380.