Bible Commentaries
John 19

Verse 11

John 19:11

greater sin ... What are greater sins / lesser sins? Do they refer to sins done in ignorance, and sins committed by those with knowledge and in defiance.

Verse 13

John 19:13

Gabbatha ... Jesus had his 1) Gethsemane, Matthew 26:36; , 2) Gabbatha, John 19:13; and 3) Golgotha, John 19:17.

[Only the Apostle John supplied information bilingually in the New Testament (cf. John 1:38, John 1:42; John 4:25; John 6:1; John 9:7; John 11:16; John 19:13, John 19:17, John 19:20; John 20:16; Revelation 1:7; Revelation 3:14; Revelation 9:11; Revelation 12:9).]

Verse 16

John 19:16

Finally ... NIV, Be careful of this word! (AB) We would think from what Pilate had said and from his interrogation of Jesus, and Herod’s judgment, one would think justice was about to be done and Jesus released!

Pilate knew it was out of envy that the Jews brought Jesus to him, but didn’t know what to do with him.

Pilate got off course; he knew Jesus was not leading a political rebellion, he was out in the open, and Pilate was trying to figure him out, at the expense of his own judgment, and "finally" at the expense of doing right!

Verse 17

John 19:17

Golgotha ... Jesus had his 1) Gethsemane, Matthew 26:36; , 2) Gabbatha, John 19:13; and 3) Golgotha, John 19:17.

[Only the Apostle John supplied information bilingually in the New Testament (cf. John 1:38, John 1:42; John 4:25; John 6:1; John 9:7; John 11:16; John 19:13, John 19:17, John 19:20; John 20:16; Revelation 1:7; Revelation 3:14; Revelation 9:11; Revelation 12:9).]

Verse 19

John 19:19

See Romans 13:4 note on "Capital Punishment"

Verse 20

[Only the Apostle John supplied information bilingually in the New Testament (cf. John 1:38, John 1:42; John 4:25; John 6:1; John 9:7; John 11:16; John 19:13, John 19:17, John 19:20; John 20:16; Revelation 1:7; Revelation 3:14; Revelation 9:11; Revelation 12:9).]

Verse 25

John 19:25

What women stood by the cross?

Matthew 27:55-56 Mark 15:40 Luke 23:49 John 19:25

3) mother of 3) Salome no 1) Jesus’ mother

James and John names

2) Mary, mother of 2) Mary, mother 2) Mother’s sister

James & Joses James the less &

Joses

1) Mary Magdalene 1) Mary M. 3) Mary, wife of

Cleopas

4) Mary Magdalene

Matthew’s list - Omits the mention of Jesus’ mother. Edersheim suggests that Matthew’s list pictures a latter scene in the crucifixion and that John has already taken Jesus’ words to him to take Mary to his own home "from that very hour" has literally already done so. See Edersheim Vol. II, p. 602

Salome ... described as the sister of Jesus’ mother and wife of Zabedee, making James and John Jesus’ cousins (like John the Baptist also a relation); and Mary of Cleopas as the mother of James the less and Joses.

Hegespisus in Historia Ecclesiastica of Eusebius Book iii, Vol. 1, p. 233, describes Clopas as the brother of Joseph, the husband of Mary. This is called "a worthy account" by Edersheim.

His moter’s sister ... Some view "His mother’s sister" the same as "Mary, the wife of Clopas" saying it was not uncommon for sisters to have the same name but diffentiated in other ways. (This seem a little to far out to me, but it is possible that the term "His mother’s sister", if referring to Mary of Clopas, could mean her sister by marriage, i.e. her sister-in-law.)

Most likely and usually accepted is that Mary’s sister, whom John does not name for the same reason he does not name himself, was Salome who is mentioned in Mark as being there at the cross.

