Jesus was stripped of his clothes

JESUS WAS STRIPPED OF HIS CLOTHES
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
JOHN 19:23-24 23 Whenthe soldierscrucifiedJesus,
they took his clothes, dividingthem into four shares,
one for each of them, with the undergarment
remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one
piece from top to bottom.
24 “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s
decide by lot who will get it.”
This happened that the scripturemight be fulfilled
that said,
“They dividedmy clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.”[a]
So this is what the soldiersdid.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
The Division Of His Garments
John 19:23, 24
B. Thomas Notice this circumstance -
I. As ILLUSTRATIVE OF CERTAIN THINGS WITH REGARD TO THE CRUCIFIERS AND
THE CRUCIFIED.
1. With regard to the crucifiers.

(1) Their utter want of common delicacy. The first thing they did in executing the sentence was
to strip the culprit of every rag of clothes, and hang him on the cross in a state of nudity. This
reveals on the part of the patrons of this custom utter lack of delicacy, and grossness and
barbarity of taste. They were willing to gratify the most morbid tastes, most animal passions, and
lowest curiosity of an excited and thoughtless mob. The Romans were not the first nor the last to
manifest these qualities with regard to the execution of criminals. Till very recently our
executions were much of the same style. Thousands went to see the last struggles of a criminal
with very much the same feelings as they would go to see a bull-fight, and many of them very
much worse in the sight of God than he who was hung. But, thanks to our advanced Christian
civilization, this has passed away. Our executions are now performed in private, with as much
decency, and as little pain to the culprit as possible, thus recognizing the sacredness of life, even
that of the meanest, most worthless and injurious. It is to be hoped that life will soon become
more sacred still in accordance with the merciful spirit of the dispensation under which we live.
(2) Their refined cruelty. It was not enough for the Crucified to bear all the torture of the cross,
but also be had to bear all the shame and indignities of nakedness. To some, doubtless, who were
sunk in the deepest physical and spiritual debauchery, it was not so painful, but by the pure soul
of Jesus it must have been keenly felt. There was no consideration shown in his case. He was not
exempted from a single item in the catalogue of indignities, nor from a single ignominy in the
program of shame; but rather to the contrary, these were lengthened by the voluntary
contributions of a servile crowd. The crucifiers of Jesus were as refined in their cruelty as they
were coarse in their tastes, and as minute in their indignities as they were lax in their sense of
common delicacy.
2. In relation to the crucified One. It indicates:
(1) The simplicity of his dress. Only the common costume of a poor Galilaean. Jesus did not go
in for fashion and finery in dress anymore than for luxuries in diet; but in all he was
characterized by simplicity. In one sense this was strange, too, that he who paints the lily and
rose in the richest hues, and the bird's wing in the most fantastic colors, should be himself
clothed in the simple dress of a poor artisan! But, in another sense, this is not strange; it is
generally the case with true greatness. He was sufficiently glorious in himself. It is not the
garment, but he who wears it.
(2) The poverty of his circumstances. When his worldly affairs were wound up they consisted in
a humble dress. When this was divided all was divided, he possessed in this world, He had no
houses, money, nor land to be confiscated by the government, and to enrich the imperial
treasury, only the robe and the tunic, and these probably the gifts of some kind friend, the latter,
perhaps, woven by the tender hands of his mother, or by Magdalene, as the original device and
gift of love for an original and Divine kindness. This is very affecting and significant, that he
who was in the world, and the world was made by him, should leave without any of it. He who
made the world could alone be satisfied to leave it thus. He was.
(3) His more than human submissiveness in suffering. When deprived of his garments he made
no complaint, no request to be spared this indignity. One would naturally expect that he would
ask this favor, and say, "I am willing to suffer even unto death, but let me die in my clothes." But
not a word or a murmur. "As a lamb he was brought to the slaughter," and all for us. He was
stripped that we may be clothed, became naked that we may be robed in spotless white.
II. AS AN ACT OF SELFISH RAPACITY. "The soldiers," etc.

