Jn 19

Where to follow Jesus: His cross and priestly sacrifice

Warm-up: What injustices in your life provoke you most to defend yourself or retaliate in some way or another?

1) What did Jesus suffer at the hands of his captors, physically and mentally?

v5: Does the text provide a clue what motivated Pilate to humiliate Jesus? What did he want of the mob? What did Pilate seek to accomplish for himself? cf vv12-13
vv6-7: The practice of stoning was still in use (Jn 8; Jn 10:31; 12:10; Acts 7:58), and if the priests would have killed Jesus, Pilate would not have interfered (18:31). Why did they want Jesus to be convicted and crucified by Pilate?
vv17-30: What sets the sufferings of Jesus’ crucifixion apart from all other suffering of injustice and unfair trials that anyone else had to endure? Why were these sufferings predicted by so many OT prophecies, and why did John stress these by quoting them?

2) vv8-11: Why was Pilate afraid? Where did he try to find solace? Was he able to calm his fear?

v10: Why did he try to intimidate Jesus, and why did that not work?
vv10-11: Who was in control? What did Jesus mean by “from above”? cf Jn 3:31; 8:23
- What irony is there in the fact that Jesus himself had to tell Pilate who was in control?
If Jesus himself is the one from above who gave Pilate such authority, what does that say about how and why he had to suffer this atrocious trial and death?

3) What other ironies did John note in the events of this chapter and in what people said? e.g.:

What could Pilate have meant when he called Jesus “the man”, and what’s the irony in his call to “behold” him? cf Ro 5:19
v7: What’s the irony that Jesus had to die because of Jewish law? cf Ro 8:3
v8: What is so ironical that Pilate rather than Jesus was afraid?
v15: What irony is there in the chief priests saying they have no king but Caesar? Whom did they thus accuse in the court of God? Lk 12:9; Acts 3:13

4) Whom did Jesus charge as guilty of his unjust death?

v11: Of whom did he say that he had greater sin than Pilate ? cf Jn 18:28
Why was the sin of the High Priest greater than that of Pilate? cf Jn 15:22-24; Lk 23:34
If God foreordained these events, did those who handed Jesus over to Pilate do so against their own will? What was their motive? cf Jn 15:24-25
v12: What is the root of such hatred against God and his Christ? Why do they hate all that which is not “of the world” (Jn 15:19)? cf Lk 16:13; cf Jas 4:4
What keeps them so chained to the world unless God interferes? cf Ps 10:2-4; Ro 1:24 [Therefore, God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,…]

5) What did Jesus do to redeem his enemies from their hatred?

v30: When Jesus said “it is finished” (lit. “paid in full”), what do you think he was referring to? cf Ro 5:6; 5:10
What did Jesus predict how he will draw people to himself? cf Jn 12:32
What attracts them there? cf Jn 15:13; Ro 5:6-8
Why could Jesus do the will of God only by suffering on the cross? cf Heb 9:22; 12:24; 10:9-12; 13:20
- Why is only this one (self)sacrifice of this one High Priest effective in expiating the sins of God’s people? cf Heb 7:27 [Heb 7 explains that Jesus is superior to the high priests appointed by Moses because he lives forever]

6) What did John disclose as his goal as the author of this gospel account, v35?

7) Personal and application

What do you regard as the saddest irony of all in this chapter?
Do you find yourself anywhere in this chapter? If so, where? And why?
When events or people turn against you, how do you react? What about Jesus and his attitude do you want to emulate? What helps you or what gets in your way when you try?
Since John wrote all this so that we might believe, do you see yourself as one who has made such ‘a step of faith’ or decision, or as one called each day again to live and work by faith in the powerful working of God (Col 2:12)?