OUR SAVIOR: CRUCIFIED

FEBRUARY 9, 2014 

EXAMINE THE SCRIPTURES FULFILLMENT (JOHN 19: 23-24)

23    Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. 24    So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be"; this was to fulfill the Scripture: "THEY DIVIDED MY OUTER GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND FOR MY CLOTHING THEY CAST LOTS."     NASB

Verse 23:

·        We can only imagine how we would feel if before we are dead we see and hear others with no regard for us to dividing all of our goods.

·        There are things about the cross and the Crucifixion that are hidden from us.

·        There was a transaction between the Father and the Son taking place here.

·        It was a transaction for the sins of the elect, which is beyond our comprehension.

·        The only thing that we can do is to accept by faith the forgiveness that is made ours through Christ's death on the cross.

Verse 24:

·        God was the complete master of the situation.

·        Every detail that He had ordained from the beginning of time, according to His own counsel, was being worked out.

·        This is added for our benefit to show that Jesus is the embodiment of scripture prophecy. 

Psalms 22:18

They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.    NASB 

APPRECIATE THE SAVIOR’S TENDER CARE (JOHN 19: 25-27)

25    Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26    When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!” 27    Then He *said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.     NASB

Verse 25:

“What a contrast the other group presents! John’s enumeration of the women may be read so as to mention four or three, according as ‘His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas,’ is taken to mean one woman or two. The latter is the more probable supposition, and it is also probable that the unnamed sister of our Lord’s mother was no other than Salome, John’s own mother.”

Andrew Maclaren’s Exposition on Holy Scripture

Verse 26-27:

Luke 23:34 (His first saying)

But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.     NASB

·        This current verse was His second saying.

·        The term woman was a continuing dis-associating the mother/son relationship that began when Jesus began His ministry, and Mary was as much in need of a savior as everyone else was.

·        His relationship to His mother is to be severed.

·        To her, as well as to us, He is to be the glorified Christ. His resurrection will clear her name forever.

·        Her reputation will be vindicated. But she must come to Christ in faith just as every other believer comes.

·        We know that Mary will be praying with the disciples in the Upper Room after His resurrection (see Acts1:14), and after that she drops out of the picture.·         

Matthew 12:47-50 

Someone said to Him, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You." 48    But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" 49    And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, "Behold My mother and My brothers! 50    "For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."     NASB

 

After this came Jesus’ third saying:

Luke 23:42

And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43    And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."     NASB 

Titus 3:5-7

5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6    whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7    so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.     NASB 

Matthew 27:46 (His fourth saying)

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"     NASB 

AFFIRM THE SAVIOR’S FINISHED WORK (JOHN 19: 28-30)

28    After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, *said, "I am thirsty." 29    A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 30    Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.     NASB

Verse 28:

·        This shows that the Saviour was completely in control of Himself, His mind clear, His memory unimpaired.

·        He had before Him, with perfect knowledge and understanding, the whole truth of God.

·        What evidence this is that He was completely superior to all circumstances!

·        Throughout His time in the flesh and especially on the cross He had suffered the wrath of God against sin so as to deliver us from sin and to merit for us everlasting salvation.

·        This verse is His fifth saying.

Psalms 42:1

As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God.     NASB 

“When we remember that Jesus was the Lord of nature, who could feed multitudes with bread, and could supply a banquet with wine; when we remember that this acknowledgment of thirst was made in the presence of his enemies and persecutors; when we remember from whom Jesus deigned to accept the draught by which his thirst was relieved;—we cannot but be impressed by the depth of humiliation to which he stooped,...”

The Pulpit Commentary

Verse 29:

·        It was also hyssop that was used to dip into the bowl of blood to apply to the doorposts at the Passover.

·        When the people of Israel were on the wilderness march and one of them sinned, they could not stop and put up the Tabernacle and offer a sacrifice, so provision was made for purification of sin by the killing of a red heifer, burning it (with hyssop added, gathering the ashes and taking them along on the wilderness march.

·        Then, later, when a person sinned, the ashes were put in water, then hyssop was used to sprinkle the water on the sinner.

·        This was, in type, an application of a sacrifice that brought forgiveness.

Verse 30:

·        This is His Sixth saying.

o   All things had been done which the law of God required.

o   All things accomplished which prophecy predicted.

o   All things brought to pass which the types foreshadowed.

o   All things accomplished which the Father gave Him to do in His incarnation.

o   All things performed which was needed for our redemption.

·        He then bowed His head as a further sign that He has laid down His life freely; when He bowed His head, He cut off His breath and hastened His death.

Luke 23:46 (His seventh saying)

And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." Having said this, He breathed His last.    NASB 

SHOW DEVOTION TO THE SAVIOR  (JOHN 19: 38-42)

38    After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. 39    Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. 40    So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41    Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42    Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.     NASB

Verse 38-40:

·        It is strange that whenever all seemed lost, and Jesus was dead that these two men are no longer afraid of how they will be treated by the Sanhedrin. 

“1. The disciple who withholds or delays his open confession of the Savior, by so doing thwarts his own religious progress and happiness....

2. The withholding of a confession of Christ is disobedience to Christ and to his Spirit. If we learn of him, we are bound to obey him....

3. Secrecy of discipleship is discouraging to the Church of Christ. That Church has many enemies; it has need of all its friends....

4. The world is confirmed in error and unbelief when there is a disinclination on the part of Christians openly to avow themselves what they really are.”

The Pulpit Commentary

Verse 41-42:

·        A new sepluchre was any that did not have 10 or more bodies lain in it.

·        It was specified that no one had before been laid in it so as to make clear that it was Jesus that had risen and not someone else. 

“He that was born from a virgin-womb must rise from a virgin-tomb.”

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible