Jesus was crucified

JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
John 19:18 18Therethey crucifiedhim, and with him
two others-oneon each side and Jesus in the middle.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
Three Crosses
John 19:18
J.R. Thomson
What a picture is this! At a place near Jerusalem, calledGolgotha, the Roman
soldiery have reared three crosses.And on these crosseshang three figures.
The sufferers have been doomed to die. With a criminal on either hand, the
Son of man is enduring, not only anguish of body, but agony of mind
unparalleled. The soldiers, with callous indifference, watchthe tortured
victims. The multitude gaze with vulgar curiosity upon the unwonted sight.
The Jewishrulers look exultingly upon him whose death their malignant hate
has compassed. Friendly disciples and tender-hearted women gaze with
sympathy and tears upon the dying woe of their beloved One. No wonder that
the scene shouldhave riveted the imagination and have elicitedthe pathetic
and pictorial powers of unnumbered painters. No wonder that every great
picture-gallery in every Christian land contains some masterpiece ofsome
famous painter, of one schoolor another, depicting the crucifixion of the Holy

One and the Just. Forus the scene has not only an artistic and affecting, but
also and far more a spiritual, significance.
I. ONE CROSS IS THE SYMBOL OF DIVINE LOVE AND OF HUMAN
SALVATION. The central figure of the three is that which draws to it every
eye.
1. There is in this cross whatevery spectatorcandiscern. A Being
undoubtedly innocent, holy, benevolent, is suffering unjustly the recompense
of the evildoer. Yet he endures all with patience and meekness, with no
complaint, but with sincere words of forgiveness for his foes. We conceive
Jesus saying, "All ye that pass by, behold, and see;was there ever sorrow like
unto my sorrow?"
2. What did Christ's enemies see in his cross? The fruit of their malice, the
successoftheir schemes, the fulfillment, as it seemedto them, of their selfish
hopes.
3. A more practicaland interesting question for us is - What do we behold in
the cross ofChrist? To all Christ's friends, their crucified Lord is the
Revelationof the powerand the wisdom of God, none the less so because his
enemies see here only an exhibition of weakness, offolly, and of failure. The
voice that reaches us from Calvary is the voice that speaks Divine love to all
mankind. Here Christians recognize the provision of full and everlasting
salvation;and here they come under the influence of the highest motive which
appeals to the spiritual nature, and calls forth an affectionate and grateful
devotion.
"From the cross uplifted high,
Where the Savior deigns to die:
What melodious sounds I hear,
Bursting on my ravished ear!
Love's redeeming work is done;
Come and welcome, sinner, come."

II. A SECOND CROSS IS THE SYMBOL OF IMPENITENCEAND
REJECTION OF DIVINE MERCY. In the blaspheming robber who hung by
the side of the Lord Jesus we have an awful example of human sin and crime;
an awful witness to human justice and to the penalty with which transgressors
are visited; and an awful illustration of the length to which sinners may carry
their callous indifference to sin. An impenitent criminal reviles the one Being
who has the power and the disposition to deliver him from his sin and from its
worstresults. Selfishness ofthe narrowestand meanestkind is left: "Save us!"
i.e. from torture and the impending fate. A degradedlife is followedby a
hopeless death. Severalterrible lessons are taughtby this felon's character
and fate.
1. How impossible it is for those to be savedwho rejectthe means of salvation!
2. How possible it is to be close to Christ, in body, in communication, in
privilege, and yet, because destitute of faith and love, to be without any benefit
from such proximity!
3. How foolishit is to rely upon a late repentance, seeing that sinners are
found to persevere in sin and unbelief even in the immediate prospectof
death!
III. A THIRD CROSS IS THE SYMBOLOF PENITENCE AND OF
PARDON. The story of the repentant malefactorshows us that, even when
human justice does its work, Divine mercy may have its way.
1. The process ofseeking God, even in mortal extremity. Conscienceworks;
conviction of sin ensues, and creates a new disposition of the soul; this
prompts a fearless rebuke of a neighbor's sin; faith - in the circumstances
truly amazing - is exercised;true, simple, fervent prayer is offered.
2. The manifestation of compassionand mercy. The dying Lord imparts to the
dying penitent an assurance offavor; free pardon is announced; bright hope
is inspired; immortal happiness is secured.
3. Lessons ofprecious encouragementare impressedupon the spectators of
this third cross. It is possible for the vilest to repent. It is certain that the
sincere penitent will be regardedwith favor. Even at the eleventh hour

salvationis not to be despairedof. There is a prospect before those who are
acceptedand pardoned, of immediate joy and Divine fellowshipafter this life
is over. - T.
Biblical Illustrator
And He bearing His cross wentforth.
John 19:17-25
The lonely Cross-bearer
T. Whitelaw, D. D.
I. BEARING THE CROSS FOR HIMSELF (Isaiah63:3).
1. An aggravationof His misery.
2. An intensifying of their sin.
3. A heightening of His love.

4. An enlargementof their hope.
II. BEARING THE CROSS FOR US.
1. As an expiation of our guilt (Colossians 1:20;Colossians 2:14).
2. As a pattern for our life (1 Peter2:21).
(T. Whitelaw, D. D.)
The greatCross-bearerand His followers
C. H. Spurgeon.
(Text, and Mark 15:20, 21): —
1. When our Lord had been condemned, the executionof His sentence was
hurried. Every moment of delay was wearisome to the Jews. It was the day of
the passover, andthey wished to have this matter finished before they went
with hypocritical piety to celebrate the festival. We do not wonder at their
eagerness;but at Pilate we do wonder. In all civilized countries there is
usually an interval betweenthe sentence and the death. As the capital sentence
is irreversible, it is well to have a little space in which possible evidence may
be forthcoming, which may prevent the fatal stroke. With the Romans it was
usual to allow the reasonable respite of ten days. Now Pilate might have
pleaded this; and he was culpable, as he was all along, in thus yielding to the
clamour for an immediate execution. When once we begin to make the wishes
of other men our law we know not to what extremity of criminality we may be
led.
2. Being given over to death, our Saviour was led awayoutside the city.(1)
Becauseby the Jews He was treated as a flagrant offender who must be
executedat the Tyburn of the day. Alas! Jerusalem, thou didst castout thy
last hope.(2)Because He was to be consumed as a sin-offering. The sweet-
savour offerings were presentedupon the altar, and were accepted ofGod,
but sin-offerings were burnt without the camp or gate, because Godcanhave
no fellowship with sin.(3) BecauseHe died, not for Jerusalem, nor Israel

alone, but for the race. Out in the open He must die, to show that He
reconciledboth Jews andGentiles unto God.(4) That we might go forth unto
Him without the camp, bearing His reproach. "Come ye out from among
them," &c.
3. Let us draw near our Lord for awhile, and carefully observe each
instructive detail.
I. HIS DRESS.
1. The crown of thorns. Jesus died a crownedmonarch. The Man by whom we
are redeemedis crownedwith that product of the earth which came of the
curse.
2. He was bound. By Romancustom criminals were bound with cords to the
cross which they were doomed to carry. "Bind the sacrifice with cords, evento
the horns of the altar."
3. Jesus wore His ownclothes —(1) For identification, that all who lookedon
might know that it was the same person who had preached in their streets and
had healedtheir sick.(2)That there might be a fulfilment of prophecy. "They
parted My garments among them," &c. Other raiment could readily have
been rent and divided.(3) To indicate that our Lord's passionwas a true and
natural part of His life; He died as He lived. His death was not a new
departure, but the completion of a life of self-sacrifice, andso He goes to die in
His ordinary everyday garments. Does not it almostseem as if people put on
their Sunday clothes because theyregard religion as something quite distinct
from their common life? Can we not wearour own clothes, habits,
characteristics, andpeculiarities and serve the Lord? Is there not some
suspicionof unnaturalness in services whichrequire men to put on a strange,
outlandish dress? It is ill for a man when he cannotlead his fellows in prayer
till he has gone to the wardrobe.
II. HIS COMPANY.
1. The rough Roman soldiers, strong, muscular, unfeeling men, ready to shed
blood at any moment. I do but bid you look at them to remind you that from

beneath their eagle our Saviour won a trophy; for their centurion confessed,
"Certainly this was the Son of God."
2. Two malefactors. He must not be separatedfrom the basestof men. I
mention them because our Lord won a trophy by the conversionof one of
them.
3. The scribes and Pharisees andhigh priests. Their hate was insatiable, but it
was accompaniedwith fear, and that night it was seenthat Christ had
conquered them, for they beggeda guard to prevent their victim from leaving
the tomb.
4. A greatrabble. The same, who a week ago shouted, "Hosanna!" The Lord
endured the popular scornas He had once receivedthe popular acclamation.
He lived above it all.
5. Kindly women.
6. We must now leave the company, but not till we have asked, Where are His
disciples? Where is Peter? Did he not say, "I will go with Thee to prison and
to death"? Where is John? Holy women are gathering, but where are the
men? Though the womenact like men, the men actas women.
III. HIS BURDEN. Our Lord carried His owncross at the commencement of
the sorrowfulpilgrimage. This —
1. IncreasedHis shame. It was a custom of the Romans to make felons bear
their own gibbet. Furcifer, "gallowsbearer," was hissedatmen in contempt,
just as "gallows-bird" is now.
2. Note next its weight.
3. There was a typical evidence about this. If Simon had carried Christ's cross
all the way, we should have missedthe type of Isaac, who carriedthe woodfor
his ownsacrifice.
4. The spiritual meaning of it was that Christ in perfect obedience was then
carrying the load of our disobedience.

5. It also has a prophetic meaning; that cross whichHe carried through
Jerusalemshall go through Jerusalemagain. It is His great weaponwith
which He conquers and wins the world. "The government shall be upon His
shoulder;" that which He bore on His shoulder shall win obedience, andthey
that take His yoke upon them shall find restunto their souls.
IV. HIS CROSS-BEARER.
1. He was pressedinto this duty. The word used signifies that the person is
impressed into the royal service, How often has a burden of sorrow been the
means of bringing men to the faith of Jesus!
2. His name was Simon; and where was that other Simon? What a silent but
strong rebuke this would be to him, "Hold that fastwhich thou hast, that no
man take thy crown." Simon Peter losta crown here, and another head wore
it.
3. Simon was a Cyrenian — an African — I wonder if he was a black man. In
Acts 13., we find mention of a Simeon that was calledNiger, or black. Surely
the African has had his full share of cross-bearing for many an age. Blessedbe
he, whether African or Englishman, that has the honour of bearing the cross
after Christ.
4. He was coming in from the country. How often the Lord takes into His
service the unsophisticatedcountry people, who as yet are untainted by the
cunning and the vice of the city.
5. He was the Father of Alexander and Rufus. Which is the greaterhonour to
a man, to have a goodfather, or to be the father of goodsons? Under the Old
Testamentrule we usually read of a man that he is the sonof such a one, but
here we come to another style.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Christ bearing His cross
R. Besser, D. D.