Verse 27

John 19:27

The language Jesus used was legal and quite similar to the terms used commonly in adoption proceedings.⁵⁹⁶ His action indicates that He was the person responsible for His mother, implying that Joseph was no longer on the scene and that He was her eldest son. Most interpreters assume that Joseph had died by now. - ⁵⁹⁶ 596. Carson, The Gospel -- ., p. 616.TCN

Jesus makes an oral testament in front of witnesses, which makes it binding, and formally places his mother under his disciple’s protection, providing for her after his death. - Keener, C. S. (1993) Jn 19:27).

Tradition says that John cared for Mary until her death and then he moved to Asia Minor (especially Ephesus) where he had a long and successful ministry. - Utley, R. J. (1999).

Verse 29

John 19:29

sour wine -- vinegar - This indicates a cheap wine and might allude to Psa 69:21. Compare Mark 15:36 - FSB

The drink here is not to be confused with the “wine mixed with myrrh” offered to Him on the way to the cross (Matthew 27:34) intended to help deaden pain. The purpose of this drink (cf. Mark 15:36) was to prolong life and increase the torture and pain. It was a cheap, sour wine used by soldiers. The use of this word recalls Psalms 69:21 where the same noun occurs in the LXX. Hyssop is a little plant that is ideal for sprinkling (see Exodus 12:22). - LXX Septuagint—an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek -MASB

hyssop -- The hyssop bush had been used in Egypt to brush lamb’s blood on the doorposts and lintels during the first Passover (Exodus 12:22). Jesus is God’s Passover lamb (John 1:29; John 1:36), and his blood likewise saves. -NLTSB

Hyssop was a plant classified in 1 Kings 4:33 as a simple shrub that could grow from the crack of a wall. It was used for the sprinkling of blood on the doorposts at the original Passover (Exodus 12:22). - ESVSB (p. 2065).

19:29 Evidently it was customary to offer wine vinegar (Gr. oxos) to the victims of crucifixion since John described the jar of it as “standing there” or “set there.” Only John mentioned that the soldiers put the sponge soaked with wine vinegar on a branch of hyssop that they extended to Jesus. Hyssop was readily available since it grew out of many rocky crevices as a weed. The hyssop reference may simply be a detail in the testimony of an eyewitness to Jesus’ crucifixion. However, it may hint at Jesus being the Lamb of God since the Jews used hyssop to sprinkle blood on their door-posts and lintels at Passover (cf. Exodus 12:22; 1 Corinthians 5:7). The sponge was evidently small enough so Jesus could put at least some of it in His mouth. The hyssop branch was obviously strong enough to remain erect under the sponge’s weight. Jesus was probably not extremely high above ground level as He hung on the cross, many famous paintings notwithstanding (cf. John 3:14). - Consstable’s Notes

Verse 30

John 19:30

sour wine -- (see also v. 29) “The ‘vinegar’ was probably the cheap sour wine the legionnaires drank. Though it provided some refreshment, it was a strong astringent that could contract the throat muscles and prevent the condemned victim from crying out with pain.^{598 - 598} 598. Tenney, “John,” p. 184. - Constable’s notes

It is finished ... the debt is "paid in full" for man’s sins. One word in the Greek. τετέλεσται, The word is used to stamp a bill "paid" cf. Matthew 20:28

He probably shouted with a cry of victory. The verb teleo denotes the completing of a task. Jesus was not just announcing that He was about to die. He was also declaring proleptically that He had fulfilled God’s will for Him (cf. John 17:4). The use of the perfect tense here signifies proleptically that Jesus had finished His work of providing redemption completely and that it presently stands finished. Nothing more needed or needs doing. This finished work of Jesus Christ is the basis for our salvation (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21).

