Written by: Andrew Wooding
John 19 v 1-8
Then Pilate ordered that Jesus be taken away and whipped. The soldiers made
a crown from some thorny branches and put it on Jesus’ head and put a purple
robe around him. Then they came to him many times and said, “Hail, King of the
Jews!” and hit him in the face.
Again Pilate came out and said to them, “Look, I am bringing Jesus out to you.
I want you to know that I find nothing against him.” So Jesus came out, wearing
the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
When the leading priests and the guards saw Jesus, they shouted, “Crucify him!
Crucify him!”
But Pilate answered, “Crucify him yourselves, because I find nothing against
him.”
The Jews answered, “We have a law that says he should die, because he said he
is the Son of God.”
When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid.
Notes
Mel Gibson’s film “The Passion of the Christ” shows, quite graphically and gruesomely,
the twelve hours of Jesus’ life that led up to his death on the cross. We see
some of those events in our Bible verses today: “Pilate ordered that Jesus be
taken away and whipped”, and “the soldiers made a crown from some thorny branches
and put it on Jesus’ head”. These are not pleasant verses to read, and Mel Gibson
shows these events – and many more – in disturbing detail on the big screen.
The question one has to ask is: “What did Jesus do to deserve such treatment?”
I recently watched the controversial TV miniseries, “The Second Coming”, which shows what might happen if the Son of God appeared in Manchester, England, at the beginning of the 21st century. The writer of this miniseries is an atheist, and his Son of God does and says some unusual things that I’m not sure fit in with the Jesus of the Bible. However, the Son of God in “The Second Coming” does mirror the Jesus of the Bible in this way: his sermon at Manchester City football ground, and his pronouncements on television, cause such strong reactions in people that there are worldwide riots, strong political tension, people are trying to kill him, and the Manchester police force lock him away.
The same happened to Jesus. His words of truth were like dynamite in the political and religious system of the time. And his words and actions eventually led him to being punished and killed on a cross of wood.
The challenge to us is: dare we speak out God’s truth ourselves, and if so, are we prepared to face up to the consequences?
Prayer
Dear God, please give me the courage to speak out your words of truth in today’s
world, and give me the strength to face up to people’s possible reactions. Amen
John 19 v 9-16
He went back inside the palace and asked Jesus, “Where do
you come from?” But Jesus did not answer him. Pilate said, “You refuse to speak
to me? Don’t you know I have power to set you free and power to have you crucified?”
Jesus answered, “The only power you have over me is the power given to you by
God. The man who betrayed me to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
After this, Pilate tried to let Jesus go. But the Jews cried out, “Anyone who
makes himself king is against Caesar. If you let this man go, you are no friend
of Caesar.”
When Pilate heard what they were saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down on
the judge’s seat at the place called The Stone Pavement. (In the Jewish language
the name is Gabbatha.) It was about noon on Preparation Day of Passover week.
Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your king!”
They shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to crucify your king?”
The leading priests answered, “The only king we have is Caesar.”
So Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified.
The soldiers took charge of Jesus.
Notes
Before Mel Gibson’s film, “The Passion of the Christ” came out, there was much
controversy about it in the news. Mel Gibson was accused of being anti-Jewish
because in his film we see Jewish leaders calling for Jesus to be killed. Our
Bible passage today seems to confirm this. The Jewish people shouted to Pilate:
“Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”, and Pilate obligingly “handed
Jesus over to them to be crucified”.
I don’t personally believe this was Mel Gibson’s intention. Jesus was Jewish himself and regularly attended the Jewish places of worship. His followers and disciples were mostly Jewish, and after his death and resurrection most of the early church were made up of Jewish people – some of them may even have been among those who called for his death only a few weeks before. Just about all the good people in Mel Gibson’s film are Jewish.
It’s common sense. Just because a few Jewish people wanted Jesus dead, it does not mean all the Jewish people were bad. After all, Jesus was one of them! Similarly, just because a tiny minority of Muslim people today resort to terrorism, it does not mean all Muslims are terrorists. And just because some Christians throughout church history have used force and violence, it does not mean all Christians are bad.
Examine your heart. Have you written off an entire group of people just because of the actions of a few? Jesus was prepared to forgive those who wanted to cause him harm. While he was dying, he shouted from the cross: “Father, forgive them, because they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 22 v 34). If you hold a grudge against any group of people, are you prepared to follow Jesus’ example and forgive them?
Prayer
Dear God, please forgive me if I have been racist or intolerant any way.
Help me to forgive just like Jesus, and to see all people the way that you see
them. Amen
John 19 v 17-22
Carrying his own cross, Jesus went out to a place called
The Place of the Skull, which in the Jewish language is called Golgotha. There
they crucified Jesus. They also crucified two other men, one on each side, with
Jesus in the middle. Pilate wrote a sign and put it on the cross. It read: JESUS
OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. The sign was written in the Jewish language,
in Latin and in Greek. Many of the Jews read the sign, because the place where
Jesus was crucified was near the city. The leading Jewish priests said to Pilate,
“Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews’. But write, ‘This man said, “I am the King
of the Jews.”’”
Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
Notes
Here in John’s gospel, and also in Mel Gibson’s film, “The Passion of the Christ”,
we see the actions of Pilate, the Roman governor. He insisted on placing the
words “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” on the cross on which Jesus was
crucified. Some of the churchgoers of the time protested, but Pilate insisted
on keeping the words there. He recognised something many of the churchgoers
didn’t: that Jesus was, and is, King. Yet as far as we know, Pilate wasn’t a
believer or a churchgoer. What’s more he was a Roman governor, which meant that
he represented the Roman Empire which had its own religion. Think about it:
someone from another faith had something valuable to say about Jesus.
I don’t believe that only Christians can see glimpses of God’s truth. I do read Christian teaching books and listen to Christian music – I also try to stay awake during sermons at church, sometimes unsuccessfully! I have learnt a lot from these things.
But often I find that God is speaking to me when I least expect it. Sometimes through a TV programme. Sometimes through a song on the radio. Sometimes friends of mine who aren’t Christians will say some profound things that make think – things that I, a Christian, hadn’t even noticed. Even friends from other faiths.
The Bible, and Mel Gibson’s film, show that someone outside the church had something very profound to say about Jesus. Don’t close your ears, like the churchgoers round the cross did. Maybe God wants to speak to you today – from somewhere where you least expect it.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you that you speak to, and through, people who seem to be outside
your church. Help me not be closed-minded but listen to what you might want
to say to me through them. Amen
John 19 v 23-27
After the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes
and divided them into four parts, with each soldier getting one part. They also
took his long shirt, which was all one piece of cloth, woven from top to bottom.
So the soldiers said to each other, “We should not tear this into parts. Let’s
throw lots to see who will get it.” This happened so that this Scripture would
come true:
“They divided my clothes among them, and they threw lots for my clothing.”
So the soldiers did this.
Standing near his cross were Jesus’ mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife
of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the follower he
loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son.”
Then he said to the follower, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, the
follower took her to live in his home.
Notes
It is always sad when someone dies, but even sadder can be what follows – obscure
relatives appearing out of nowhere to try and claim their share of the will,
or turning up at the dead person’s house to squabble over who will get the furniture,
items of clothing or anything else that is valuable.
Jesus didn’t leave many possessions behind. He didn’t have a house or furniture; all he had were a few clothes on his body. Not much, but even these were the cause of discussion amongst the soldiers – who was going to get what?
As it happens, Jesus has left something much more important behind: the promise of new life for those who follow him.
In one sense, you don’t have to share this with anyone. You can get the full amount of what Jesus offers you: “All of God lives in Christ fully (even when Christ was on earth), and you have a full and true life in Christ…” (Colossians 2 v 10).
In another sense, you have to share it with everyone. Everyone needs to know what Jesus has left behind for them.
Mel Gibson has previously been seen as a Hollywood action star, appearing in such top-grossing films as the Lethal Weapon series, Braveheart and the Mad Max science fiction thrillers. But Mel Gibson also has a faith in Christ, and he has used his position in the film industry (as well as millions of dollars of his own money) to share what he knows through “The Passion of the Christ”.
You might not have millions of dollars, but God can still use you today to share Jesus with others.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for all that you have left behind for me. Help me not be
selfish and to share what I know with others. Amen
John 19 v 28-30
After this, Jesus knew that everything had been done. So
that the Scripture would come true, he said, “I am thirsty.” There was a jar
full of vinegar there, so the soldiers soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge
on a branch of a hyssop plant and lifted it to Jesus’ mouth. When Jesus tasted
the vinegar, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and died.
Notes
Don’t you just hate people who give away the endings to films! If it’s a murder
mystery, you don’t really want to know who did the murder before you’ve even
seen it – it spoils half the fun. Or if the whole of the film leads up to a
surprise twist ending, there’s no point in seeing it if you already know what’s
going to happen.
There was a film out called Dick Tracy a few years ago, starring Madonna and Warren Beatty. Just as I was about to step out the door to go to the cinema, a teenager I know casually told me: “Oh, by the way…” and proceeded to give away the ending of the film. The same happened with the supernatural thriller Sixth Sense. On an internet discussion group I was reading, someone had blurted out the big twist in the film before I’d been able to see it.
With this in mind, you’re probably going to hate me, because I want to give away the ending to Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”. First of all, though, let me tell you what the ending isn’t.
