Thinking on Scripture with Dr. Steven R. Cook

The death of Jesus was an atoning sacrifice that paid the price for our sin (Mark 10:45; Rom. 3:24; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).  This means our sin, which offends God, is actually removed from us (i.e. expiated) and put on Christ (John 1:29; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 9:26), and He was judged in our place, the innocent for the guilty (Rom. 5:6-8; Gal. 3:13; 1 Pet. 2:24; 3:18).  The death of Christ was a voluntary act of love, as Jesus gave His life for us (John 10:14-18).  As a result, the Father is forever satisfied (i.e. propitiated) because Jesus paid for our sin (Rom. 3:24-26; Heb. 2:17; 1 John 2:2), and the Christian will never be condemned (Rom. 8:1).  The blood of Christ is the coin of the heavenly realm that pays our sin-debt and forever satisfies God’s righteous demands for sin.  In addition, the death of Christ removes God’s wrath (Rom. 5:9), reconciles us to the Father (Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:18-19), produces lasting peace (Rom. 5:1; Col. 1:20), forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:13-14), eternal life (John 10:28), the gift of righteousness (Rom. 5:17; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9), a life of purpose in serving Him (Col. 3:23-24), and a future in heaven (John 14:1-3; 1 Thess. 4:13-18).

The Central Idea of the John 19:17-30 is that Jesus is crucified and died.  After being condemned by Pilate, Jesus was made to carry His own cross (John 19:17).  Jesus was crucified with two other men (John 19:18) who were identified by the other Gospel writers as criminals (Matt. 27:38; Luke 23:32-33).  Pilate wrote an inscription that was placed atop the cross that read “The King of the Jews.”  The Jewish leadership protested and asked it be changed, but Pilate refused (John 19:19-22).  The Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus then divided His garments and unwittingly fulfilled prophecy (John 19:23-24).  John mentioned four women at the cross (John 19:25), and the unnamed woman was perhaps Salome, John’s mother.  “John was Jesus’ cousin on his mother’s side. As such, he was a logical person to assume responsibility for Mary’s welfare.”[1]  Jesus then requested John care for Mary, which he did (John 19:26-27).  Jesus, knowing His atoning work was finished, stated He was thirsty and was given wine (John 19:28-29).  Jesus then declared “It is finished” and gave up His spirit and died (John 19:30).  The Greek word τετέλεσται tetelestai was common in Jesus’ day.  “Papyri receipts for taxes have been recovered with the word tetelestai written across them, meaning ‘paid in full.’”[2]  The idea is that Jesus’ death paid the price for our sins. 

 

[1] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository NotGes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), John 19:25.

[2] Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 340.

God the Father was in complete control of the circumstances surrounding the trials and crucifixion of Jesus (Acts 2:23; 4:27-28).  Though unjustly attacked, Jesus knew He was doing the Father’s will (John 6:38; 10:14-18; 12:27; 18:11) and did not retaliate against His attackers (1 Pet. 2:21-23).  Unlike Jesus, Christians are capable of sin (Eccl. 7:20; 1 Pet. 4:15), and we should accept our punishment when we do wrong (Acts 25:11).  But like Jesus, there are times when we will experience unjust persecution (1 Pet. 3:14-17; 4:12-19).  We must start with the realization that there are times when God sovereignly permits His people to suffer or die (see Acts 5:40-41; 7:54-60), and other times allows them to escape (Acts 9:23-25).  If possible, the believer can avoid unjust suffering such as when Jesus walked away from His attackers (John 8:59; 10:31, 39), or when Paul avoided stoning (Acts 14:5-6) or an unjust trial (Acts 25:1-12).  However, when there is no escape, the Christian must bear up under such hardships with an attitude of faith, trusting the Lord sees what’s happening and will act as He determines best.  Stephen is a good example of a believer who trusted God when being violently attacked (Acts 7:58-60).  Certainly God will avenge the innocent (2 Thess. 1:6-7); however, there may be times when He surprises us by showing grace and mercy to those don’t deserve it, such as the grace shown to Paul when he was persecuting the church (Acts 9:1-6; Gal. 1:15-16).  By faith, the Christian who suffers unjustly is not to retaliate (Rom. 12:17-19; 1 Pet. 2:21-23), but is called to love and pray for his enemies (Luke 6:27-29), and to bless them (Rom. 12:14; 1 Pet. 3:8-9), if perhaps God may grant them saving grace (2 Tim. 2:24-26).