“Papyri receipts for taxes have been recovered with the word tetelestai written across them, meaning ‘paid in full.’”^{599 - 599} 599. Blum, p. 340. - Constable’s notes

Verse 31

John 19:31

Preparation -- The “day of preparation” was Friday, the day before the Sabbath (Saturday, cf. v. John 19:14; Mark 15:42). The Jews considered sundown the beginning of a new day. In this case the new day was a Sabbath. This Sabbath was an extra special day because it fell during Passover week. The Jews wanted to get the bodies down off their crosses so they would not defile the land. The Mosaic Law instructed the Jews to allow no one to remain hanging on a gibbet overnight because this would defile the land. Such a person was under God’s curse (cf. Deuteronomy 21:22-23; Joshua 8:29). To allow someone to remain overnight on a Sabbath would be specially offensive. - Constable’s notes

legs broken -- Normally the Romans left victims of crucifixion hanging until they died, which sometimes took several days. Then they would leave their corpses on their crosses until the birds had picked the flesh off them. If they had to hasten their deaths for some reason, they would smash their legs with an iron mallet. This prevented the victims from using their legs to push themselves up to keep their chest cavities open allowing them to breathe. Death by asphyxiation, loss of blood, and shock would follow soon.⁶⁰⁰ Archaeologists have found the remains of a victim of crucifixion with his legs smashed in Israel.^{601 - 600} 600. Carson, The Gospel -- ., p. 622. - ⁶⁰¹ 601. N. Haas, “Anthropological Observations on the Skeletal Remains from Giv’at ha-Mivtar,” Israel Exploration Journal 20 (1970):38-59. - Constable’s notes

Verse 34

John 19:34

pierced side -- Probably to confirm that Jesus is dead .

pierced his side with a spear ..Fulfills the prophecy in Zechariah 12:10, which parallels Jesus’ role as the Suffering Servant via the connection in Zechariah 3:8-9 (see Isaiah 11:1-12 and note; Zechariah 3:8-9 and note; Isaiah 53:1 and note; compare John 12:38). - FSB

pierced side -- What led the soldier to pierce Jesus’ side with his spear (Gr. longche) is unclear and unimportant. Perhaps it was just another senseless act of brutality, or he may have wanted to see if he could get some reaction from Jesus.

It is also unclear why the wound produced a sudden flow of blood and water (cf. 1 John 5:6). Probably the spear pierced Jesus’ heart and its surrounding pericardial sac that contains water. The fluids could have drained out as John described if the spear had entered the body near the bottom of the chest cavity.⁶⁰² Apparently the soldier pierced Jesus’ side before His blood congealed into a solid. This eyewitness testimony stresses the fact that Jesus really did die and that He was a genuine man (cf. John 1:14). - ⁶⁰² 602. See A. F. Sava, “The Wound in the Side of Christ,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 19 (1957):343-46. - Constable’s Notes

blood and water flowed out: This has several levels of meaning: (1) The spear probably punctured Jesus’ pericardium, the sac around the heart, releasing these fluids. (2) John might have been thinking of more Passover symbolism. The Passover lamb’s blood had to flow as it died. (3) The living water, flowing from Jesus’ side, reminds readers of earlier language that Jesus used to describe himself (see 7:37–39; “Living Water” at 4:10–14, p. 1777). - NLTSB

Some anatomists and physicians explain the death of Jesus to be due to a ruptured heart, which resulted in the blood’s being separated into clot and the watery serum within the pericardium. The crucial truth is that He died a physical death as our substitute. The author gives an eyewitness account of the event. The extensive focus on this aspect is to assure his readers that an actual man, Jesus, experienced death. John is occupied with the fact and results of His death, not its physical cause. It is possible that John is here answering heretical charges of incipient Gnosticism, especially Docetism (see 1:1, note). - BSB

IMPORTANT - But it is more simple to believe that He delivered up His life before natural causes became fatal. ‘No one,’ neither Jew nor Roman, ‘took it from Him’ by any means whatever: ‘He lays it down of Himself’ (John 10:18). And if we decline to investigate the physical cause of the Lord’s death, we need not ask for a physical explanation of what is recorded here. - Plummer, A. (1902).

Verse 35

John 19:35

he who has seen ... John’s eye witness testimony to these things!