Our Lord, when a workmanin the carpenter's shop at Nazareth, had willingly
carried pieces oftimber in the service of His foster-father. Here, with no less
cheerfulness, He bears to Golgotha the timber of the cross, in order to raise
the altar on which He is to be sacrificed, andto do the will of His Father in
heaven.
(R. Besser, D. D.)
The crucifixion of Christ
David Gregg.
I. THE CROSS IS THE POWER OF GOD FOR EXPOSING SIN AND FOR
SUBDUING THE SINFUL HEART. What will sin do? Show us this and you
give us the best expositionof sin. This gospelstorytells us that sin crucified
the Sonof God. But the Cross, as we have said, is God's power for subduing
the sinful heart. The subduing powerof the fact that we crucified Christ, our
best Friend, may be illustrated by an incident which BronsonAlcott relates as
having takenplace in his school. He made it a law that all offences shouldbe
punished in order that the authority of the schoolmight be kept inviolate. The
punishment of offences he decreedshould be borne by himself He intended to
put every offending scholarunder the powerof this thought, "I made my
friend and teachersuffer." So much for the law of the school;let us see how it
worked. Mr. Alcott gives us this instance: "One day I called before me a pupil,
eight or ten years of age, who had violated an important regulation of the
school. All the pupils were looking on, and they knew what the rule of the
schoolwas. I put the ruler into the hand of the offending pupil and extended
my hand. I bade him strike. The instant the boy saw my extended hand and
heard my command, I saw a struggle begin in his face. A light sprang up in his
countenance. A new setof shuttles seemedto be weaving a new nature within
him. I kept my hand extended. The schoolwas in tears. The boy struck once,
and he himself burst into tears. I constantlywatchedhis face, and he seemed
in a bath of fire which was giving him a new nature. He had a different mood
toward the schooland towardthe violated law. The boy seemedtransformed
by the idea that I should take chastisementin the place of his punishment."

II. THE CROSS GIVES US A STANDING EXHIBITION OF THE WAY IN
WHICH SOME MEN TREAT CHRIST. I wish to speak especiallyofthe
soldiers at the cross, who are an ancient type of a modern class. Theygamble
for tim seamless robe ofChrist. To them the garments of Christ were
everything, but Christ Himself was nothing. They prize the garments but
despise Christ. When Christ was within the robe, it had healing virtue; but
when Christ was crucified it had no healing, life-giving powerwhatever.
There are multitudes to-day who are like these soldiers. Forexample, there
are crowds of citizens in this republic who glory in the civil rights which our
national fathers bequeathed, but they hate and crucify the Christ of our
fathers. It was under the inspiration of Christ that our fathers sacrificedand
fought for the rights which they bequeathed. If there had been no Christ,
there would have been no Plymouth Rock Pilgrims in Massachusetts. There is
no fact more patent in history than this: American freedom owes its origin to
Christ. Yet there are Americans by the thousand who would take the freedom
and crucify the Christ. But what is freedom disassociatedfrom Christ? What
is it worth in comparisonwith the freedom which throbs with the life of
Christ? Freedom, when it is a robe with the living Christ in it, will cure and
keepin life the nations which touch its hem; but freedom, when it is a robe
torn from Christ, will let the nations die even while they handle it, ownit, and
boastabout it. We needed Christ to procure our liberty and we need Christ to
secure our liberty.
III. THE CROSS WITH ITS SACRIFICE FOR SIN OPENS UP TO US THE
ONLY WAY OF SALVATION.
(David Gregg.)
Bearing the cross
W. Baxendale.
The Rev. C. Simeon, in conversationwith a friend, once said, "Manyyears
ago, when I was an objectof much derision in this university, I strolled forth
one day afflicted, with my little testamentin my hand. I prayed earnestly to

my Godthat He would comfort me with some cordialfrom His Word, and
that on opening the book I might find some text which should sustain me. The
first text which caught my eye was this, 'They found a man of Cyrene, Simon
by name,' &c. You know Simon is the same as Simeon. What a world of
instruction was here! What a blessedhint for my encouragement!To have the
cross laid upon me that I might bear it after Jesus. Whata privilege! It was
enough. Now I could leap and sing for joy as one whom Jesus was honouring
with a participation in His sufferings."
(W. Baxendale.)
Cross-bearing forChrist
Christian at Work.
At a large Sunday-schoolanniversary it was found that the speakers expected
had failed, and none were ready to take their places. After some singing the
meeting became dull, and the interestseemedto be dying out. The
superintendent, who had set his heart on success, wasanxious, and at a loss to
know what to do, but finally gave a generalinvitation to the scholars to repeat
any texts or hymns they had learned. He was pleasantly answered, but only
for a short time. Eventually a boy of Jewishcaste, withpiercing eyes, in the
midst of deep silence rose and repeated:"Jesus, Imy cross have taken, All to
leave and follow Thee," &c., in a voice so thrilling as to move the whole
audience. Many eyes were moist, for the story of the young Jew was known.
His father had told him he must either leave the Sunday-schoolor quit home
for ever; and the hymn showedwhat he had given up to follow Christ. The
meeting was inspired with new life. Friends gatheredround him at the close,
and business men united in securing him a situation by which he could earn
his ownliving.
(Christian at Work.)
The cross ofChrist

I. UNDER THE CROSS (ver. 17).
1. The weary pilgrim — Jesus.
(1)Exhausted by the agony and the subsequent excitement.
(2)Suffering through the scourging.
(3)Burdened with the weightof the cross, the upright lying along His back, the
transverse fastenedto His fetteredhands.
(4)Degradedby the white tablet borne before Him, or suspendedfrom His
neck, proclaiming His allegedcrime.
2. The varied attendance — robbers, soldiers, &c.
3. The sorrowful way.
II. UPON THE CROSS. Jesus in the midst, numbered with transgressors (ver.
18), arrived at Golgotha. The cross was —
1. Furnished with its victim. As it lay upon the sward, with nails driven
through His hands and feet (Psalm22:16; Luke 24:40), He prayed (Luke
23:34).
2. Upraised to its position. Suspended by His hands and feet, His body resting
on an upright peg, our Lord was exhibited a spectacleofwoe — the priests
and people mocking His misery.
3. Setin the midst. On either side a crucified robber proclaimedHim the
worstof the three.
III. ABOVE THE CROSS. The title (ver. 19).
1. Its conspicuous position — seenby all.
2. Its threefold language — to be read by all.
3. Its providential use — to attest —
(1)Christ's true humanity, "Jesus ofNazareth."

(2)His Messianic dignity: "King of the Jews."
(3)Israel's sin: they had crucified their Sovereign.
(4)The world's hope: Israel's rejectedMessiahwas the Saviour of men.
IV. BENEATHTHE CROSS. Gambling for the Saviour's clothes, the soldiers
fulfilled prophecy (vers. 23, 24).
1. Heartless cruelty.
2. Moralinsensibility.
3. Appalling criminality.
4. Unconscious instrumentality.
V. NEAR THE CROSS.The Galileanwomen: the postof love (ver. 25).
1. Their names.(1)Mary, the mother of Jesus. True to her motherhood she
was there to be pierced (Luke 2:35).(2)Mary's sister, Salome, the wife of
Zebedee, and mother of the Evangelist, who was thus Christ's cousin, which
may accountfor the mental and spiritual affinity betweenthem.(3) Mary, the
wife of Clopas, or Alphaeus, the mother of James the less and Joses.(4)Mary
Magdalene.
1. Their position by the cross, marking —
(1)Their courage — not afraid of crowdor soldiers.
(2)Their fidelity in contrastto the male disciples.
(3)Their affection.
(4)Their sympathy — intending to console Him, as they doubtless did.
(5)Their privilege — a gracious opportunity of hearing His last
words.Lessons:
1. The completeness ofChrist's obedience (Philippians 2:8).
2. The depth of His humiliation (Isaiah53:12).

3. The reality of His atoning work (2 Corinthians 5:21).
4. The certainty of His Messiahship, proved by the title.
5. The moral insensibility to which depraved natures may sink (Ephesians
4:19).
6. The heroism of womenwhen inspired by faith and love (Daniel11:32).
7. The startling contrasts oflife — the soldiers and the women.
8. The power which still lies in the Cross to revealhuman hearts.
(T. Whitelaw, D. D.)
A place called the place of a skull, which is in Hebrew Golgotha. — Two
explanations of the term are given.
1. That it was the spot where executions ordinarily took place, and therefore
abounded in skulls;but according to the Jewishlaw, these must have been
buried, and therefore were no more likely to confer a name on the spot than
any other part of the skeleton. In this case, too, the language wouldhave to be
plural instead of singular.
2. That the form of the spot was bold, round, and skull-like, and therefore a
mound or hillock in accordancewith the common phrase, for which there is
no direct authority, "Mount Calvary." Whichever of these is the correct
explanation, Golgotha seems to have been a knownspot — outside the gate
(Hebrews 13:12), but close to the city (ver. 20); apparently near a
thoroughfare on which there were passers by. This road or path led out of the
"country," and was probably the ordinary spot for executions. Why should it
have been otherwise? To those who carried the sentence into effectChrist was
but an ordinary criminal, and there is not a word to indicate that the soldiers
in "leading Him away" went to any other than the usual place for what must
have been a common operation. A tradition at one time prevailed that Adam
was buried in Golgotha, andthat from his skull it derived its name, and that
at the crucifixion the drops of Christ's blood fell on the skull and raised Adam
to life. The skull commonly introduced in early pictures of the Crucifixion
refers to this.