Pilate had Jesus scourged, perhaps to evoke an emotional appeal from the unbelieving Jews who wanted Him killed (John 19:1-5).  However, they were not moved to pity, but erupted in further hostility, demanding Jesus be crucified because He made Himself out to be God (John 19:6-7).  An emotional appeal is never enough to turn the sinful heart to Christ.  It is faith in Jesus (and not feelings) that leads one to salvation and a life of service to the Lord.  Pilate became afraid at what he heard and took Jesus into the Praetorium for further questioning, but Jesus gave no answer (John 19:8-9).  Pilate then sought to challenge Jesus, saying he had the authority to release or crucify Him (John 19:10), to which Jesus answered that he would have no authority except it had been given to Him by God (John 19:11).  Pilate sought to release Jesus, but was threatened by the Jews who said they’d report him to Caesar as a traitor to Rome (John 19:12).  Pilate yielded to their unjust demands and handed Jesus over to be crucified (John 19:13-16).

God is sovereign over the affairs of mankind and He rules over His creation (Ps. 103:19; 135:6; Dan. 2:21; 4:34-35).  God promised David that he would have a son who would rule over an earthly kingdom forever (2 Sam. 7:12-13, 16; Ps. 89:3-4, 35-37), and that son would rule in righteousness (Jer. 23:5-6; 33:14-15).  God revealed that Jesus is the son of David who will rule (Luke 1:30-33).  Jesus offered the kingdom to Israel (Matt. 4:17; 10:1-7), but the majority rejected both Jesus and His offer, so Jesus began to denounce them because of their rejection (Matt. 11:20), and eventually pronounced judgment upon the nation (Matt. 23:37-39).  Though the kingdom was rejected, the Davidic promise still stands, and Jesus will bring in the kingdom at His second coming (Matt. 19:28; 25:31; Rev. 19:11-21; 20:4).  The millennial kingdom will become an eternal kingdom (1 Cor. 15:24-25; 2 Pet. 3:13).

The Jewish leadership brought Jesus before Pilate and declared Him an “evildoer” who deserved to be put to death (John 18:28-32).  The hostile Jewish leadership felt compelled to bring Jesus to Pilate because the Romans did not permit them to kill anyone through their own system of jurisprudence.  The Jewish leadership sought religious purity by not going into the Gentile courtyard, yet their actions to lie against Jesus and to seek His death reveal defiled hearts given over to sin.  Had the Jews killed Jesus by stoning, it would have resulted in broken bones, which would have contradicted biblical passages that said none of His bones would be broken (Ps. 34:20; cf. 22:16-18; John 19:36-37).  Thus, in their sin, the Jewish leadership accomplished the will of God by turning Jesus over to the Romans that He would die by crucifixion rather than stoning (Acts 2:22-23; 4:27-28).  It is generally true that hasty trials are born out of lax morals.  Pilate would not kill Jesus on the grounds of Jewish laws pertaining to blasphemy (see Mark 14:55-64; cf. John 19:7); so the Jewish leadership manufactured new charges against Jesus that would have upset Rome (Luke 23:1-2).  Pilate then asked if Jesus was a King as the Jewish leadership said (John 18:33).  Jesus confirmed that He is a King, but His kingdom did not originate from this world and everyone who accepts divine truth accepts Him (John 18:34-37).  Pilate did not perceive Jesus as a threat to Rome and declared Him innocent (John 18:38; cf. 19:4; Luke 23:14-15).  Pilate should have released Jesus right away; however, he sacrificed justice by keeping Jesus under arrest and offering to release a known criminal, Barabbas, in His place.  The Jewish leadership rejected Pilate’s offer and kept demanding Jesus be crucified, while Jesus kept quiet (Matt. 27:12-14; 1 Pet. 2:21-23).

Jesus loved the Father (John 14:31) and submitted Himself to do the Father’s will (Matt. 26:39-44; cf. Rom. 5:19; Phil. 2:5-8), which included enduring the illegal trials of His accusers, as well as the eventual beatings and crucifixion.  It was prophesied in Scripture that Jesus would suffer and die (Gen. 3:15; Ps. 22:16-18; Isa. 50:4-7; 52:14; 53:3-12; Matt. 26:67; Mark 10:32-34).  As Christians, we are called to a life of obedience to God; which means learning and living His Word (2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet. 2:2). Obedience marks the life of the one who claims to know and love God (John 14:15; 1 John 2:3-5).  Obedience to God also means embracing unjust suffering, just as Christ did (1 Pet. 1:19-24; 3:14-17; 4:19).