Verse 36

John 19:36

For -- The ‘for’ depends upon ‘believe.’ [in previous verse]. Belief has the support of Scripture; for the two surprising events, Christ’s escaping the crurifragium and yet having His side pierced, were evidently preordained in the Divine counsels. - CBSC

“Not one of his bones will be broken”: Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalms 34:20. The Passover lamb could have no broken bones; Jesus was the perfect Passover lamb (see also 1 Corinthians 5:7). - NLTSB

This verse obviously looks back to verse 33 as a fulfillment of Exodus 12:46: “Nor shall you break one of its bones.” That verse refers to the Passover lamb. God’s decree was that the bones were to be maintained unbroken. Christ is the true Passover Lamb, fulfilling the type with great exactness. - BBC

John records this because it further identified Jesus as the promised Messiah. John identified Jesus as the Paschal Lamb; 1 Corinthians 5:7; John 1:29; - (see also next verse.)

Great importance was attached by the Jews to the precept that no bone of the Paschal Lamb should be broken. God’s counsel, typified in this, is now fulfilled in the true Paschal Lamb (see chap. John 1:29). - Schaff

that the Scripture might be fulfilled --

But though we are to see here the fulfilment of a very definite typical ordinance, we shall, on searching deeper, see in it a remarkable divine interposition to protect the sacred body of Christ from the last indignity after He had finished the work given Him to do. - JFB

Verse 37

John 19:37

They will look on the one they pierced -- Isaiah 53:9; Revelation 1:7; Zechariah 12:10 describes how Israel would look on a prophet or the Messiah and lament their own fatal lack of faith. - NLTSB

V. 36 and V. 37 go together in John’s statement about the fulfillment of Scripture. John 19:36-37. Little did the Jewish leaders suppose, when delivering him to Pilate when he was mocked when they parted his garments when they pierced him - that they were fulfilling ancient predictions.

It is interesting that this quote is obviously from the Masoretic Hebrew Text, not the Septuagint which is usually quoted by the Gospel writers. The Septuagint has "mocked," but the Masoretic Text has "pierced." - Utley

John is able to see two sorts of Scripture fulfillment in this. The avoidance of broken legs allows Jesus to serve as a perfect sacrificial victim. The Passover lamb was to have no broken bones (Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12). Furthermore, Scripture is also fulfilled in the piercing itself. John finds this language applied to the Davidic Messiah in Zechariah 12:10, and applies it to Jesus. This “piercing” is an eternal reminder of the rejection of Jesus by his own people - CPNT

Even after his death divine power went on fulfilling the prophecies concerning Jesus. He hangs upon the cross as one of a group of three, yet, in the twinkling of an eye, he is separated from the other two by the fulfillment of a brace of prophecies which point him out as the chosen of God. - FFG

Verse 38

John 19:38

Joseph of Arimathea -- a wealthy member of the Jewish ruling council (Matthew 27:57), asks Pilate for Jesus’ body, fulfilling another Scripture: “they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death” (Isa. 53:9). On Arimathea, see note on Luke 23:50-51–51. - ESVSB

a man named Joseph. See note on Matt. 27:57–60. He is unknown except for this incident, recorded in all four Gospels. The location of Arimathea has not been conclusively determined, though Eusebius in his fourth-century list of place-names believed it was identical to Ramah (or Ramathaim-Zophim; cf. 1 Sam. 1:19). From the Jewish town implies that Luke’s readers were Gentiles (see Luke 1:26; 4:31). a member of the council. The Sanhedrin. A good and righteous man (cf. 1:6; 2:25; Acts 10:22) and looking for the kingdom of God imply that Joseph was a believer (Matt. 27:57 calls him “a disciple of Jesus”). - ESVSB (p. 2011).

