The Gospel of John: John 19.1-42

Read and meditate on John 19.1-7.
Pilate is trying to make everybody happy, but he’s only making matters worse. His violence against Jesus spoke louder than his words of acquittal, and moved Jesus’ enemies to demand the ultimate penalty. Just as Jesus’ planned.

                                                   ¹And so
then Pilate ordered Jesus scourged, and blow
on blow tore at His body. ²Soldiers made
and twisted out of thorns a crown, and laid
it on His head, and wrapped Him in a shawl
of purple fabric. ³As they did, they all
began to mock Him, saying, “Hail, O King
of all the Jews!” And they began sting
and slap Him with their hands. ⁴Then Pilate went
before the Jews again and said to them,
“Behold, I bring Him out to you; and know
that I have found no fault in Him.” ⁵And so
then Jesus came out, in the purple robe
and crown of thorns. And Pilate said, “Behold
the Man!” ⁶And when the chief priest saw Him, and
the officers, they cried, “Now let that Man
be crucified!” But Pilate said to them,
“You crucify Him, for I find in Him
no fault.” ⁷The Jews replied, “We have a law,
and it is written in our holy law
that this Man ought to die, because He made
Himself the Son of God.”

- John 19.1-7

Reflect
1.  Pilate insists he finds no fault in Jesus, but he beats Him anyway. Why? What was he hoping to accomplish? What does this suggest about Pilate’s view of “truth”? Complete this prayer: Lord, You suffered the foolishness of men, to drive foolishness out of my soul, so…

2.  Next, Pilate turned Jesus over to a mob of soldiers, who mocked and beat Him further. Why did they do this? Is there something in sinful people that just wants to be done with God? Explain. Father, if in any way I show myself to be hostile to You or Your Word, please…

3.  Then Pilate made a public spectacle of Jesus. In your mind, imagine what Jesus looked like as Pilate presented Him in verses 4 and 5. Describe Jesus’ appearance. Pilate did this so that the Jews would “know” that he found “no fault in Him.” How was this spectacle supposed to communicate that? What was Pilate’s real motive here? Lord, I get angry thinking about how You were treated, and yet I realize…

4.  Like sharks smelling blood in the water, the sight of Jesus only spurred on the religious leaders to clamor for what they’ve been seeking for a long time: “Crucify Him!” Is there a sense here of evil being in the air, and evil people piling on? Does that happen yet today? Are we ever in danger of being sucked into that vortex? Explain. I know, Father, that evil is all around me in the world, but I want to be a faithful witness to Jesus, so help me to…

5.  Look at the buck-passing here: Pilate washes his hands of the deed by turning Jesus over to the Jewish leaders. The Jewish leaders defer to the Law of God as their ground for wanting Jesus dead (though we know this is not their true motivation, cf. Jn. 11.47-53). Don’t blame us, they say; blame God – it’s His Law. Does remind you of Genesis 3? Do you ever see any of this buck-passing in your own life? Explain. Bring together into one the prayers you composed for questions 1-4.

Summary
“Jesus was scourged unjustly so that he might deliver us from the punishment we deserved. He was beaten and struck so that we might beat Satan, who had beaten us, and that we might escape from the sin that cleaves to us through the original transgression. For if we think correctly, we shall believe that all of Christ’s sufferings were for us and on our behalf and that they have power to release and deliver us from all those calamities we have deserved because of our rebellion against God.” Cyril of Alexandria (375-444 AD)

Before we judge the enemies of Christ to severely, let’s be honest about this much: We would have been in that crowd screaming for His crucifixion as well. Our sins caused His suffering, and He suffered to cancel our sins. Give thanks to Jesus for His mercy and grace, and tell someone today how much you love Him.

Closing Prayer
But in my adversity they rejoiced
And gathered together;
Attackers gathered against me,
And I did not know it;
They tore at me and did not cease;
With ungodly mockers at feasts
They gnashed at me with their teeth.
Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue me from their destructions,
My precious life from the lions.
I will give You thanks in the great assembly;
I will praise You among many people.
Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies;
Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause.
For they do not speak peace,
But they devise deceitful matters
Against the quiet ones in the land.
They also opened their mouth wide against me,
And said, “Aha, aha!
Our eyes have seen it.”
This You have seen, O LORD;
Do not keep silence.
O Lord, do not be far from me.
Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication,
To my cause, my God and my Lord.
Vindicate me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness;
And let them not rejoice over me.

Psalm 35.15-24

Psalm 35.17-26 (Creation: Exalt the Lord, His Praise Proclaim)
How long, O Lord, will You sit by?
O rescue my soul, or I shall die!
Thus praise and thanks I’ll give to You
With all who hold You dear and true.
The wicked would rejoice with glee,
And gloat in triumph over me.
They speak no peace, their words are lies;
They seek our destruction before their eyes.

Stir up, O God, and wake to my right;
Defend my cause with all Your might!
And judge me in Your righteousness;
Let not my foes bring me to distress.
Let shame, dishonor be their gown
Who would Your holy ones bring down.
Let all who would themselves exalt
Be humbled, shamed, and brought to naught.

T. M. Moore

Men, God is calling you to pray. Watch this brief video, then seek the Lord about joining our Men at Prayer movement.

Improve your prayer life with our free, online course, Parameters of Prayer. Study at your own pace or with a friend. Read more and register by clicking here.

We are happy to offer each week’s Scriptorium studies in a free weekly PDF, suitable for personal or group use. You can download all the studies in our series on the Gospel of John by clicking here. Please prayerfully consider sharing with The Fellowship of Ailbe through your giving. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.