Good Friday -- John 19:17-37
“He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” –Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)

Soldiers took Jesus to Golgotha (literally “the place of a skull”). It is called this because the cliffside looks like a skull (see http://www.israeljerusalem.com/golgotha-israel.htm). Jesus carried His own cross to this place. While some artists depict Jesus shouldering the entire cross, this would not have been the case. The upright beams used for crucifixion were already at Golgotha. A criminal on his way to execution carried the horizontal beam on his back. Keep in mind that Jesus’ back was already stripped bare from the flogging, and He was weak from loss of blood. This was part of the torturous ordeal He endured for us.
Once at Golgotha, the soldiers nailed Jesus’ hands and feet to the cross with large spikes (5-7 inches long). He was crucified between two criminals, and Pilate had a sign hung above Jesus proclaiming Him to be the “King of the Jews” in the three languages of the area—Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. The Jewish leaders protested this, but Pilate refused to change the sign.
The soldiers divided Jesus’ outer garments, but they cast lots for the seamless robe (or tunic) He would have worn nearest His skin. This fulfilled one of the Messianic prophecies (see Psalm 22:18).
Jesus had been deserted by most of His friends and disciples at this point. Only some of His female followers and John remained. Three Marys were there—Jesus’ mother, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the wife of Cleopas. (Cleopas was one of two people Jesus would later appear to on the Road to Emmaus.) Even as Jesus suffered the agony of the cross, He thought of others. He entrusted His mother’s future care to John, who afterwards took Mary into his home.
John always referred to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” This does not mean John saw himself as Jesus’ favorite; instead, he simply chose to define himself by the love of his Savior. Jesus’ love was the core of John’s personal identity. (May the same be said for all of us.)
In fulfillment of yet another Messianic prophecy (Psalm 69:21), Jesus said that He was thirsty, and He was given cheap Roman vinegar wine (sour wine) to drink. Extreme thirst was part of crucifixion due to loss of fluids through blood and sweat. The sour wine was offered on a sponge lifted up on a branch of hyssop. This was highly symbolic. Hyssop was used to spread the blood of the sacrificial lamb on the Jews’ doorposts during the first Passover. It was a sign that, during the final plague in Egypt (the death of the firstborn), the angel of the Lord was to pass over those homes—the occupants were protected by the blood of the lamb. Jesus is the Lamb of God, sacrificed for the sins of the world. Those who accept His blood as atonement for their sin will never die but live forever with Him in heaven.
Upon receiving this drink of sour wine, all of the prophecies were fulfilled, so Jesus said, “It is finished” and gave up His spirit. This clearly showed Jesus’ ability to “lay [His life] down of [His] own accord” (John 10:18) since most crucifixions took 2-4 days to complete.
Because it was the day of preparation for the Passover, the Jewish leaders did not want bodies left on the crosses, so in order to speed death, the soldiers went to break the men’s legs. (This would make it impossible for them to breathe well since they needed to push themselves up with their feet to get a full breath.) When the soldiers came to Jesus, they discovered He was already dead. One soldier pierced His side with a spear to be sure. This fulfilled two prophecies: (1) His bones would not be broken, and (2) He would be “pierced” (see Exodus 12:46; Psalm 34:20; Zechariah 12:10).
Jesus went through all of this to save you from sin and death and to set you free to live a fully redeemed life. All you have to do is accept Him as your Lord and Savior. Rest in Him on this Good Friday. Read Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. Know that He loves you enough to lay down His life for you. And that means, like John, you can always identify yourself as “the disciple whom Jesus loves.”
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