19:38 All four evangelists mentioned Joseph of Arimathea but only with Jesus’ burial. The Synoptics tell us that he was a godfearing rich member of the Sanhedrin who was a follower of Jesus and who had not voted to condemn Jesus. Only John identified him as a secret disciple who feared the Jews, namely the unbelieving Jewish leaders. Jesus had warned His disciples about trying to hide their allegiance to Him (John 12:42-43). Finally Joseph “broke his cover” by courageously requesting Jesus’ body from Pilate.

Normally the Romans placed the bodies of crucified offenders, whose bodies they did not leave to rot on their crosses, in a cemetery for criminals outside the city.⁶⁰⁹ Family members could not claim the bodies of people who had undergone crucifixion as punishment for sedition.⁶¹⁰ Thus Jesus’ corpse would have ended up in the grave of a common criminal but for Joseph’s intervention. Pilate probably granted his request for Jesus’ body because he realized that Joseph wanted to give Jesus’ an honorable burial. That would have humiliated the Jews further.

Joseph’s courageous act doubtless alienated him from many of his fellow Sanhedrin members. We do not know what the ultimate consequences of his action were for himself. Evidently it was Jesus’ death that made him face up to his responsibility to take his stand for Jesus. - ⁶⁰⁹ 609. Josephus, 5:1:14. - ⁶¹⁰ 610. Carson, The Gospel -- ., p. 629. - Constable’s Notes

Verse 39

John 19:39

Nicodemus -- See John 3:1-5 ff; John 7:50-52.

Only John mentioned that Nicodemus also played a part in burying Jesus (cf. John 3:1-5). He was also probably a member of the Sanhedrin (cf. John 3:1). He, too, was now taking a more visible position as a disciple of Jesus (cf. John 7:50-52). Nicodemus brought about 65 pounds (100 litrai, cf. John 12:3) of spices with which to prepare Jesus’ body for burial. This was a large quantity and reflected Nicodemus’ great respect for Jesus. Evidently these two wealthy rulers decided to honor Jesus together. They divided their responsibilities, with Joseph securing Pilate’s permission and Nicodemus preparing the spices. - FSB

about a hundred pounds. An inaccurate understanding of the term used in the original, this mixture of spices weighed closer to 65 pounds. Myrrh was a very fragrant gummy resin, which the Jews turned into a powdered form and mixed with aloes, a powder from the aromatic sandalwood. The Jews did not embalm but did this procedure to stifle the smell of putrefaction -MASB

Verse 40

John 19:40

cf Mark 15:44 Experienced men knew Jesus was dead!

19:40 The burial custom of the Jews was to place the corpse on a long sheet with the feet at one end. They would then fold the cloth over the head and back down to the feet, which they would tie together. They would also tie the arms to the body with strips of cloth.⁶¹² Normally a separate cloth covered the face.⁶¹³ John’s interest was not in the manner of the burial as much as the honor that Joseph and Nicodemus bestowed on Jesus by burying Him in linen cloth (Gr. othonia). Their work had to be hasty because sunset was approaching quickly and all work had to cease when the Sabbath (Saturday) began.

The NIV translation of othonia as “strips of cloth” has seemingly contradicted the view that Joseph and Nicodemus buried Jesus in a single piece of cloth, which the Synoptics suggest (Matthew 27:59; Mark 15:46; Luke 23:53). However this Greek word does not necessarily mean narrow strips of cloth. It can describe one or more large pieces of cloth.⁶¹⁴ The burial customs of the Jews are still obscure enough that it is unwise to insist dogmatically that Jesus had only one shroud covering Him.^{615 - 612} 612. Morris, p. 730, believed the custom was to wrap the body in long, bandage-like strips rather than in a shroud. - ⁶¹³ 613. See my note at 11:44. - ⁶¹⁴ 614. Brown, 2:942. - ⁶¹⁵ 615. The shroud of Turin is such a piece of cloth, though whether it was the real burial shroud of Jesus is the subject of considerable debate. -

Verse 41

John 19:41

garden -- The mention not only of the new tomb but also of the garden reflects the wealth of Joseph. The significance of the statement, in which no-one had ever been laid, is to demonstrate that the body of Jesus did not come into contact with corruption (in possible fulfilment of Psalms 16:10?). - New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 1063).

garden -- a gardener is mentioned in John 20:15.