(Sir G. Grove.)
The traditional site of Golgotha
Cunningham Geikie, D. D.
is consecratedby three chapels of different sects. An opening, facedwith
silver, shows the spot where the cross is said to have been sunk in the rock,
and less than five feet from it is a long brass open-work slide over a cleft in the
rock which is about six inches deep, but is supposed by the pilgrims to reach
to the centre of the earth. This is said to mark the rending of the rocks atthe
Crucifixion. But there is an air of unreality over the whole scene, with its
gorgeous decorations of lamps, mosaics,pictures, and gilding; nor could I feel
more than the gratificationof my curiosity in the midst of such a monstrous
aggregationofwonders. Faith evaporates whenit finds so many demands
made upon it. When it is assuredthat within a few yards of eachother are the
scene ofAbraham's sacrifice of Isaac;that of the appearance ofChrist to
Mary; the stone of anointing; the place where the angels stoodat the
Resurrection;the tombs of our Lord, Joseph, and Nicodemus; the column to
which our Lord was bound; His prison; the burial place of Adam; the tree in
which the goatoffered insteadof Isaac was caught, and much else.
(Cunningham Geikie, D. D.)
The probable site of Golgotha
Cunningham Geilkie, D. D.
There is little in the New Testamentto fix its exactposition, though Hebrews
13:12 is enough to prove that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is not on the
true site. The name Golgotha may well have referred to the shape of the
ground, and, if this be so, a spot reminding one of a skull must be sought
outside the city. It must, besides, be near one of the greatroads (Mark 15:29).
That Josephcarriedthe body to his own tomb, hewn out in the rock, and
standing in the midst of the garden, requires further that Calvary should be

found near the greatJewishcemeteryof the time. This lay on the north side of
Jerusalem. Now, just here, outside the Damascus gateis a knoll or swellwhich
fulfils all these conditions. Rising gently towards the north its slowly rounded
top might easilyhave obtained, from its shape, the name of "a skull." This
spot has been associatedfrom the earliesttimes with the martyrdom of
Stephen, who could only have been stonedat the usual place of public
execution. And this is fixed by localtradition as "the Place ofStoning" where
offenders were not only put to death, but hung up by the hands till sunset
after execution. As if to make the identification still more complete, the busy
road, which has led to the north in all ages, passescloseby the knoll,
branching off, a little further on, to Gibeon, Damascus, andRameh. It was the
custom of the Romans to crucify transgressorsatthe sides of the busiest
public roads. Here then, apparently, on this bare rounded knoll, rising shoat
thirty feet above the ground, the low yellow cliff of Jeremiahlooking out from
its southern end, the Saviourof the world was crucified.
(Cunningham Geilkie, D. D.)
Where they crucified Him.
Crucifixion
Bp. Ryle.
The common mode of inflicting it, in all probability, was to strip the criminal
— to lay him on the cross onhis back — to nail his hands to the two
extremities of the cross-piece,orfork of the cross — to nail his feet to the
upright piece, or principal stem of the cross-thento raise the cross on end, and
drop it into a hole prepared for it — and then to leave the sufferer to a
lingering and painful death. It was a death which combined the maximum of
pain with the leastimmediate destruction of life. The agony of having nails
driven through parts so full of nerves and sinews as the hands and feetmust
have been intense. Yet wounds of the hands and feet are not mortal, and do
not injure any greatleading blood-vessel. Hence a crucified person, even in an
easternclimate, exposedto the sun, might live two or three days, enduring

extreme pain, without being relieved by death, if he was naturally a very
strong man and in vigorous health. To a sensitive, delicate-minded person, it is
hard to imagine any punishment more distressing. Whether the person
crucified was bound to the cross with ropes, to prevent the possibility of his
breaking off from the nails in convulsive struggling — whether he was
stripped completely naked, or had a cloth round his loins — whether eachfoot
had a separate nail, or one nail was driven through both feet — are disputed
points which we have no means of settling. Of one thing, however, we may be
sure. The feet of a crucified person were much nearer the ground than is
commonly supposed, and very likely not more than a foot or two from the
earth. In this, as in other points, most pictures of the Crucifixion are grossly
incorrect, and the cross is made out to be a piece of timber so long and so
thick that no one mortal man could ever have carriedit. Concerning the
precise amount of physical suffering, and the precise effecton the human
body in a crucifixion, the following medical accountby a German physician,
named Richter, says —
1. The unnatural position and violent tension of the body causeda painful
sensationfrom the leastmotion.
2. The nails driven through parts of the hands and feet, which are full of
nerves and tendons, and yet at a distance from the heart, createdthe most
exquisite anguish.
3. The exposure of so many wounds and lacerations brought on inflammation,
which tended to become gangrene, and every moment increasedthe poignancy
of suffering.
4. In the distended parts of the body more blood flowedthrough the arteries
than could be carriedback into the veins: and hence too much blood found its
way from the aorta into the head and stomach, and the blood vessels ofthe
head became pressedand swollen. The generalobstruction of circulation
causedan internal excitement, exertion, and anxiety, more intolerable than
death itself.
5. There was the inexpressible misery of gradually increasing and lingering
anguish.

6. To all this we may add burning and raging thirst." When we remember,
beside all this, that our Lord's head was crownedwith thorns, His back torn
with savage scourging, andHis whole system weigheddown by the mental and
bodily agony of the sleeplessnight following the Lord's Supper, we may have
some faint idea of the intensity of His sufferings.
(Bp. Ryle.)
Nature's testimony to the Crucifixion
J. Fleming.
A person who travelled through Palestine told me that an ingenious person,
his fellow-traveller, who was a Deist, used to make merry with all the stories
that the Romish priest entertained them with as to the sacredplaces andrelics
they went to see, and particularly when they first showedhim the clefts of
Mount Calvary, which is now included within the greatdome that was built
over it by Constantine the Great. But when he began to examine the clefts
more narrowly and critically, he told his fellow-travellers that now he began
to be a Christian; "for," said he, "I have long been a student of nature and the
mathematics, and I am sure these clefts and rents in this rock were never
made by a natural or ordinary earthquake, for by such a concussionthe rock
must have been split according to the veins, and where it was weakestin the
adhesionof the parts; for thus," said he, "I have observedit to have been done
in other rocks, when separatedorbroken after an earthquake, and reason
tells me it must always be so. But it is quite otherwise here, for the rock is split
athwart and across the veins in a most strange and supernatural manner.
This, therefore, I caneasilyand plainly see to be effectof a real miracle, which
neither nature nor art could have effected; and therefore I thank God that I
came hither to see this standing monument of a miraculous power by which
God gives evidence, to this day, of the divinity of Christ."
(J. Fleming.)

The crucifixion realized
A little girl in a mission-schoolsaton the front seat;and, when the
superintendent was telling about how they hanged Jesus on the cross, the tears
came to her eyes, and she had to getup and go out. In the afternoon she came
back smiling; and the superintendent askedher, "Mary, where did you go this
morning?" And she said, "Oh, teacher!I could not stand it when you Spoke to
us about Jesus being nailed on the cross;for I felt just as if I helped to pound
the nails in; and I went off a little piece from the school, and gotdown on my
knees, and told Jesus that my sins helped to hang Him on the cross;and I
askedHim to please forgive me for helping to kill Him; that I was so sorry!
but now I feel so happy!"
Impression of the Crucifixion
Colossians Gardinerwas won from a life of worldly pleasure by a dream in
which he saw the Saviour hanging on the cross, and saying, "I have suffered
this for thee, and is this thy return?" The deep conviction of his ingratitude
led him to repentance and a life of piety.
Christ's cross
J. Caughey.
Krummacher describes the mysterious cross as a rock, againstwhichthe very
waves of the curse break; as a lightning-conductor, by which the destroying
fluid descends, whichwould have otherwise crushedthe world. Jesus, who
mercifully engagedto direct the thunderbolt against Himself, does so while
hanging yonder in profound darkness upon the cross. There He is, as the
connecting link betweenheavenand earth; His bleeding arms extended wide,
stretchedout to every sinner; hands pointed to the eastand west, indicating
the gathering-in of the world of man to His fold. The cross is directed to the
sky, as the place of the final triumph of His work in redemption; and its foot

fixed in the earth like a tree, from whose wondrous branches we gather the
fruit of an eternalreconciliationto God the Father.
(J. Caughey.)
Prizing the cross
W. Baxendale.
Tacitus reports that though the amber-ring among the Romans was of no
value, yet, after the emperor beganto wearit, it began to be in greatesteem:it
was the only fashion amongstthem. So our Saviour has borne His cross, and
was borne upon it. We should esteemit more highly than many of us do, and
bear it daily in remembrance of Him.
(W. Baxendale.)
Love in the cross
H. W. Beecher.
Do not be afraid to bow before Jesus. Thatcross is the enfranchisement of
theology. It stands up againstheavento say, "God, with His infinite power, is
not cruel. God is the sufferer, and not one that makes suffering." The Divine
nature is not one that oppresses races,as the cluster is pressed, that the wine
may flow out into the vintner's cup. The testimony of Christ's life, and the
mission of Christ's death, and that everlasting love that streams from the
cross ofChrist is, "Godso loved the world." Loved it? No mother everloved
her child half so much. And yet, what mother is there that did not, in her
small, feeble way, symbolize the whole atonement of Christ? What mother is
there that did not bring forth her child with pangs, and strong crying and
tears? What mother is there that did not take the utter helplessness ofthe
little babe for weeksand months, and give her life for it? How she gives up her
sleep;how she gives up her heart's desires;how she foregoespleasure;how
she withdraws herself from society;how she gives the whole royalty of her

rich nature to that little child that can neither speak nor think, nor know what
helps it! And then, through what sicknessdoes she watch!And with what
labour and pain does she develop the child! And how does she bring it finally
to intelligence and virtue and manhood, all the way through a living sacrifice
of love for the child!
(H. W. Beecher.)
The cross our safety
Preacher's Lantern.
There is an affecting passagein Roman history which records the death of
Manlius. At night, and on the Capitol, fighting hand to hand, he had repelled
the Gauls and savedthe city when all seemedlost. Afterwards he was accused,
but the Capitol toweredin sight of the Forum where he was tried, and as he
was about to be condemned he stretchedout his hands and pointed, weeping,
to that arena of his triumph. At this the people burst into tears, and the judges
could not pronounce sentence. Againthe trial proceeded, but was again
defeated;nor could he be convictedtill they had removed him to a low spot,
from which the Capitol was invisible. What the Capitol was to Manlius the
cross ofChrist is to the Christian.
(Preacher's Lantern.)
The cross the soul's haven
C. H. Spurgeon.
While your bark is tossedaboutat sea, it is very likely that she wants a new
copper bottom, or the deck requires holy-stoning, or the rigging is out of
repair, or the sails want overhauling, or fifty other things may be necessary;
but if the wind is blowing greatguns, and the vesselis drifting towards those
white-crestedbreakers, the first business of the mariner is to make for the
haven at once, to avoid the hurricane. When he is all snug in port, he can

attend to hull and rigging, and all the odds and ends besides. So with you,
child of God, one thing you must do, and I beseechyou do it. Do not be
looking to this, or to that, or to the other out of a thousand things that may be
amiss, but steerstraight for the cross ofChrist, which is the haven for
distressedspirits; fly at once to the wounds of Jesus, as the dove flies to her
nest in the cleft of the rock.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Plea from the cross
J. Whitecross.
A clergyman in Germany, who had exercisedthe ministerial office for twelve
years, while destitute of faith in and love to the Redeemer, one day, after
baptizing the child of a wealthy citizen, one of the mere. bers of his
congregationwas invited, with some other guests, to a collationat this
person's house. Directly opposite to him, on the wall, hung a picture of Christ
on the cross, with two lines written under it: — "I did this for thee; what hast
thou done for Me?" The picture caught his attention; as he read the lines they
seemedto pierce him, and he was involuntarily seized with a feeling he never
experiencedbefore. Tears rushed into his eyes;he said little to the company,
and took his leave as soonas he could. On the way home these lines constantly
sounded in his ears — Divine grace preventedall philosophicaldoubts and
explanations from entering his soul — he could do nothing but give himself up
entirely to the overpowering feeling;even during the night, in his dreams, the
question stoodalways before his mind, "Whathast thou done for Me?" He
died in about three months after this remarkable and happy change in his
temper and views, triumphing in the Saviour, and expressing his admiration
of His redeeming love.
(J. Whitecross.)
The three crosses

