Jesus Magnified Through the Cross (Jn 19:16-42)

“His name is most often shouted by children playing games in a swimming pool, but Marco Polo is a character of no small significance in the history of Asia. His exploits were celebrated in a television mini-series aired by NBC in May of 1982 and titled simply Marco Polo. The second episode offered a scene in which the great Kublai Kahn fingered a gold cross that was brought to the Orient by Nicolo Polo. He slowly looked up at his European visitors and said, ‘Yours is the only religion which has transformed an instrument of death into a symbol of glory and power.’”[1]

And that it is – the cross – a symbol of glory and power. Throughout his gospel, John desires to display the glory and power of Jesus. Even in this moment of physical weakness and death, Jesus once again displays his power and glory.

Purpose statement. In fulfillment of Scripture, Jesus’ death carried profound results, both immediate and long term.

Immediate Results of Christ’s Death

Jesus’ death revealed man’s depravity. Last week we considered this reality in more depth. However, let me briefly acknowledge once again the reality of our inherent depravity. Similarly to Pilate who concluded he could avoid any culpability by simply washing his hands – even after having ordered for the horrific beating of an innocent man – we tend to justify or reason away our obvious guilt and sin.

Additionally, the religious leaders display envy and bitterness as they cry for Jesus’ death. Their hypocrisy and ignorance are on full display as they seek to avoid ritual defilement amid their grotesque calls for the death of their Messiah who is the fulfillment of their law and the reality of their sacrificial system. Jesus often warned of this type of hypocrisy, an hypocrisy of which we can so easily perform as we attempt to keep the minutiae of the law yet neglect the “weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness” (Matt 23:23). We can exhibit similar hypocrisy, like whitewashed tombs which appear clean on the outside yet are full of dead men’s bones.

Roman soldiers display their depravity through their ignorance and mindless and immoral obedience. They beat and kill Jesus as if he is a normal criminal. How often do we go about our normal lives with no real thought to the eternal consequences and significance of our actions? Most often we put on auto pilot and simply do life mindlessly.

Jesus’ death resulted in division. (1) The religious leaders mocked Jesus as he hung on the cross, yet a religious leader, Nicodemus, would bring the perfumes to the tomb the next day to anoint Jesus in the tomb. (2) Likely, Pilate purposefully antagonizes the religious leaders by placing an inscription above Jesus’ head, “The King of the Jews.” The Jews complain to Pilate, desiring Pilate to change the inscription to “This man said, I am King of the Jews.” Pilate, however, informs them “What I have written I have written.” The Jews annoy Pilate. Pilate concluded Jesus was innocent. He is not thrilled about how this whole ordeal has unfolded. In the end, he gets one final dig in on the Jews. (3) The two criminals crucified with Jesus even experience division (Lk 23:39-43). Luke informs his readers of how one criminal “railed” at Jesus. The other criminal rebukes him “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong” (Lk 23:40–41).

Jesus, and more specifically his death, continue to produce division. Over 2,000 years later, discussions about Jesus still incite division. Just this week, a United States congresswoman accused all the Republicans that they would “reject Jesus if he came to Congress today.” Amazing! Jesus’ life is of such consequence that 2,000 years after his earthly presence, people in seats of power continue to fight over his significance. Religious leaders still fight over the significance of his life and death. Families are still ripped apart as various members accept or deny Jesus. Even though, Jesus’ death brought ultimate peace, it as well continues to produce extreme division.

Jesus’ death drew unbelievers to himself. (1) One of the soldiers. The gospel authors indicate Jesus’ death significantly impacted many at the foot of the cross. Matthew indicates the centurion “and those who were with him” were filled with awe. Matthew does not reveal who specifically said “truly this was the Son of God” (Matt 27:54). However, both Mark and Luke attest that one specific centurion acknowledged Jesus’ deity, “Truly this man was the Son of God” (Mk 15:39, cf. Lk 23:47). In this setting, the Gentile centurion, singularly confesses Jesus as God’s Son. “He foreshadowed the devotion of countless Gentiles to Jesus, including Mark’s earliest readers who were likely Gentiles.”[2] (2) One of the criminals. We have already acknowledged the division between the two criminals. The second criminal rebukes the first and acknowledges the innocence of Jesus and appeals to Jesus, “remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Gloriously, amid Jesus’ pain, anguish, feelings of abandonment, and suffering, he cares for this repentant criminal and assures him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Lk 23:41–43).

