Matthew Henry Commentary John 19
Matthew Henry Commentary
John 19
Matthew Henry Commentary
John 19
"Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple garment; and they came unto him, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they struck him with their hands. And Pilate went out again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him out to you, that ye may know that I find no crime in him. Jesus therefore came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment. And [Pilate] saith unto them, Behold, the man! When therefore the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify [him], crucify [him]! Pilate saith unto them, Take him yourselves, and crucify him: for I find no crime in him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard this saying, he was the more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate therefore saith unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to release thee, and have power to crucify thee? Jesus answered him, Thou wouldest have no power against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath greater sin. Upon this Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou release this man, thou art not Caesar`s friend: every one that maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment-seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the Preparation of the passover: it was about the sixth hour. And he saith unto the Jews, Behold, your King! They therefore cried out, Away with [him], away with [him], crucify him! Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then therefore he delivered him unto them to be crucified. They took Jesus therefore: and he went out, bearing the cross for himself, unto the place called The place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha: where they crucified him, and with him two others, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst." — John 19:1-18 (ASV)
Little did Pilate think with what holy regard these sufferings of Christ would, in later ages, be considered and spoken of by the best and greatest of men. Our Lord Jesus came forth, willing to be exposed to their scorn. It is good for everyone with faith to behold Christ Jesus in his sufferings. Behold him, and love him; be continually looking to Jesus.
Did their hatred sharpen their efforts against him? And should not our love for him intensify our efforts for him and his kingdom? Pilate seems to have thought that Jesus might be some person above the common order. Even natural conscience makes men afraid of being found fighting against God. As our Lord suffered for the sins both of Jews and Gentiles, it was a special part of the counsel of Divine Wisdom that the Jews should first plan his death, and the Gentiles carry that plan into effect.
Had Christ not been thus rejected by men, we would have been forever rejected by God. Now was the Son of man delivered into the hands of wicked and unreasonable men. He was led forth for us, that we might escape. He was nailed to the cross, as a Sacrifice bound to the altar.
The Scripture was fulfilled; he did not die at the altar among the sacrifices, but among criminals sacrificed to public justice. And now let us pause, and with faith look upon Jesus. Was ever sorrow like to his sorrow? See him bleeding, see him dying, see him and love him! Love him, and live to him!
"And Pilate wrote a title also, and put it on the cross. And there was written, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title therefore read many of the Jews, for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city; and it was written in Hebrew, [and] in Latin, [and] in Greek. The chief priests of the Jews therefore said to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written I have written. The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also the coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore one to another, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my garments among them, And upon my vesture did they cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. But there were standing by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother`s sister, Mary the [wife] of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold, thy mother! And from that hour the disciple took her unto his own [home]. After this Jesus, knowing that all things are now finished, that the scripture might be accomplished, saith, I thirst. There was set there a vessel full of vinegar: so they put a sponge full of the vinegar upon hyssop, and brought it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up his spirit." — John 19:19-30 (ASV)
Here are some remarkable circumstances of Jesus' death, more fully related than before. Pilate would not gratify the chief priests by allowing the writing to be altered; this was undoubtedly due to a secret power of God on his heart, so that this statement of our Lord's character and authority might continue. Many things done by the Roman soldiers were fulfillments of the prophecies of the Old Testament.
All things written there will be fulfilled. Christ tenderly provided for his mother at his death. Sometimes, when God removes one comfort from us, he raises up another for us where we did not look for it. Christ's example teaches all people to honour their parents in life and death; to provide for their needs, and to promote their comfort by every means in their power. Especially observe the dying word with which Jesus breathed out his soul.
It is finished; that is, the purposes of the Father concerning his sufferings were now fulfilled. It is finished; all the types and prophecies of the Old Testament, which pointed to the sufferings of the Messiah, were accomplished. It is finished; the ceremonial law is abolished; the substance has now come, and all the shadows have passed away. It is finished; an end has been made to transgression by bringing in an everlasting righteousness.
His sufferings were now finished, both those of his soul, and those of his body. It is finished; the work of human redemption and salvation is now completed. His life was not taken from him by force, but freely given up.
"The Jews therefore, because it was the Preparation, that the bodies should not remain on the cross upon the sabbath (for the day of that sabbath was a high [day]), asked of Pilate that their legs might be broken, and [that] they might be taken away. The soldiers therefore came, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with him: but when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: howbeit one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and straightway there came out blood and water. And he that hath seen hath borne witness, and his witness is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye also may believe. For these things came to pass, that the scripture might be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced." — John 19:31-37 (ASV)
A test was made to see if Jesus was dead. He died in less time than people crucified commonly did. This showed that He had laid down His life of His own accord. The spear ruptured the very sources of life; no human body could survive such a wound. But its solemn attestation shows there was something unique in it.
The blood and water that flowed out signified those two great benefits which all believers receive through Christ: justification and sanctification—the blood for atonement, the water for purification. They both flow from the pierced side of our Redeemer. To Christ crucified we owe the merit for our justification, and the Spirit and grace for our sanctification.
Let this silence the fears of weak Christians and encourage their hopes; both water and blood came from Jesus' pierced side, to both justify and sanctify them. The Scripture was fulfilled when Pilate did not allow His legs to be broken (Psalms 34:20). There was a type of this in the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:46). May we always look to Him, whom we, by our sins, have ignorantly and heedlessly pierced—indeed, sometimes even against our convictions and His mercies—and who shed from His wounded side both water and blood, that we might be justified and sanctified in His name.
"And after these things Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked of Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave [him] leave. He came therefore, and took away his body. And there came also Nicodemus, he who at the first came to him by night, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. So they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new tomb wherein was never man yet laid. There then because of the Jews` Preparation (for the tomb was nigh at hand) they laid Jesus." — John 19:38-42 (ASV)
Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Christ in secret. Disciples should openly profess themselves; yet some, who in lesser trials have been fearful, in greater have been courageous. When God has work to do, he can find those who are suitable to do it. The embalming was done by Nicodemus, a secret friend to Christ, though not his constant follower.
That grace which at first is like a bruised reed may afterward resemble a strong cedar. In this way, these two rich men showed the value they had for Christ's person and doctrine, and that it was not lessened by the reproach of the cross. We must do our duty as the present day and opportunity allow, and leave it to God to fulfill his promises in his own way and his own time.
The grave of Jesus was appointed with the wicked, as was the case of those who suffered as criminals. But he was with the rich in his death, as prophesied, (Isaiah 53:9). It was very unlikely that these two circumstances should ever be united in the same person. He was buried in a new tomb; therefore, it could not be said that it was not he who rose, but rather some other person. We also are here taught not to be particular as to the place of our burial.
He was buried in the tomb closest at hand. Here is the Sun of Righteousness set for a while, to rise again in greater glory, and then to set no more.
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