T. Whitelaw, D. D.
I. THAT OF JESUS;dying for sin — redemption.
II. THAT OF THE IMPENITENT ROBBER;dying in sin — perdition.
III. THAT OF THE PENITENT ROBBER;dying out of sin — salvation.
(T. Whitelaw, D. D.)There were three hanging there. The first was the
Saviour; the secondto be saved;the third to be damned. The pain of all three
was one; but the cause diverse.
( Augustine.)
Jesus in the midst
D. Moore, M. A.
On the cross, betweenearthand heaven; in the grave, betweenthe living and
the dead; on the throne, as separating betweenthe savedand the lost.
Everywhere, in all time, in whatever aspectorrelation, men shall contemplate
the Saviour, the same central objectshall meet them — "Jesus in the midst."
We cannotlook upon Christ as lifted up without seeing —
I. THE JUNCTION POINT BETWEENTHE LAW AND THE GOSPEL.
The sacrifice ofthe Cross constitutes that crisis in all dispensationalhistory, at
which shadows were to become substances,outlines perfect forms, and the
pale lamps, which had shed light on the ancient sanctuary, to give place to the
Bright and Morning Star. The veil of the Temple was rent, and it told of a
covenantwaxed old; of the superseding of the blood of bulls and goats by the
blood of Him who, "through the Eternal Spirit, offered Himself without spot
to God." Christ was "the end of the law for righteousness;" the end of the
prophecies for fulfilment; the end of devout anticipation as of a surety the
Lord's anointed; the end of all expectedrevelation, as Godspeaking to us by
His Son. And He was especiallyin the midst of the two systems, as He hung
upon the cross. ForHe felt all the terrors of the law, while His lips were
dispensing all the tender charities of the gospel. And He saw, in marked

contrast, the effectof the two systems the chief priests and rulers hurling the
mockeryon the one side, and the greatcompany of people lamenting Him on
the other. And yet all are looking to Him; all are drawn towards Him.
Whether to revile or to pity, to blaspheme or to pray, none could turn their
eyes to any other object. He who in heavenhas a throne which is above every
throne, seemedto have a cross which was above every cross.
II. CHRIST OCCUPYING SOME MYSTERIOUS ISTHMUS BETWEEN
CONDEMNATION AND FORGIVENESS— a place where the two seas meet
— that of infinite justice, unable to clearthe guilty; and that of the infinite
mercy, cleansing from all spot of sin. Here mercy triumphs, for wrath is done
away;and yet justice is honoured, for the victim dies. Both these attributes
put in their claims. Neither of them, without dishonour to the Divine
character, couldendure to have them set aside. But the meeting here was not
hostile. These attributes met to embrace, to unite, to shed, eachon the other,
new glory; to vindicate, eachfor the other, its prescriptive and everlasting
claims. It seemedas if in the whole universe there was but one spot, where, in
a posture of reconciliation, Godand man could meet. Thither the Eternal
Father would repair to make sublime demonstration of His holiness;thither
the penitent child was to go to lay down the burden of his sin. And over that
cross they were to be made one.
III. A REPRESENTATION OF CHRIST AS HE IS IN THE WORLD NOW.
1. The cross is setup in the midst of condemned men. Men dying, with the
means of life before them — lost, while a look would save them. One, like
Pilate, sees no fault in Christianity, but will not yield to it; another, like
Herod, is curious to see what Christianity is, and mocks it; and a third, like
Judas, sells it.
2. The circumstance shows how very near two people may be to the same
outward Christ, ordinances, truth, influences for good — and yet the one to be
subdued to penitence, and the other hardened.
3. Especiallyis the scene emblematicalof the different effectproduced on two
persons by affliction and Divine chastisement. Jesusis in the midst — having
emptied a cup more bitter far than any of which they have tasted — and that

too in order that any bitterness in their cup might be mitigated or pass away.
And both these afflicted ones will look to Him. But how? One is chafed, and
stubborn, and rebellious. The other is subdued, and tender, and heart-
stricken. And therefore his looking to Jesus is one of humble, loving faith.
IV. AN EMBLEM OF THE SOLEMN ADJUDICATIONS OF THE LAST
DAY. "Thatcross," says , "was the tribunal of Christ, for the judge was
placed in the middle; and whilst one thief who believed was setfree, the other
who reviled was condemned." Theywho on earth were divided by the cross,
are they who in heavenwill be divided by the throne. The impenitent here will
be the lost there; the railing here will be the accursedthere — on the left hand
both, whether at the cross or before the throne. But the humble and the
trusting shall be on the right hand. And their life in heaven will be a
continuation of their life on earth — a looking to "Jesus in the midst" — in
the midst of His saints, to be glorified; in the midst of His angels, to be
worshipped; in the midst of the upper paradise, a tree of life; and in the midst
of the throne of God, "a Lamb as it had been slain."
(D. Moore, M. A.)
Jesus in the midst
W. Hay-Aitken, M. A.
It is to this position that our Lord owes His glorious title of Mediator. He is
the Days-manwho stands betweenthe perfection of a holy Creatorand the
imperfections of His creatures. And it is in virtue of this office that He is
entitled to His position as the centralobject in the economies ofgrace and of
judgment. Very interesting and instructive it is to notice how frequently this
position — "in the midst" — is assignedto our Lord. He is representedas —
I. "In the midst" OF HEAVEN (Revelation5:6; Revelation7:17). Twice the
expressionis employed of the mystical tree of life — the type of Christ
(Revelation2:7; Revelation22:2). His maintenance in this position is the
secretof heaven's harmony. Just as in the solarsystemthe planets observe a
fixed relation to eachother because they all have a common relation to the

sun, just as their motions are the very embodiment of order and harmony
because ofthis common relationship, so the countless intelligencesofheaven
all fall into their own proper relationships to eachother because oftheir
common relation to the central object.
II. "In the midst" OF THE CHURCH He was "in the midst" of that embryo
Church, the simple peasants whomHe gatheredaround His person (Luke
22:27). "Where two or three," &c. Here we have a description of the first
component elements of the Christian Church. In keeping with this, we notice
that He takes His rightful place at the moment when He greets His Church
after His resurrection. "JesusHimself stoodin the midst." Once againwe are
permitted to gaze upon the risen Lord, now no longervisibly present, yet still
"in the midst of the sevengolden candlesticks," i.e., ofthe Church as she
exercises heroffice of light-bearer. She shines by reflecting the light shed upon
her by the Master, just as the moon reflects the light of the sun. Or, once
again, He is representedas in the midst of the Church in her worship,
"inhabiting the praises of Israel" (Hebrews 2:12). But, alas!the great sin of
the outward Church has ever been to put Christ on one side. How often has
the Church placed a hierarchy, a system, a party, a creed, a superstition, &c.,
in the place that belongs to Him. Hence our unhappy and disastrous divisions.
If Christians are to draw nearerto eachother, it must be by a determined
attempt to restore the Lord Jesus to His proper position. Then we shall find it
possible to make some progress towards the enjoyment of that harmony in
our relations with eachother which ought to characterize the sons of God on
earth, and which must bind all togetherin heaven.
III. As with the Christian Church at large, so with THE INDIVIDUAL
HEART. "Know ye not that Christ is within you?" &c., not as a distinct part
of our being, but as a powerpervading and supreme over all. This is what St.
Paul meant when he exclaimed, "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." Let
us not think of assigning Him a cornerin the palace. Christ will not accept
such a subordinate position.
IV. When Christ is in the heart, He will also be "in the midst" of OUR
HOME. Of how many of us may it be said, as it was saidof Martha, that she
"receivedHim into her house"? How many of us canfill in our name where

the word Martha stands? If we would really have Him abiding with us, it must
not be so much as a mere guest, "a wayfaring man turning aside to tarry for a
night," but as the true though invisible Head of the house, just as He is the
true though invisible Head of the Church. "As for me and my house, we will
serve the Lord." In our domestic arrangements, it is His will that must be
consulted. We cannotkeepHim in our closet, and deny Him the right of
access to our scenes ofsocialintercourse and pleasure. We cannot place Him
at the head of our family on Sunday, and bid Him go into retirement for the
remainder of the week.
V. "In the midst" of our WORLDLY BUSINESS. Ah, this fatal distinction
betweensacredand secular!how much it has done to drive religion out of our
lives! Surely everything becomes sacredthat is done with Jesus in the midst.
Our offices are consecratedas actuallyas our churches; holiness to the Lord is
written upon the very "bells of the horses;" upon our ledgers and cash-books.
VI. "In the midst" OF ALL CHRISTIAN ENTERPRISE."Theywentforth
and preachedeverywhere, the Lord working with them," &c. How possible it
is to work for Christ, and yet in our very work to deny Christ His proper
place in relation to the work;to be guilty of self-seeking evenwhile we seemto
be endeavouring to further His cause (Jeremiah45:5). It is when we see Jesus
in the midst that self loses its tyrant power, and worldly motives cease to
influence us. Conclusion:How are we to ensure the presence ofJesus in the
midst of our hearts, and therefore in the midst of our lives? By accepting Him
as the MediatorbetweenGod and man.
(W. Hay-Aitken, M. A.)
The centre of the universe -- Jesus in the midst
F. Ferguson, D. D.
1. All men have lookedup to the heavenly bodies. This fact invests them with
additional interest. We have not seenthe men of past ages;we cannot see
those of distant continents; but we can look at the same objects as they all
have lookedat.

2. In a higher degree, whenwe look into the pages ofthe Word of God, and
considerhow many eyes have lookedat the same words — wondering,
weeping, inquiring, praying, and scoffing;and how many hearts have beat
over the same book, do we feel that this great light of time has been uniting
the generations.
3. In a still higher degree do we feelthe uniting powerof one greatcentral
object— "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." As we
look, our gaze is drawn to Calvary and its three crosses — resting at last upon
the middle cross. On one cross the physical suffering is doubly darkened by
the gloomof despair; on another it is lighted up by hope and faith; on the
middle cross it is crownedand glorified by the infinite and unutterable love of
God. Many executions took place on Golgotha. Why then should these three
have remained, burning like beacons in the night of time? It is because "Jesus
is in the midst." And, as around that centralcross there were all kinds of
lookers atthe time, so has it been in every time. There fell on that cross the
look of hate, and of love, of indifference, and of interest.
I. JESUS IN THE MIDST OF THE VISIBLE WORLD.
1. Jerusalemwas in the middle of Palestine, andPalestine in the middle of the
civilized world. The cross, then, was literally in the midst of the visible world:
and its position there is symbolical of Christ's position, for His life was lived
betweenthe two greatcontinents of history — the ancient and the modern. A
new civilization dates from His birth — the old civilization died in His death.
And thus, in relation to human history, as developed in place and time, it is a
simple geographicaland chronologicalfactthat "Jesus is in the midst."
2. Nature is a part of the visible world, and Christ is the centre of nature, for
He is its Creator. "All thing were made by Him," &c., and "by Him all things
consist" — the whole material universe is held together by Him.
3. The Hebrew Theocracywas a part of the visible world, and Christ Jesus
was in the midst of it.(1) The Tribes went up to Jerusalemas their centre. The
centre of Jerusalemwas the Temple. The centre of the Temple was the Holy of
Holies, and the centre of the Holy of Holies was the mercy-seat, sprinkled with
blood, containing the Law, of which the shed blood was the satisfaction;all of