Jesus’ death emboldened believers to live for Him. (1) Joseph of Arimathea, even though a disciple of Jesus, had secretly followed Jesus “for fear of the Jews,” and yet in this moment Joseph “asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and…came and took away his body” (Jn 19:38). (2) Nicodemus who had only interacted with Jesus under the cloak of darkened night, now publicly brings “a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight” (Jn 19:39) to perform the burial customs.

Jesus’ death fulfilled scripture. In reading through John 19, we find three instances in which Jesus circumstances “fulfilled the Scriptures.” First, the soldiers cast lots for his clothes (19:24; Ps 22:18). Secondly, Jesus thirst (19:28) was prophesied in Psalm 69:21. Finally, none of Jesus’ bones were broken to fulfill Scripture (19:36; Ps 34:20). John could have offered many prophetic examples, but he chooses to offer these three fulfilled prophecies to display Jesus as the promised Messiah.

Jesus bore his own cross. John writes about the soldier’s discussion regarding Jesus’ garment, “’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’” (Jn 19:24). In one of the Messianic psalms, Psalm 22, after acknowledging evil doers will “have pierced my hands and my feet,” the psalmists writes, “they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots” (Ps 22:18).

Jesus’ received sour wine. After having endured a fake trial, the brutal beating, the agonizing trudge to Golgotha, and hours of excruciating pain in hanging on the cross, Jesus thirsts (Jn 19:29-30). Not surprising and nearly irrelevant if his thirst had not been prophesied over 1,000 years earlier. Not only did a psalmist prophecy the Messiah’s thirst but prophesied the type of liquid that would be offered. The psalmist writes, “for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink” (Ps 69:21).

Jesus bones were not broken and his side was pierced. Following Jesus’ death, the soldiers came with the intent of breaking the legs of each of the three crucified. However, when they approached Jesus, they determined he had already died and instead pierced his side with a spear (Jn 19:32-36). In this action, these soldiers unknowingly fulfilled two prophecies of the Messiah. In Psalm 34, the psalmist prophesies the Messiah will “keep all his bones, not one of them is broken” (Ps 34:20).[3] Additionally, Zechariah offers a prophecy. In a chapter discussing the salvation provided by the Lord, Zechariah acknowledges a day in which Israel will “look on me, on him whom they have pierced” and all Israel will mourn (Zech 12:10).

And some others not mentioned by John as fulfillment of Scripture. (1) Jesus bore his cross (Jn 19:17). “Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son…So they went both of them together” (Gen 22:6). (2) Jesus suffered outside the city (Jn 19:17). According to direction offered in Exodus, the sin offering was to be burned “outside the camp” (Ex 29:14). Moses writes in Leviticus that the bull and goat for the sin offering “shall be carried outside the camp” (Lev 16:27). The author of Hebrews connects these old testament passages to Jesus when he writes, “For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood” (Heb 13:11–12). (3) Jesus was crucified (Jn 19:18). To begin to understand the prophetic fulfillment, we must go back to Moses and a story of fiery serpents. In Numbers, Moses writes of a moment in Israel’s history in which God judged Israel with fiery serpents. The people repent and ask Moses to intercede on their behalf. Moses pleads to God to spare His people, and the Lord directs Moses to make a bronze serpent and raise it up on a pole. All those who looked to the bronze serpent would be spared (Num 21:6-9). Earlier in his gospel, John mentioned this event with the serpent and tied it to Jesus’ death. He wrote, “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (Jn 3:14–15). Later in the gospel John records Jesus saying, “when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” John then informs his readers that Jesus said this in order “to show by what kind of death he was going to die” (Jn 12:32–33). (4) Jesus was killed with sinners. Each of the gospel authors, at least briefly, mention those with whom Jesus was crucified. John only acknowledges that Jesus was crucified between two others, but Luke identifies these others as “criminals” (Lk 23:39). These two criminals fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy that the Messiah’s grave would be “assigned with wicked men” and that he would be “numbered with the transgressors” (Isa 53:9-12). (5) Jesus was buried with a rich man. A rich man, Joseph of Arimathea, came and took the body of Jesus and buried him in a new tomb. In so doing, another of Isaiah’s prophesies was fulfilled. Isaiah wrote, “they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth” (Isa 53:9).

