John 18:7 – John 19
My journaling of the book of John was a result of many
things. Mostly, it came about as an
effort to find newness in a passage I had read and memorized from my
childhood. I have been looking for a
fresh understanding within my own heart.
Yet it has gone far beyond my expectation. Through it I have been challenged,
enlightened and inspired. I’ve had some
long time questions satisfied, and I’ve had many new questions raised in the
process. I was captured by the number
and quality of questions asked around the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. I think they speak volumes without much
expounding.
“Who is it you want?” Jesus to the mob that came to the garden
where he prayed.
‘Shall I not drink the cup the Father has
given me?” Jesus to Peter when he
cut off the guard’s ear.
“Is this the way you answer the high
priest?” Servant to Jesus when he said they knew what he taught because it
was public.
“But if I spoke the
truth, why did you strike me?” Jesus
to the servant of the High Priest
My own sarcastic and amazed question: That they might be fit to eat the Passover?
What accusation do you bring against this
man? Pilot to the mob incited by the
Jewish leaders.
Are you the King of
the Jews? Pilot to Jesus
Is that your opinion
or just what you heard? Jesus
confronting Pilot
“Am I a Jew?”
Pilots retort to Jesus’ reasoning.
What have you done? Pilot’s effort to make sense of the choice he
was being forced to make.
Then you are a King? Pilot’s effort to
make the choice he was being forced into seem acceptable.
What is truth? Pilot’s frustration to the ridiculousness he
was seeing
Shall I release the King
of the Jews? Pilot’s effort to resolve his conflict with the mob.
Where do you come
from? To what world do You belong? Will
you not speak to me?
Don’t you know I have
the authority to release you and I have the power to crucify you? Pilot’s
effort to make Jesus concentrate on his own plight.
Shall I crucify your
king? Pilot’s effort to shift responsibility to the mob.
Some conclusions I drew in reading John’s account
follow. I will admit that I could not
block out my pre-considerations, the training I have been given or the reading
of the other accounts in making these conclusions. Yet, I feel they are valid.
Jesus replied in such a way as to influence Pilot’s personal
thinking, not his immediate decision. He
knew he was destined to die, yet his time before Pilot was focused on Pilot,
not the mob and not his own impending death.
Pilot could not fathom that Jesus was not resisting
execution. He was not begging or making
excuses. The information from the
accusers that Jesus claimed to be the ‘son of God’ caused him concern because
the Romans like the Greeks believed in very ‘humanly faulted ‘gods’ who interacted
with men in unprincipled and selfish ways yet with superhuman power. The very concept that he was being forced to
try and convict one who might be the ‘son of God’ was fearful.
The Jewish leaders had Pilot cornered. They excused themselves so they could be ‘fit’
to observe the Passover after inciting the mob to demand execution. Pilate had to play their game, but he refused
to play it their way. Pilate knew Jesus
was guilty of nothing worthy of death.
But he could not chance the rebellion that seemed eminent. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.
Pilate disdained and therefore ridiculed the Jews. Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to
the cross. It read:
jesus of nazareth
John stresses the fact that prophecies were being met one by
one. Here are some of the notations by John and the related Old Testament
prophecies.
John 19:24
Psalm 22:18
John 19:36
Exodus 12:46 ; Num. 9:12 ; Psalm 34:20
John 19:37
Zech. 12:10
“They divided my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.”
that the Scripture
might be fulfilled (verified, carried out), Not one of His bones shall be
broken; And again another Scripture
says, They shall look on Him Whom they have pierced. AMP
John also gives us some personal insight into his own story
during the crucifixion.
15 Simon Peter and
another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the
high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, 16 but Peter
had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest,
came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.
25 But by the cross of
Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the [wife] of Clopas, and
Mary Magdalene. 26 So Jesus, seeing His
mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing near. . . .
Then He said to the
disciple, See, [here is] your mother! And from that hour, the disciple took her
into his own [keeping, own home]. AMP
35 The man who saw it
has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the
truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.
John does not refer to himself by name often or in the first
person ever. He was a man known to and trusted
by the high priest. As the son of a
fisherman, this is odd. My opinion after
reading the book is that his mother was somewhat of a socialite and had ties to
the upper class. But that’s just an
opinion. John was there in the garden
that night, in the judgment hall, and at the cross. Not only was he the ‘disciple Jesus loved’
but apparently he was the disciple who extraordinarily loved Jesus.
Joseph of Arimathea—a
disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews—asked Pilate to let him
take away the body of Jesus. Nicodemus
also, who first had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh
and aloes,
Through the unfair brutality of the crucifixion, John sees
the fidelity and kindness of two leaders.
These men of reputation and substance followed him in his teaching and
honored the body of Jesus the best they could.
Their Passover was beginning at sunset; touching a dead body would
render them unclean and therefore unfit to participate. Yet, perhaps because they believed, they
understood more about that Passover than the others about them. Perhaps in their training, the prophecy of
the lamb and of one who would be pierced revealed to them that this was truly THE
Passover and not just a remembrance of a historic national holiday.
41 Now there was a
garden in the place where He was crucified.
This simple statement precludes the explanation of the tomb
they used. But being one who gardens and
who loves gardens, I find it a sweet statement.
It would appear in the accounts given us that Jesus found peace and
closeness with his father in gardens. How
appropriate that his temporary grave would be in a garden.
So have been my thoughts as I have pondered the capture,
sentencing and execution of Jesus the Messiah.
Such a huge mystery here, and I find nothing wrong with just sticking with John's account. It is not so synoptic with the other accounts, in my view.
ReplyDeleteThe sages knew of the two Messiah's and were perplexed by it. They opined that if Moshiac Ben David came, the triumphant Messiah, it was because they (the Jews) were worthy.
But if Moshiac Ben Joseph came, the suffering Messiah, it would be because the Jews were unworthy.
Interesting that they tied him in with Isaac's suffering but triumphant son Joseph, and Messiah's father was Joseph.
The truth of the matter is that the Rabbi's AND the Sadducees knew who Y'shuah was, and made a deliberate choice to not recognize Him.