John alone tells of the garden, which probably belonged to Joseph, for S. Matthew tells us that the sepulchre was his. - Plummer, A. (1902).

new tomb -- This fulfills the prophecy that the Suffering Servant would be rich in his death (Isaiah 53:9). Only wealthy people had tombs, and only the very wealthiest people had new tombs.

Jesus, as a poor Nazarene, would not have been able to afford this tomb on His own—especially since it was located near Jerusalem, where it was difficult to secure a burial place. John doesn’t identify this explicitly but expects his audience to catch the allusion to the Suffering Servant in Jesus’ experience. - FSB

More than 900 first-century burial tombs have been discovered in Judea, carved into the limestone hills - NLTSB (see NLTSB for a diagrom of such.)

On the locale, cf. “near the city” in verse 20: according to Jewish custom, burials had to be outside the city walls (one may compare the outrage of pious Jews over Antipas’s building Tiberias on a graveyard). To be buried in a tomb not yet used was no doubt a special honor and would make the tomb difficult to confuse with others in the vicinity.- IVP:NT.

We learn from Matthew 27:6 that this was Joseph’s own tomb. This is a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:9 quoted in Matthew 27:57. - Utley, R. J.

Verse 42

John 19:42

This work of Joseph and Nicodemus prevented the body of Jesus from being thrown into the valley of Hinnom, as was often the case with the bodies of unclaimed crucified criminals. - 27:59,_60).$0A19:42._~This_work_of_Joseph_>KJVSTB

The sabbath (or in this case, the coming of Passover—John 18:28) interrupted all other activities. Joseph and Nicodemus did not need to “lay” Jesus there very carefully; this would have been only a preliminary burial even had the sabbath not approached, to be completed a year later, after the flesh had rotted off the bones. - IVP:NT

Literally because of the Jewish day of preparation; The Sabbath was approaching, so Joseph and Nicodemus (John 19:38-39) would return to complete the burial process later. - NLTSB

Only John relates that the tomb was near the place where Jesus was crucified. Since the Sabbath, when all work had to cease, was nearly upon them (6:00 p.m., sunset), the nearness of the tomb was helpful. John does not mention that Joseph of Arimathea rolled a stone across the tomb’s mouth or that Mary Madgdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus saw where He was laid (Matthew 27:58-61). For the time of the Lord’s death and burial, MASB

the Jews’ preparation day -- Perhaps another slight indication that the Gospel was written outside Palestine. Or the addition ‘of the Jews’ may point to the time when there was already a Christian ‘preparation-day.’ See notes on ‘the Passover of the Jews’ (2:13; 11:55).

It would seem as if the burial was hastily and temporarily performed. They probably intended after the Sabbath to make a more solemn and complete burial elsewhere.

was nigh at hand -- Perhaps this fact suggested to Joseph the thought of going to Pilate. He had a sepulchre of his own close to Golgotha. -- Plummer, A. (1902).

19:42 John implied that the burial of Jesus was hasty. Mark and Luke presented the same picture by writing that three of the women came to anoint Jesus’ corpse, on Sunday morning, with additional spices that they had prepared (Mark 16:1; Luke 23:56). Joseph and Nicodemus’ work had necessarily been swift because the day of preparation before the Sabbath (i.e., Friday) was about to end with sundown.

John did not mention the fact that some of the women visited Jesus’ tomb late Friday afternoon (cf. Matthew 27:61-66; Mark 15:47; Luke 23:55-56). He also omitted that Joseph rolled a stone over the mouth of the tomb (Matthew 27:60; Mark 15:46). What follows in chapter 20 assumes these facts. John did not mention either that Pilate sealed the tomb and posted soldiers to guard it (Matthew 27:62-66). - (Jn 19:42).