Long-Term Results of Christ’s Death

Jesus paid our penalty. We as sinners deserve to die as a penalty for sin, but Christ was our sacrifice. He paid the penalty. Someone must carry the blame. Someone must pay for our wrongs done. The beautiful reality is that God chose Christ to be our payment, even though we were truly the ones to blame. Christ was our “substitutionary atonement.” When Christ died, he paid a penalty for sin and he did so as a substitute for us. “For a little while [Christ] was made lower than the angels... so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (Heb 2:9).

Jesus removed God’s wrath. We deserve God’s wrath. We as sinners deserve to bear God’s wrath against sin, but Christ was our propitiation. He removed God’s wrath. Paul tells us in a few places that we were children of wrath. We are told that Jesus “delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess 1:10), and again in Ephesians we are told that we “were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Eph 2:3).

Christ took on God’s wrath. And yet Christ has taken upon himself the wrath of God for us (cf. 1 Jn 4:10). In Romans, Paul tells us that God put forward Christ as “a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins” (Rom 3:25). So then, as Grudem writes in his Systematic Theology, “God the Father, the mighty Creator, the Lord of the universe, poured out on Jesus the fury of his wrath . . . which God had patiently stored up since the beginning of the world.”[4]

We are hidden in Christ. Christ took the full force of God’s wrath, and we are protected in Him. Paul sets up for us an “if-then” statement in Colossians 3. “If then you have been raised with Christ, [then] seek the things that are above” And he goes on to tell us why we are to seek and set our minds on the things above, because “you have died, and your life is hidden [or protected] with Christ in God” (Col 3:1-3).

God’s view of us changes to favor. When Christ took God’s wrath upon himself, God’s view of us changed from wrath to favor. This change expresses the essence of the meaning of propitiation. Propitious means to look favorably upon. Propitiation refers to a “sacrifice that bears God’s wrath so that God becomes ‘propitious’ or favorably disposed toward us.”[5] What a blessing that God’s view did not go from wrath to indifference or neutrality. Instead, God’s disposition of holy anger was entirely changed so that we became recipients of his immense love.

Jesus brought us back into fellowship with God. Christ’s death is as well significant because it brought us back into fellowship with God. We as sinners were separated from God by our sin, but Christ was our reconciliation. He brought us back into fellowship with God. Paul writes to the church in Colossae, “You who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him” (Col 1:21-22). Paul states elsewhere, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life” (Rom 5:10).

There has been a long-standing quarrel between God and man. It commenced in that day when our first parents hearkened to the serpent’s voice and believed the devil rather than their Maker. Yet God is not willing for that quarrel to continue. According to the goodness of his nature, he delights in love. He is the God of peace; and he has, on his part, prepared everything that is needful for a perfect reconciliation. His glorious wisdom has devised a plan whereby, without violating his justice as the Judge of all the earth, and without tarnishing his perfect holiness, he can meet man upon the ground of mercy, and man can again become the friend of God. That blessed work was done long ago; and now, all that remains is that man should be reconciled to God, that he should be willing to end the dispute, and that his heart should turn towards his Maker again in love, and peace, and perfect reconciliation.[6]

Jesus paid the ransom for our freedom. Christ redeemed us. We as sinners were in bondage to sin and to the kingdom of Satan, but Christ was our redemption. He paid the ransom for our freedom. Christ’s death was our ransom. “Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

Redeemed from Satan’s Bondage. If a ransom is demanded, a simple implication may be drawn. Someone or something held us hostage. The author of Hebrews tells us that because we have flesh and blood, Christ took on flesh and blood so “that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb 2:14). We have been ransomed from bondage to sin and Satan. Yet, let us take note that the ransom was not paid to Satan. “What happened to Satan when Christ died was not payment, but defeat.”[7] At the Fall, mankind was cast out of the garden and from a relationship with their Creator. They were cast into the domain of Satan, and it is there that they find themselves bound to sin and unable to return to the fellowship with God that they once possessed. Therefore, for man to be restored to fellowship with God, a just and righteous payment must be made to God. Therefore “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:2). How then should we live? “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Rom 6:1-2).

[1] Kenneth O. Gangel, John, vol. 4, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 356.

[2] Steve W. Lemke, “The Academic Use of Gospel Harmonies,” in Holman Christian Standard Bible: Harmony of the Gospels (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2007), 212.

[3] The Passover lamb pictured Jesus. “It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones” (Ex 12:46). “They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break any of its bones; according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it” (Num 9:12).

[4] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 575.

[5] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 568.

[6] C. H. Spurgeon, “‘The Ministry of Reconciliation,’” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 49 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1903), 301.

[7] Piper, Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die, 34.