which representedour Saviour's mediatorial work.(2)This was His position in
relation to the whole life and history of the Jews. In so far as they were
children of God, they were moulded after the image of the Son of God. His
Spirit inspired the prophets. In the dark house of bondage, and at the bitterest
hour of their history, Jesus is found in the midst, making a fourth in the
furnace of Babylon.
4. Heathendom is a part of the visible world, and Jesus is in the midst of it.
For what mean those victims slain in sacrifice all over the world? Jesus is "the
desire of all nations," and is in their midst — if only in this negative sense,
that the void at the heart of humanity can be filled only by Him.
5. Coming to Christendom, Christ is the visible centre of it. Europe embraces
the highestlife in the world, and the centre of that highestlife is Christ. The
greatChurch in the middle of every capital city is called a Christian Church.
Jesus is acknowledgedto be the source of all our moral and spiritual activities.
And if we enter the world of thought, most emphatically is Jesus in the midst
here. His Personincludes the inmost and ultimate question in every sphere.
Do we try to form a science oftheology? The foundation must be our doctrine
of the Personof Christ. The view we take of that will determine our view of
God, man, sin, atonement. Jesus very soonbecame the central figure in the
schools. At twelve years of age He was found in the Temple. If we take any
ultimate question, we find Jesus the living and practicalsolution of it, Do we
take the question, How can finite man ever know the infinite God? Jesus is the
Man who knows Godfully. Hence the variety of forms in which the accountof
His life is ever appearing in modern times.
6. The political world is a part of the visible world; and the rightful place of
Christ is in the midst of it, too. If any one rules a nation in the name of any
one but Christ, he is a usurper. Christ's cross has beenthe centre of the past;
His crownwill be the centre of the future. "All kings shall fall down before
Him," &c.
II. JESUS IN THE MIDST OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD.
1. The true Church on earth is a part of the invisible world; and Jesus is in the
midst of it. In the midst of —(1) The individual life. He is the most intimate

Counsellor, Friend, and Companion of every Christian soul.(2) The Christian
family. His presence is the bond of its perfectness.(3)The little prayer-
meeting. "Where two or three," &c.(4)The Christian Church on earth viewed
as a whole. "Lo! I am with you alway," &c. "In the midst of the candlesticks,
one like unto the Son of Man." All true lights are fed by the hand of Christ.
2. Lifting our eyes to the Church in heaven, it is still the Lamb who is in the
midst of the throne. The throne itself is in the midst; the first position of
dignity and power in the universe, and Christ sits upon it. He must, therefore,
be God — King of kings, and Lord of lords. Further, it is as the Lamb that He
is on the throne — showing that the centre of His work is His sacrifice of
Himself. His highest value to the world is not that He is a pattern of virtue
merely, or a moral Reformer. The Apostle conducts us from company to
company until we come to Him who is in the midst. "Ye are come unto Mount
Sion," &c.
3. But, higher still, Jesus is in the midst of the Godhead. In the threefold
name, Jesus is in the midst; and in the manifestation of the three-one God, He
occupies the same position. In the First Dispensationthere was the revelation
of the Unity or first Personof the Godhead. Our dispensationis that of the
Holy Spirit, for in it we have a revelation of the work of the third Person. But
in the midst of the two, there is the manifestation of the secondPerson.
4. Jesus is in the midst: of all the Divine attributes. They have their
harmonious meeting-place in Him. He is love, and love is the bond of the
Divine perfectness as wellas of human. In Him the problem has been solved,
how God canbe just and yet the Justifier of him that believes in Jesus.
III. JESUS IN THE MIDST BETWEEN THE TWO WORLDS.
1. He descendedinto the visible that He might translate us into the invisible.
He is the only Doorbetweenthe two worlds. Through that, ministering angels,
and all Divine and saving influences, come forth to enlighten and enliven this
lowerworld; and through it there pours in return the multitude of sinners
savedby grace. He is the spiritual reality symbolized in Jacob's ladder. He has
this position became He is in the midst — betweenGod and man. In the
translation of sinners from the: kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light,

Jesus is in the midst. He was lifted up on the cross betweenthe two worlds
that He might draw all men unto Him.
2. At the moment of death Jesus stands on "the dark frontier," to receive the
soul of the believer. There are weeping friends on the one side, and rejoicing
angels on the other; and the Saviour is betweenthe two.
3. And, last of all, who is this sitting on the great white throne — the holy
angels with Him? The Sonof man; "Jesus is in the midst!" In conclusion:Is
all this true of Jesus of Nazareth?Then —
1. He is indeed "the Wonderful, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father."
2. What sort of a universe would this be without Christ? It would not be a
universe — a cosmos, ora well-orderedsystem of thing; but a chaos. Yea, if
there were no Christ, evil would triumph.
3. Considerwhat the life and heart of the individual man is without Christ. It
has no centre. All its pursuits, howeverrefined, are worse than useless. All its
pleasures are short-lived and false. Apart from Christ, there can be no aim in
a human life adequate to the worth of that life.
(F. Ferguson, D. D.)
Salvationno failure
T. Guthrie, D. D.
Now, awayamong the mountains, I know a place, where once three
shepherds, brothers, were to leap, as they had often done, from rock to rock,
across the narrow chasmthrough which the swollenwaters rushed onward to
their fall. Bold mountaineers, and looking with carelesseye on a sight which
had turned others dizzy, one bounded over like a red deer; another followed
— but, alas, his footslipping on the smoothly treacherous ledge, he staggered,
reeled, and falling back, rolled over with a sullen plunge into the jaws of the
abyss. Quick as lightning, his brother sprang forward — down to a point
where the waters issue into a more open space, justabove the crag over which

they throw themselves into the black, rock-girdled, boiling cavern. There,
standing on the verge of death, he eyes the body coming; he bends — his arm
is out — thank God, he has him in his powerful grasp. Bravely, brotherly
done! Alas! it is done in vain. The third brother, sad spectatorofthe scene,
saw him sweptfrom his slippery footing: and, in their death not divided, as of
old they had lain in their childhood, lockedin eachother's arms they went
over, horribly whelmed in the depths of the swirling pool. Notso perished our
elder Brother, and the thief He stretchedout His hand to save. He plucked
him from the brink of hell; He saved him on the dizzy edge of the dreadful pit.
(T. Guthrie, D. D.)
STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES
Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible
Where they crucified him, and with him two others, on either side one, and
Jesus in the midst.
For discussionof the malefactors and the words of Jesus with one of them,
and for other particulars, see my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 27:32.
Copyright Statement
James Burton Coffman Commentaries reproduced by permission of Abilene
Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. All other rights reserved.
Bibliography
Coffman, James Burton. "Commentary on John 19:18". "Coffman
Commentaries on the Old and New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bcc/john-19.html. Abilene
Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.

return to 'Jump List'
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible
Where they crucified him,.... Namely, at Golgotha, the same with Calvary;
and so had what they were so desirous of:
and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst: these other
two men were thieves, as the other evangelists declare;among whom Christ
was placed, being numbered and reckonedamong transgressors:he was no
transgressorofthe law of God himself, but he was accountedas such by men,
and was treatedas if he had been one by the justice of God; he, as a surety,
standing in the legalplace, and steadof his people;hence he died in their
room, and for their sins: this shows the low estate ofChrist, the strictness of
justice, the wisdom of God in salvation, and the grace and love of the
Redeemer;who condescendedto everything, and every circumstance, though
ever so reproachful, which were necessaryfor the redemption of his people,
and the glory of the divine perfections, and for the fulfilment of purposes,
promises, and predictions.
Copyright Statement
The New John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible Modernisedand adapted
for the computer by Larry Pierce of Online Bible. All Rightes Reserved,
Larry Pierce, Winterbourne, Ontario.
A printed copy of this work can be ordered from: The Baptist Standard
Bearer, 1 Iron Oaks Dr, Paris, AR, 72855
Bibliography
Gill, John. "Commentary on John 19:18". "The New JohnGill Exposition of
the Entire Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/geb/john-
19.html. 1999.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

they crucified him, and two others with him — “malefactors” (Luke 23:33),
“thieves” (rather “robbers,” Matthew 27:38;Mark 15:27).
on either side one and Jesus in the midst — a hellish expedient, to hold Him
up as the worst of the three. But in this, as in many other of their doings, “the
scripture was fulfilled, which saith (Isaiah 53:12), And he was numbered with
the transgressors” -(Mark 15:28) - though the prediction reaches deeper.
“Then saidJesus” - [“probably while being nailed to the CROSS,”]
[Olshausen], “FATHER, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT
WHAT THEY DO” (Luke 23:34) - and againthe Scripture was fulfilled which
said, “And He made intercessionforthe transgressors”(Isaiah53:12), though
this also reaches deeper. (See Acts 3:17; Acts 13:27; and compare 1 Timothy
1:13). Often have we occasionto observe how our Lord is the first to fulfil His
own precepts - thus furnishing the right interpretation and the perfect Model
of them. (See on Matthew 5:44). How quickly was it seenin “His martyr
Stephen,” that though He had left the earth in Person, His Spirit remained
behind, and Himself could, in some of His brightest lineaments, be reproduced
in His disciples!(Acts 7:60). And what does the world in every age owe to
these few words, spokenwhere and as they were spoken!
Copyright Statement
These files are a derivative of an electronic edition prepared from text
scannedby Woodside Bible Fellowship.
This expanded edition of the Jameison-Faussett-BrownCommentary is in the
public domain and may be freely used and distributed.
Bibliography
Jamieson, Robert, D.D.;Fausset,A. R.; Brown, David. "Commentary on John
19:18". "CommentaryCritical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jfb/john-19.html. 1871-8.

Robertson's WordPictures in the New Testament
They crucified (εσταυρωσαν — estaurōsan). The soldiers just as in Acts
22:24.;the scourging ofPaul was to be done by the soldiers.
And Jesus in the midst (μεσον δε τον Ιησουν — meson de ton Iēsoun).
Predicate adjective μεσον — meson A robber (ληιστης — lēistēs not a thief,
κλεπτης — kleptēs)was on eachside of Jesus (Mark 15:27;Matthew 27:38)
like Barabbas (John 18:40)and probably members of his band, malefactors
(κακουργοι — kakourgoi)Luke terms them (Luke 23:32).
Copyright Statement
The Robertson's WordPictures of the New Testament. Copyright �
Broadman Press 1932,33,Renewal1960. All rights reserved. Used by
permission of Broadman Press (Southern BaptistSunday SchoolBoard)
Bibliography
Robertson, A.T. "Commentary on John 19:18". "Robertson's WordPictures
of the New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/rwp/john-19.html. Broadman
Press 1932,33. Renewal1960.
Vincent's Word Studies
In the midst
All the Synoptists describe the characterof the two who were crucified with
Jesus. Matthew and Mark, robbers; Luke, malefactors ( κακούργους ). All
three use the phrase, one on the right, the other on the left, and so,
substantially, John: on either side one. John says nothing about the character
of these two, but simply describes them as two others.