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus is betrayed by Judas and brought before Jewish authorities for trial.  Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane knowing Judas would come there with Jewish and Roman soldiers to arrest Him and take Him to the Jewish officials to be tried (John 18:1-16). Annas—the high priest—questioned Jesus about His disciples as well as His teaching (John 18:19), perhaps to learn how many disciples He had and if there were any secret teachings he did not know about. Jesus declared He’d spoken openly and requested His captors question those who’d heard His messages (John 18:20-21). A Jewish officer struck Jesus because of the way He answered the high priest (John 18:22), and Jesus challenged his right to strike Him (John 18:23). Jesus was then sent to Caiaphas for further questioning (John 18:24). It was during the trial that Peter denied the Lord three times (John 18:17-18; 25-27). John did not reveal Peter’s curses (Matt. 26:74), Jesus’ look (Luke 22:61), or Peter’s bitter weeping (Matt. 26:75).

To be sanctified (Heb. קָדָשׁ qadash Grk. ἁγιάζω hagiazo) means to be set apart.  God’s essential nature is holy; therefore, He is set apart as righteous (Lev. 11:44-45).  In God’s creation, sanctification has the idea of being set apart for special purpose.  In the OT, sanctification included certain days (Gen. 2:3; cf. Ex. 20:8), people and animals (Ex. 13:2), the nation of Israel (Ex. 19:6), and everything associated with worship, including the altar, its utensils, the laver for washing, and those who executed the priestly ceremonies (Ex. 40:10-13).  In the NT, we are said to be positionally sanctified in union with Christ (1 Cor. 1:2; Heb. 10:10, 14), experientially sanctified because of our obedience to God’s Word (John 17:17; 1 Pet. 1:14-16), and will be eternally sanctified when we leave this world and enter heaven (1 John 3:1-3; Rom. 8:29-30; Jude 24-25). 

 

Positional and eternal sanctification are accomplished entirely by God (monergism).  However, experiential sanctification is a collaboration (synergism) in which God directs and empowers us to be set apart from the world to do His will (John 17:17; 1 Pet. 1:14-16).  The means of experiential sanctification is by learning and living God’s Word (John 17:17; Rom. 12:1-2; Eph. 4:1, 11-14; Col. 3:1-2; 2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18), and walking in dependence on the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18, Gal. 5:16, 25).  The place where sanctification occurs is in Satan’s world (John 17:14-16; cf. 15:19). 

 

Believers live in a world that is currently under Satan’s control.  Like Joseph in Egypt, or Daniel in Babylon, we serve as God’s ambassadors to a fallen world that is hostile toward us.  Some Christians seek to avoid worldly conflict by withdrawing from it, pursuing monasticism; whereas others avoid conflict by embracing the world and its values.  Biblically, we are to be in the world, in regular contact with unbelievers, graciously lovingly and living God’s will in opposition to the world’s values, and sharing Christ with those who will listen.  We cannot change the world, but we can avoid being forced into its mold by learning and living God’s Word, and sharing the Gospel message that others might be saved out of it.  God Himself will eventually destroy Satan and his world-system and will create a new universe.  Until then, “according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet. 3:13). 

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus prays for: 1) the Father to be glorified through Jesus’ obedience and return to heaven (John 17:1-5), 2) the disciples’ walk with the Father, their protection from Satan and his world-system, and their sanctification in truth (John 17:6-19), and 3) for future believers’ unity, and that we will see Jesus’ glory in heaven (John 17:20-26).

Jesus knew His “hour” had come, and though suffering lay ahead, He was concerned about the Father’s glory and the wellbeing of the disciples.  Jesus spoke about eternal life, which is forever-life in relationship with God (John 10:28; 17:3).  In contrast, eternal-death is forever separation from God in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:14-15).  Jesus glorified the Father on earth by doing His will (John 17:4), and anticipates returning to His heavenly glory after His ascension (John 17:5).  While on earth, Jesus revealed the Father to the disciples, who were given to Jesus as a gift (John 17:6, 9).  The disciples accepted, understood and believed Jesus’ teaching that He was from the Father (John 17:7-8).  Jesus specifically prayed for the disciples and was glorified in them (John 17:9-10).  He asked the Father to keep them in His name, just as He had guided and guarded them (John 17:11-12).  He requested they may have joy in a hateful world controlled by Satan (John 17:13-16).  He prayed for their sanctification which is related to their divine mission (John 17:17-19), and the mission, unity, and future home of those who would believe in Jesus through their teaching (John 17:20-26).