In our Bible verses today we read that Jesus on the cross uttered the famous last words “It is finished”, then he “bowed his head and died”. Sounds pretty final – end of story. The musical Jesus Christ Superstar finishes there, and so do a couple of other films about Jesus. But in “The Passion of the Christ”, and also the gospels, that most definitely is not the end of the story. The best is yet to come. You see…
No, I won’t tell you what happened next. You’ll have to go and see the film. No doubt, you’ll also be hearing a lot about it over the coming Easter weekend!
Prayer
Dear Jesus, thank you that when you died on the cross, it wasn’t the end of
the story. Just as it wasn’t finished with you, you love me so much that you
haven’t finished with me either. Amen
John 19 v 31-37
This day was Preparation Day, and the next day was a special
Sabbath day. Since the Jews did not want the bodies to stay on the cross on
the Sabbath day, they asked Pilate to order that the legs of the men be broken
and the bodies be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the
first man on the cross beside Jesus. Then they broke the legs of the man on
the other cross beside Jesus. But when the soldiers came to Jesus and saw that
he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers stuck
his spear into Jesus’ side, and at once blood and water came out. (The one who
saw this happen is the one who told us this, and whatever he says is true. And
he knows that he tells the truth, and he tells it so that you might believe.)
These things happened to make the Scripture come true: “Not one of his bones
will be broken.” And another Scripture says, “They will look at the one they
stabbed.”
Notes
As you may already know, Mel Gibson’s film “The Passion of the Christ” is not
for the faint-hearted. In fact, it is probably one of the most violent films
I have seen, and all of that violence is directed towards one person: Jesus
Christ, the Son of God.
Our Bible verses today are particularly violent. The two people on crosses next to Jesus hadn’t quite died yet, so to speed up their deaths the Roman soldiers were ordered to break their legs. This was not to cause more pain – it was so that they would slump on their crosses and suffocate. When the soldiers came to Jesus they found that he was already dead, but this did not stop one of them plunging a spear into his side. Immediately, blood and water flowed out of him. Why did the soldier do this? To be absolutely sure that Jesus had already died.
Some people with great imaginations have put forward the theory that Jesus didn’t die on the cross – he only looked as if he was dead. They say that he merely swooned or fainted, and that he woke up in the tomb a couple of days later. But this account in the Bible puts paid to that theory. Even if he had just fainted on the cross (which he hadn’t), that spear through his side would have finished him off. Anyone who reads their Bibles, or has seen the crucifixion scene in “The Passion of the Christ” will know that there is no way Jesus could have survived. He died, and he did it willingly. But why?
It was clear from Mel Gibson’s film why he did it – his love for humanity. Do you consider yourself part of humanity? Then that love includes you!
Reflection
Stop and think today about all that Jesus went through – all because of his
love for you.
John 19 v 38-42
Later, Joseph from Arimathea asked Pilate if he could take
the body of Jesus. (Joseph was a secret follower of Jesus, because he was afraid
of the Jews.) Pilate gave his permission, so Joseph came and took Jesus’ body
away. Nicodemus, who earlier had come to Jesus at night, went with Joseph. He
brought about 30 kilogrammes of myrrh and aloes. These two men took Jesus’ body
and wrapped it with the spices in pieces of linen cloth, which is how the Jewish
people bury the dead. In the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden.
In the garden was a new tomb that had never been used before. The men laid Jesus
in that tomb because it was nearby, and the Jews were preparing to start their
Sabbath day.
Notes
Even if you don’t believe that Jesus was the Son of God, I still urge you to
see Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” as an account of a true historical
figure whose life and death affected the whole of human history from that point
on. One execution on a hill in the Middle East, and the world was never the
same again.
I saw the film in Sheffield town centre, at an evening showing. After watching these famous first century events unfold before me on the big screen, I walked out at 11 o’clock at night to see people coming out of pubs and restaurants, buses driving past, and the general hustle and bustle of a late-night city centre. As I slowly walked to my bus stop I couldn’t help reflecting on what I’d just seen and how it still had relevance for all the life and busy-ness around me.
Jesus was dead in the passage we read today, and two people he had affected in his lifetime lovingly took his body and gave him a decent burial in a tomb. It is in that tomb that the final powerful scene in “The Passion of the Christ” takes place, the scene I saw before I walked out into Sheffield.
It is at this tomb that you have a choice. Jesus definitely existed; he is written down and recorded in Roman documents that still survive. But did Jesus remain in that tomb as a dead body, or did he return to life as he promised? Was Jesus a good man who died 2,000 years ago, or is he still alive now, wanting to have a living relationship with us?
What do you think? All I can do is repeat the famous saying: “You can’t keep a good man down!”
Prayer
Dear Jesus, thank you that those events 2,000 years have echoed throughout history
and still have relevance for my life today. Help me understand more and more
over this Easter period the significance of your death and resurrection, for
me and for the world around me. Amen
word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken
from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993
by Word Publishing Milton Keynes