Copyright Statement
The text of this work is public domain.
Bibliography
Vincent, Marvin R. DD. "Commentaryon John 19:18". "Vincent's Word
Studies in the New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/vnt/john-19.html. Charles
Schribner's Sons. New York, USA. 1887.
The Fourfold Gospel
where they crucified him1, and with him two others, on either side one, and
Jesus in the midst2.
THE CRUCIFIXION. B. JESUS CRUCIFIED AND REVILED. HIS THREE
SAYINGS DURING FIRST THREE HOURS. (Friday morning from nine
o'clock till noon.) Matthew 27:35-44;Mark 15:24-32;Luke 23:33-43;John
19:18-27
Where they crucified him. See John 19:18-27.
And with him two others, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. See John
19:18-27.
Copyright Statement

These files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that
is available on the Christian ClassicsEtherealLibrary Website. These files
were made available by Mr. Ernie Stefanik. First published online in 1996 at
The RestorationMovementPages.
Bibliography
J. W. McGarveyand Philip Y. Pendleton. "Commentaryon John 19:18".
"The Fourfold Gospel".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tfg/john-19.html. Standard
Publishing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. 1914.
Abbott's Illustrated New Testament
They placed him in the midst, as the most atrocious of the criminals.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Bibliography
Abbott, John S. C. & Abbott, Jacob. "Commentaryon John 19:18".
"Abbott's Illustrated New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/ain/john-19.html. 1878.
Calvin's Commentary on the Bible
18.And two others with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. As if
the severityof the punishment had not been sufficient of itself, he is hangedin
the midst betweentwo robbers, as if he not only had deservedto be classed
with other robbers, but had been the most wickedand the most detestable of
them all. We ought always to remember, that the wickedexecutioners of

Christ did nothing but what had been determined by the hand and purpose of
God; (167)for God did not surrender his Son to their lawless passions, but
determined that, according to his own will and goodpleasure, he should be
offered as a sacrifice. And if there were the best reasons for the purpose of
God in all those things which he determined that his Son should suffer, we
ought to consider, on the one hand, the dreadful weightof his wrath against
sin, and, on the other hand, his infinite goodnesstowards us. In no other way
could our guilt be removed than by the Son of God becoming a curse for us.
We see him driven out into an accursed place, as if he had been polluted by a
mass of all sorts of crimes, that there he might appear to be accursedbefore
God and men. Assuredly we are prodigiously stupid, if we do not plainly see in
this mirror with what abhorrence God regards sin; and we are harder than
stones, if we do not tremble at such a judgment as this.
When, on the other hand, God declares that our salvationwas so dear to him,
that he did not spare his only-begotten Son, what abundant goodnessand
what astonishing grace do we here behold! Whoever, then, takes a just view of
the causesofthe death of Christ, togetherwith the advantage which it yields
to us, will not, like the Greeks,regardthe doctrlne of the cross as foolishness,
nor, like the Jews, willhe regard it as an offense, (1 Corinthians 1:23,) but
rather as an invaluable tokenand pledge of the power, and wisdom, and
righteousness, andgoodness ofGod.
When John says, that the name of the place was Golgotha, he means that, in
the Chaldaic or Syriac language, it was called‫,אתלגלג‬ (Gulgaltha.)The name is
derived from ‫,לגלג‬ (Gilgel, (168)) which signifies, to roll; because a skull is
round like a ball or globe. (169)
Copyright Statement
Bibliography

Calvin, John. "Commentary on John 19:18". "Calvin's Commentary on the
Bible". https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cal/john-19.html.
1840-57.
John Trapp Complete Commentary
18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and
Jesus in the midst.
Ver. 18. Where they crucified him] An ignominious, accursed, anddolorous
death; for he was nailed to the tree in the hands and feet, which are the most
sensible parts, as fullest of sinews;and therefore (in so fine a body as his
especially)of most exquisite sense. Look wistly upon sin in this glass, and love
it if thou canst. For our sins were the nails and ourselves the traitors that
fastenedhim to the tree. Pilate and his soldiers, Judas and the Jews, were all
setto work by us. Learn to lay the blame on thyself, and say, It was my
gluttony that reacheda cup of gall and vinegar to his mouth; mine
incontinence that provided stripes for his back;mine arrogance that platted a
crownof thorns upon his head; mine inconstance that put a reed into his
hand; my treacherythat nailed his hands and feet; my vanity that grieved his
soul to the death; my self-love that thrust a spearinto his side, &c. Adsum ego
qui feci. (Virgil.)
Copyright Statement
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography

Trapp, John. "Commentary on John 19:18". John Trapp Complete
Commentary. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jtc/john-
19.html. 1865-1868.
Matthew Poole's EnglishAnnotations on the Holy Bible
See Poole on"Matthew 27:38".
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Poole, Matthew, "Commentaryon John 19:18". Matthew Poole's English
Annotations on the Holy Bible.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/mpc/john-19.html. 1685.
Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools andColleges
18. μέσον δὲ τ. Ἰ. Dramatic contrast;the Christ betweentwo criminals. It is
the place of honour mockinglygiven to Him as King. The two were robbers or
bandits, as S. Matthew and S. Mark callthem, probably guilty of the same
crimes as Barabbas. In the Acta Pilati they are named Dysmas and Gestas.
Jesus suffers with them under a similar charge of sedition. Whether this was
mere convenience, ora device of the Romans to insult the Jews, is uncertain.
The latter is probable. Omnium par poena, sed dispar causa (S. Augustine).
The whole of humanity was representedthere: the sinless Saviour, the saved
penitent, the condemned impenitent.
Copyright Statement

Bibliography
"Commentary on John 19:18". "Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools
and Colleges".https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/cgt/john-
19.html. 1896.
Expository Notes ofDr. Thomas Constable
2. The men crucified with Jesus19:18 (cf. Matthew 27:38;Mark 15:27; Luke
23:33b)
The horrors and shame of crucifixion are difficult for people who have grown
up hearing pleas against"cruel and unusual punishment" to appreciate. It
was a deliberately long and painful form of death that humiliated the sufferer
as well as torturing him. Its purpose was to discourage others from rebelling
againstRome, the main reasonfor crucifixion. John"s original readers would
have been only too familiar with it, which probably accounts for his lack of
elaboration.
"It was so brutal that no Roman citizen could be crucifed [sic] without the
sanctionof the Emperor. Stripped nakedand beaten to pulpy weakness..., the
victim could hang in the hot sun for hours, even days. To breathe, it was
necessaryto push with the legs and pull with the arms to keepthe chestcavity
open and functioning. Terrible muscle spasm [sic] wrackedthe entire body;
but since collapse meantasphyxiation, the strain went on and on. This is also
why the sedecula [a piece of woodthat served as a small seatin some cases]...
prolonged life and agony: it partially supported the body"s weight, and

therefore encouragedthe victim to fight on." [Note:Carson, The Gospel. . .,
p610. Cf. M. Hengel, Crucifixion.]
"Crucifixion was probably the most diabolical form of death ever invented."
[Note:Tenney, " John ," p181. Foran extended description of crucifixion, see
ibid, pp180-81.]
"Popularpiety, both Protestantand Catholic, has often emphasized the
sufferings of Jesus;it has reflectedon what happened and has dwelt on the
anguish the Saviorsuffered. None of the Gospels does this. The Evangelists
record the fact and let it go at that. The death of Jesus for sinners was their
concern. They make no attempt to play on the heartstrings of their readers."
[Note:Morris, p713.]
All the Gospelwriters mentioned the men crucified with Jesus ( Matthew
27:38;Matthew 27:44;Mark 15:27; Mark 15:32; Luke 23:32-33;Luke 23:39-
43). They were evidently robbers (Gr. lestai)and terrorists, such as Barabbas
(cf18:40). John may have mentioned them to remind his readers of the
fulfillment of Isaiah53:12. [Note: Howeversee D. J. Moo, The Old Testament
in the GospelPassionNarratives, pp154-55.]Theirmention also prepares the
reader to understand John"s descriptionof the breaking of their legs but not
Jesus" legs (John 19:32-33).
Copyright Statement

Bibliography
Constable, Thomas. DD. "Commentaryon John 19:18". "ExpositoryNotes of
Dr. Thomas Constable".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dcc/john-19.html. 2012.
Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament
John 19:18. Where they crucified him, and with him two others, on either side
one, and Jesus in the midst. On the lingering torture of death by crucifixion it
is unnecessaryto dwell. We learn from the earlierGospels that the two
crucified along with Jesus were robbers (Matthew 27:38;Mark 15:27). To this
death they too must have been doomed by the Roman power, and as we find
the Romangovernor writing the inscription and Romansoldiers taking part
in the crucifixion and dividing the spoils (comp. John 19:23), it is reasonable
to think that it was also a Roman, not a Jewish, arrangementby which the two
robbers were suspended on either side of Jesus. If so, the objectmust have
been still more to bring out that idea of His royalty with which Pilate to the
last mockedthe Jews. Notonly, however, did he mock them thus. Following
the customof the time, by which an inscription describing the crime for which
a malefactorsuffered was nailed to the cross, he ordered this to be done now,
and he himself dictated the words.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Schaff, Philip. "Commentary on John 19:18". "Schaff's PopularCommentary
on the New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/scn/john-19.html. 1879-90.

The Expositor's Greek Testament
John 19:18. ὅπου … ἰησοῦν. All information regarding the cross has been
collectedby Lipsius in his treatise De Cruce, Antwerp, 1595;Amstel., 1670;
and in vol. ii. of his collectedworks,published at Lugduni, 1613. WithJesus
were crucified “other two,” in Matthew 27:38, called“robbers,” probably of
the same class as Barabbas.Jesus wascrucifiedbetweenthem; possibly, to
identify Him with the worst criminals. “The whole of humanity was
representedthere: the sinless Saviour, the savedpenitent, the condemned
impenitent.” Plummer.
Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Nicol, W. Robertson, M.A., L.L.D. "Commentary on John 19:18". The
Expositor's Greek Testament.
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/egt/john-19.html. 1897-1910.
E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes
two other = other two. App-164.
other. Greek. altos. App-124.
with. Greek. meta. App-104.
on either side one. Greek. enteuthen kaienteuthen: literally hither and
thither, i.e. on this side and on that side. This was before the parting of the
garments (John 19:23). See App-164.
and, &c.: literally and the middle one, Jesus.

Copyright Statement
Bibliography
Bullinger, Ethelbert William. "Commentary on John 19:18". "E.W.
Bullinger's Companion bible Notes".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bul/john-19.html. 1909-1922.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged
Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and
Jesus in the midst.
Where they crucified him. Four soldiers were employed in this operation,
which was done by fastening the body-after being stripped of all clothing
excepta broad belt round the loins-by nails or bolts driven through the hands
to the transverse part of the cross. The feet, though not always nailed, but
simply bound, to the upright beam, were almost certainly so in this case
(Psalms 22:16). The body was supported by a piece of woodpassing between
the legs. The excruciating agonyof this kind of death is universally attested,
and may easilybe supposed. But the shame of it was equal to the torture.
And two others with him. In Luke these are calledby the generalname of
"malefactors," or'evil-doers' [ kakourgous (Greek #2557)];in Matthew and
Mark "thieves," or rather 'robbers' [ leestas (Greek #3027)].
On either side one, and Jesus in the midst - a hellish expedient to hold him up
as the worstof the three. But in this, as in many other of their doings, "the
Scripture was fulfilled-which saith (Isaiah 53:12), And He was numbered with
the transgressors,"as it is in Mark 15:28 - though the prophecy reaches
deeper than that outside fulfillment. [This entire verse, however(Mark 15:28),
is of extremely doubtful genuineness. Lachmann inserts it, no doubt on the
strength of the ancient versions;but the manuscript evidence againstit is very

strong, and while Tregelles brackets it, Tischendorfexcludes it altogether. It
seems to have come in from Luke 22:37, where we have the same words from
our Lord's own mouth.]
JESUS NOW UTTERS THE FIRST OF HIS SEVEN SAYINGS ON THE
CROSS
Of these SevenSayings-embalmedforever in the hearts of believers-one is
recordedby Matthew, three by Luke, and three by John. This first one is
recordedin the third Gospelonly.
Luke 23:34 : "Then said Jesus."
First Saying:
"FATHER, FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY
DO." [Lachmann unhappily brackets this most precious verse as of doubtful
authority. But the evidence for it, external as well as internal, is most decisive;
and both Tischendorfand Tregellesprint it as it stands in the receivedtext.]
The Evangelistseems to intimate that this was saidas the executioners were
doing, or just as they finished, their dread task. But we must not limit the
prayer to them. Beyonddoubt, it embracedall who had any hand, directly or
indirectly, in the death of Him who offered that prayer-of all of whom, even
the most enlightened, the apostle could with truth say, that, "had they known
it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:8 : see
also Acts 3:17; Acts 13:27;and compare 1 Timothy 1:13). In a wider and
deeper sense still, that prayer fulfilled the greatMessianic prediction, "And
He made intercessionforthe transgressors"(Isaiah53:12) - extending to all
whose sins He bore in His ownbody on the tree. In the Sermon on the Mount
our Lord says, "Prayfor them which despitefully use you and persecute you"
(Matthew 5:44); and here, as in so many other cases, we find Him the first to
fulfill His own precept-thus furnishing the right interpretation and the perfect
model of the duty enjoined. And how quickly was it seenin "His martyr
Stephen," that though He had left the earth in Person, His spirit remained
behind, and Himself could, in some of His brightest lineaments, be reproduced

in His disciples!(See the note at Acts 7:60.) And what does the world in every
age owe to these few words, spokenwhere and as they were spoken!
END OF STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES
Jesus Crucifixion- John Chapter 19
Postedon April 10, 2017 by dkoop
As we observe Holy week leading up to Good Friday and EasterSunday, we
must never forget the reasonChrist died. Unless we recognize the eternal
tragedy that would have occurredto the human race without the Cross, we
will not be able to see the Cross as our victory. At greatpersonalcost, Jesus
won eternal life for us. He paid the price for our sin with his own life. That he
offers us life as a free gift ought to give us deep joy. We must be touched by
Christ’s death, for he died in our place!
“No believer should ever forget that the source of their joy was the pain and
suffering of their Lord.” M. G. Gutzke
Both the Greeks and the Romans used crucifixion to execute victims and
criminals. Alexander the Great crucified 2,000 prisoners ofwar at one time.
For the Romans, it was a slave’s punishment; it was not used againstfreeborn
citizens. It was a death for the worstcriminals and terrorists. Before the
crucifixion, the prisoner was flogged;the blood loss hastenedthe death. The
prisoner was then nailed to the crosspieceby the wrists and to the stake by the
ankles. He died completelynaked to complete the humiliation. The death was
slow and painful; the person died of shock or suffocationwhen the lungs
collapsed.
For Jesus to die this way was hideous; Deuteronomy 21:23 says that anyone
who is hung on a tree is cursed. But Jesus’crucifixion was the path to his
exaltation; he was “lifted up on the cross” andthen exalted into glory for his
ultimate act of sacrifice onour behalf.

Pilate Hands Jesus overto Be Crucified – John Chapter 19
19:1 Pilate handed Jesus overto the soldiers to be flogged. It was not
uncommon for prisoners to die of floggings. Some ofthe whips used for
flogging were designedto inflict terrible damage to the human body. The
leather thongs that formed the striking surfaces were lead-tipped so that
victims were both bruised and cut severely. Punishment was applied to the
bared upper body of a bound prisoner.
19:2-3 The Roman soldiers jammed a crownof long, sharp thorns onto Jesus’
head and obtained a purple robe (purple was the colorof royalty) in order to
mock Jesus’ supposedkingship. The Romansoldiers mockedJesus further by
bowing before him and striking him. This had been prophesied in Isaiah 50:6
19:16b-17 Jesus was ledaway, forcedto carry his cross by himself. But he
became weak becauseofthe flogging, and Simon was commanded to take over
(see Matthew 27:32;Mark 15:21;Luke 23:26). Jesus was takento Skull Hill.
This hill may have been calledthis because ofits stony top or because it was
shaped like a skull. Golgotha is the Hebrew word for “skull.” The familiar
name “Calvary” is derived from the Latin calvaria (also meaning “skull”).
As the drama of the cross unfolds, John’s writing captures the simple ironies
of the tragedy. The soldiers who escortedJesusto Calvary didn’t know who
he was;they were just doing their duty. Pilate knew that Jesus wasn’tguilty of
death, but he still didn’t understand who Jesus was. The people, rousedto a
fever pitch by the religious leaders, didn’t take the time to care about who
Jesus was (eventhough they had hailed him as their king a few days earlier.
Obviously, they were disappointed by the mocking display of him as a pitiful
king). The chief priests perhaps were the most blind of all, for they had totally
lost sight of everything they stoodfor, seeking Jesus’death only to hold onto
their precious positions and to stop the teachings that were threatening their
status quo.
Jesus Is Placedon the Cross / 19:18-27
Jesus knew his destiny (see 18:37), and he approacheddeath boldly and
courageously. Jesus enduredthe shame of crucifixion, the ridicule of the

crowd, and the insults of those who castlots for his clothing as he died.
Though he was in agony, his thoughts included the care of his agedmother,
whose care he entrusted to the disciple he loved. The Jews and the Romans
were not taking Jesus’life from him; he was laying it down of his own accord.
19:18-22 The others were criminals (see Matthew 27:38;Mark 15:27;Luke
23:32). This againfulfilled prophecy (see Isaiah53:12). Luke records that one
of the criminals insulted Jesus, while the other turned to Jesus and askedto be
saved(Luke 23:42). To which Jesus replied, “Todayyou will be with me in
paradise” (Luke 23:43).
Pilate had a sign prepared and fastenedto the cross. It read, “Jesus of
Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Pilate wrote this notice in three languagesso
that anyone passing into or out of the city would be able to readit: Hebrew
(or, Aramaic—the language ofthe Jews), Latin (the Roman language, the
official language), and Greek (the lingua franca, the common tongue).
Probably bitter over his political defeatat the hands of the Jewishleaders,
Pilate posted a sign over Jesus that was meant to be ironic. The sight of a
humiliated king, stripped of authority, fastenednakedto a cross in public
executioncould only leadto the conclusionof complete defeat. But the irony
that Pilate hoped would not be lost on the Jews pales before the irony that
God wanted to communicate to the world. The dying King was actually taking
control of his Kingdom. His death and resurrectionwould strike the death
blow to Satan’s rule and would establishJesus’eternalauthority over the
earth. Few people reading the sign that bleak afternoonunderstood its real
meaning, but the sign was absolutelytrue. Jesus was King of the Jews as well
as the Gentiles, the universe, and you. This sign became a universal
proclamation, an unconscious prophecy, that Jesus is the royal Messiah.
The leading priests wanted Jesus’crime postedas a false claim to kingship,
but no persuasionfrom the chief priests could induce Pilate to change his
mind. He dismissed them by saying, “WhatI have written, I have written.”
19:23-24 Contraryto the paintings depicting the Crucifixion, Jesus died
naked, another horrible part of his humiliation. The Roman soldiers who
performed the Crucifixion divided the victim’s clothes among themselves.

Clothing was not a cheapcommodity in those days as it is today. Thus this was
part of the “pay” the executioners receivedforperforming their gruesome
duties. But his robe was not divided because it was seamless.So they threw
dice to see who would getit. In so doing they fulfilled the Scripture: “They
divided my clothes among themselves and threw dice for my robe” (quoted
from Psalm 22:18).
*LIFE APPLICATION:TRAGIC FATE OR GOD’S PLAN
A miscarriage ofjustice, a jaded political figure, and now soldiers gambling
over his torn clothing. On the surface it appearedthat Jesus’life was as
wastedas a treasure lost in a game of chance. Little did the Jews orRomans
know that God’s divine plan was being workedout. In this dark and terrible
humiliating moment, God was completelyin control. Out of the greatestevil
people could commit, God brought immeasurable good. No matter how bleak
our outlook may be or how terrible our circumstances, we must remember the
results of our Lord’s suffering. He suffered beyond anything we could ever
endure, yet triumphed through it. His courage should motivate us and his
powerenable us to persevere.
19:25 The four women, in contrastto the four soldiers, are the faithful; they
stayed with Jesus until the end. Even more so, in contrastto the disciples who
had fled after Jesus was arrested, these womenfollowedJesus to the cross and
became eyewitnessesofhis crucifixion. The first woman mentioned is Jesus’
mother. Imagine her incredible grief, helplesslywatching her son suffer and
die unjustly. Indeed the prophet Simeon, who had spokento her in the Temple
just after Jesus’birth, had been correctwhen he had told her, “A sword will
pierce your very soul” (Luke 2:35). Surely Mary was feeling that “sword” at
that very moment.
The other women mentioned here have not appearedearlier in John’s Gospel.
Mary’s sistercould have been Salome (see Matthew 27:55;Mark 15:40), the
mother of John (the Gospelwriter) and James. If this is true, Jesus, John, and
James were cousins. Mary(the wife of Clopas)was the mother of James the
younger. Mary Magdalene is mentioned here for the first time in this Gospel.

She will be a prominent figure in the next chapter—forJesus appears first to
her after his resurrection.
19:26-27 Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved (John, the Gospel
writer), Jesus directed his disciple John to take care of Mary, his mother, in
his absence.Maryhad apparently been widowedand was being caredfor by
Jesus himself. Even while suffering in agony, Jesus demonstratedhis care for
his mother.
In the next post we’ll see how Jesus death is connectedto the Passoverin
Exodus, in addition even in death Jesus was still in control, his burial in
borrowedtomb and how his death affectedpeople even more than his life.
www.RidgeFellowship.com
10 Powerful Facts About the Cross ofChrist & His Crucifixion
Sam Storms
samstorms.com
Not too long ago a book was published with the title: What was God doing on
the Cross? Itappears that there are two questions being asked, not one. First,
“What was Goddoing on the cross?” Whywas the God-man impaled on a
Roman gibbet? It seems shocking that God should be crucified? Second,
“What was Goddoing on the cross?” Once we've agreedthat the God-man
was on the cross, we wonder, “whatwas he doing there?” What was he
accomplishing through the crucifixion of Jesus? To what end and for what
purpose was Jesus, the God-man, suffering?
The problem is that there are growing numbers of Christians who are having
an increasingly difficult time answering that question. The reasonfor this is

three-fold: (1) a diminishing sense of God's holiness;(2) a diminishing sense of
mankind's sinfulness;and (3) an inordinately increasing sense ofself-worth.
Whereas I affirm the need for a proper self-image, I fearthat many are fast
becoming so impressedwith themselves that they can't help but wonder why
Jesus had to die for them at all! But when we look at the Scripture, we realize
that the God-man, Jesus, was on the cross suffering the eternal penalty we
deservedbecause ofthe infinity of God's holiness and the depths of our
depravity.
The Pain and Shame of Crucifixion
Any attempt to understand the sufferings of Christ must reckonwith the fact
that “two thousand years of pious Christian tradition have largely
domesticatedthe cross, making it hard for us to realize how it was viewed in
Jesus'time” (Carson, 573). Boththe painful and shameful aspects of
crucifixion have become blurred, and no matter what we may think we know
about this manner of execution, it simply does not mean the same thing for us
as it did to those living in the first century.
The NT itself does not provide much information concerning the details of
crucifixion. There is a remarkable brevity and restraint on the part of all 4
gospelauthors when it comes to the actualcrucifixion of Jesus. All that is said
in Matt. 27:35a;Mark 15:24a;Luke 23:33; and John 19:18, is that "they
crucified him." Why is so little recorded for us? There are at leasttwo
reasons. In the first place, crucifixion was so frequent and its details such
common knowledge that they must certainly have believed it unnecessaryto
be more precise. People in the first century were all too painfully familiar with
crucifixion. More important is the fact that crucifixion was so utterly
repugnant, so indescribably shameful that they deemed it improper to go
beyond the barest minimum in describing our Lord's experience ofit. More
on this later.
Historical Crucifixion

We must remember that the theologicalsignificanceofthe cross cannotbe
separatedfrom the historicaland physical event itself. The kinds of crosses
used would vary according to their shape: X, T, t were the most common
forms. The height of the cross was also important. Usually the victim's feet
would be no more than one to two feet above the ground. This was so that wild
beasts and scavengerdogs commonin the city might feed on the corpse.
Martin Hengel(Crucifixion, 9) quotes Pseudo-Manetho as saying, “Punished
with limbs outstretched, they see the stake as their fate; they are fastenedand
nailed to it in the most bitter torment, evil food for birds of prey and grim
pickings for dogs.” Jesusmay well have been made an exception to this rule
(cf. Matt. 27:42,48). Ifso, it wasn't out of mercy, but in order to increase his
humiliation by exposing his shame more readily to passersby.
The Nails
The nails were spikes usedto impale the victim to the tree. In 1968 in a
cemeteryat Gi'vat Ha-Mivtar (near Jerusalem), a bulldozer unearthed the
skeletalremains of a man named “John” who had been crucified:
“The feet were joined almost parallel, both transfixed by the same nail at the
heels, with the legs adjacent;the knees were doubled, the right one
overlapping the left; the trunk was contorted; the upper limbs were stretched
out, eachstabbed by a nail in the forearm” (cited in Lane, 565).
Prolonging the Victim's Agony
The crucified man's right tibia, the largerof the two bones in the lowerleg,
had been brutally fractured into large, sharp slivers, perhaps to hastenhis
suffocationby making it virtually impossible to push himself up the vertical
beam, an action required to sustain breathing (although this theory has been
challengedby Frederick T. Zugibe in his article “Two Questions About
Crucifixion,” in Bible Review, April 1989, 35-43). Although this man was
crucified through the forearm, it is possible to do so through the palm,
contrary to what some have said. If the nail enters the palm through the

thenar furrow (an area betweenthree bones) it breaks no bones and is capable
of supporting severalhundred pounds.
Often times a small peg or block of wood, calleda sedecula, was fixed midway
up the vertical beam, providing a seatof sorts. Its purpose was to prevent
premature collapse andthus prolong the victim's agony.
Cause of Deathon the Cross
The precise cause ofdeath has been debated for years. D. A. Carson
summarizes:
“Whether tied or nailed to the cross, the victim endured countless paroxysms
as he pulled with his arms and pushed with his legs to keephis chestcavity
open for breathing and then collapsedin exhaustion until the demand for
oxygen demanded renewedparoxysms. The scourging, the loss of blood, the
shock from the pain, all produced agony that could go on for days, ending at
last by suffocation, cardiac arrest, or loss of blood. When there was reasonto
hasten death, the executionsquad would smash the victim's legs. Death
followedalmost immediately, either from shock or from collapse thatcut off
breathing” (574).
Crucifixion as Capital Punishment
It is hard to imagine a more hideous form of capital punishment. Crucifixion
was believed to be an effective deterrent in the ancient world and was thus
frequently employed.
Appian reported that following the defeatof Spartacus, the victor Crassus
had 6,000 prisoners crucifiedon the Via Appia betweenCapua and Rome
(Bella Civilia, I.120). Before their final battle, Spartacus himself had a Roman
prisoner crucified to warn his men of their fate should they be defeated. It is
strangelyironic that Julius Caesarwas hailedas being merciful to his enemies
when he orderedtheir throats cut prior to their being crucified in order to
spare them the indescribable suffering of prolonged agonyon the cross.

Siege ofJerusalem
Josephus describedthe fate of the Jews takencaptive in 70 a.d. when
Jerusalemwas destroyed. The soldiers, “out of the rage and hatred they bore
the prisoners, nailed those they caught, in different postures, to the crosses, by
way of jest, and their number was so greatthat there was not enoughroom
for the crossesand not enough crossesforthe bodies” (cited in Hengel, 25-26).
Josephus indicates that the Roman generalTitus hoped that this would hasten
surrender of those still in the beseigedcity.
Obscenity and Humiliation
Worse than the pain of the cross was the shame of the cross. See1 Cor. 1:18-
25. Why does Paul refer to the cross as foolishnessand a stumbling-block? It
isn't because the conceptor practice of crucifixion was intellectually
incoherent (like 2 + 2 = 5) or illogical. Rather, the message ofsalvation
through faith in a crucified Savior was deemed “foolishness”and a
“stumbling-block” because the cross was itselfthe embodiment and emblem
of the most hideous of human obscenities.The cross was a symbol of reproach,
degradation, humiliation, and disgust. It was aestheticallyrepugnant. In a
word, the cross was obscene.
The cross was farmore than an instrument of capitalpunishment. It was a
public symbol of indecency and socialindignity. Crucifixion was designedto
do more than merely kill a man. Its purpose was to humiliate him as well. The
cross was intended not only to break a man's body, but also to crush and
defame his spirit. There were certainly more efficient means of execution:
stoning (cf. Stephen in Acts 7), decapitation(cf. James in Acts 12), etc.
Crucifixion was used to humiliate as wellas to harm.
Publicly Naked

For example, crucifixion was always public. In fact, the most visibly
prominent place was selected, usually at a crossroads, in the theatre, or
elsewhere onhigh ground. The reasonwas to intensify the sense of socialand
personalhumiliation. Victims were usually crucified naked. Jewish
sensitivities, however, demanded that the victim weara loincloth. In the Bible
physical nakedness was oftena symbol of spiritual shame and ignominy. John
Calvin wrote:
“The Evangelists portray the Sonof Godas stripped of His clothes that we
may know the wealthgained for us by this nakedness, forit shall dress us in
God's sight. God willed His Son to be stripped that we should appear freely,
with the angels, in the garments of his righteousnessand fulness of all good
things, whereas formerly, foul disgrace, in torn clothes, keptus awayfrom the
approachto the heavens” (194).
The first Adam, originally createdin the righteousness ofGod, by his sin
stripped us naked. The last Adam, suffering the shame of nakedness,by his
obedience clothes us in the righteousness ofGod.
The "Foolishness" ofa Crucified Savior
The ancient assessmentof crucifixion is seenin the way it was dealt with in
their literature. Historians once mistakenly assumedthat the scarcityof
references to crucifixion in cultured literary sources was proofthat it was
rarely employed. More recently it has been determined that the more refined
literary artists omitted reference to crucifixion, not because it was unknown,
but because theydid not want to disgrace ordefile their work by mentioning
such a vile and obscene practice. In Greek romances and the theatre,
crucifixion of the hero/heroine was routine, but in every instance he/she was
delivered from the cross and setfree. In other words, heroes could not on any
accountbe allowedto suffer such a shameful death. This was one reasonwhy
the notion of a crucified saviorwas “foolishness” to the Greeks.
Crucifixion was referred to as crudelissimum taeterrimumque supplicum, or
“that most cruel and disgusting penalty.” Pliny the Younger (112) called

Christianity a “perverse and extravagantsuperstition” because it preached
Christ crucified (Epistulae, 10.96.4-8).Tacitus calledit a “pernicious
superstition.”
The Cross Forbidden for Romans
The shame associatedwith crucifixion was so intense that it was expressly
forbidden that a Roman citizen be executedin that manner. Cicero wrote:
“Evenif we are threatenedwith death, we may die free men. But the
executioner, the veiling of the head, and the very word 'cross'should be far
removed not only from the person of a Roman citizen but from his thoughts,
his eyes, and his ears. For it is not only the actualoccurrence ofthese things or
the endurance of them, but the liability to them, the expectation, nay the mere
mention of them, that is unworthy of a Roman citizen and a free man”
(Defence ofRabirius, 5,16).
A Symbol of Indignity
The symbolic emphasis of the cross in the ancient world is also seenin the
practice of hanging on a cross the corpse of a man who had been executedby
some other means. What possible reasonwould there be for doing this, except
to subject his name/reputation to the worstpossible socialindignity?
The Contradiction of a "Crucified Messiah"
The obscenityof the cross explains Paul's early oppositionto the church and
its gospel. Paulwas “ravaging” the church (Acts 8:3; a word that literally
refers to a wild beast tearing at its prey, ripping flesh from bone); he was
“breathing murderous threats” at the church (Acts 9:1); he “persecuted”the
church “to the death” (Acts 22:4); he was “furiously enraged” atthe church
(Acts 26:11); and “tried to destroy it” (Gal. 1:13). Why?

Jesus was crucified

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