1. They were inspired by the love of sordid gain. Every base principle in existence was
represented on Golgotha that day. All the vultures of hell hovered over the cross ready to
descend on their respective prey. And among the dark groups was the love of gain ready for his
garments. It cared for nothing else.
2. This was confirmed by habit and custom. The clothes of the victim were their fee for the
execution. It was not such a profitable job then as it is now. But you will find people willing to
do anything for a little worldly advantage. They will hang you for your clothes; they will murder
you physically or morally, which is worse still, for the attainment of a little selfish end. His own
disciple sold him for thirty pieces of silver: why, then, should we wonder at these rough and
ignorant soldiers crucifying him for his garments? And this demon of selfish gain was sanctioned
by law.
3. It was done with great haste. As soon as he was crucified, before he was dead, they hastened
to divide his garments under his very eyes. In this they are typical of a good many more. The
love of gain is ever in haste. The votaries of selfishness are ever in a hurry. As soon as the victim
is safe in the grip of affliction, they begin to search for the keys. The grave is opened before
almost he has breathed his last.
4. The division is just and fair. This is one redeeming quality in the affair. Rather than spoil the
vest, they cast lots for it. This probably arose from selfishness, each one hoping it would be his;
but, if selfish, it was wise, and an example to many in dividing the spoil. It is better to cast lots or
leave a thing alone, than render it worthless. There is some honor amongst thieves, yes, more
than among many men of higher standing. "The children of this world are wiser," etc.
III. AS THE FULFILMENT OF SCRIPTURE. "That the Scripture," etc.
1. Christ was the great Subject of ancient Scripture. His incarnation, character, and many
incidents of his life and death were foretold centuries before he made his appearance. Many of
the prophets described him as if he were really present to them. David, the great anti-type of the
Messiah, was often so inspired that he personified him, and related facts as if they had actually
happened in his own experience, whereas they related entirely to the coming King. Such was his
reference to the parting of his garment.
2. In the life and death of Christ the ancient Scripture was literally fulfilled. Even in the division
of his garment.
(1) In this the soldiers were unconscious agents. Nothing could be remoter from their knowledge
and consciousness than that they fulfilled any Scripture.
(2) In this they only carried out their own contract, and fulfilled their own designs. There was no
secret and supernatural influence brought to bear upon them, so that their actions may fit with
ancient prophecy; but ancient prophecy was a true reading of future events, and was proved by
these events as they occurred.
(3) Through these unconscious agents the Scripture was fulfilled.
3. This literal fulfillment of ancient Scripture was a remarkable proof of the Messiahship of Jesus
- that he was the Divine One promised of old, and with whom the old dispensation was in travail.
Even the division of his garment testified to his identity and the Divinity of his mission; and
these soldiers bore unconscious testimony to his Messiahship.
LESSONS.

1. Everything connected with true greatness becomes interesting. The birthplace of a great man,
the house in which he afterwards lived, the chair in which he sat, and the staff he carried. The
garments of Jesus are full of interest, especially the seamless vest. The disposal of even his
garments is not passed unnoticed.
2. The garments of Jesus fell into thoughtless hands. One is almost curious as to who had the
pieces of the robe, and who had the seamless tunic. What an exchange! The vest once worn by
the Son of God was afterwards worn by a thoughtless soldier. It was well that none of his
garments fell to his friends; if so, there would be a danger of idolatry.
3. The garments of Jesus lost their virtue when he ceased to wear them. The outer robe, the hem
of which was so healing to faith, was so no more. The virtue was not in the garment, but in the
wearer. He gave greatness and virtue to everything connected with him.
4. Let us arrange our affairs as far as we can ere we die, and leave the rest to the lottery of
events, which is ever under Divine control. It matters but little to us what will become of our
garments after we finish with them. If we have them as long as we require them, we should feel
thankful. - B.T.
Biblical Illustrator
Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments.
John 19:23, 24
One event with many revelations
D. Thomas, D. D.I. The SPOLIATION OF DEATH. Christ is crucified. Death has completed its
work. What had it done?
1. It had not destroyed His existence. He had gone in His full personality, and in the plenitude of
His powers to His God and ours.
2. It had not destroyed His character. Death cannot rob us of this. It is the only property we can
carry out of this world. What then does it take from us?(1) Our material frames. Here was
Christ's body torn from Him — the body through which He looked out at the universe, through
which He received His sensations, by which He delivered His sublime doctrines and wrought His
marvellous deeds. A precious thing is the body, and yet death takes it from every man, however
much he may appreciate it.(2) Our material property. The garments of Christ were His only
earthly property, but of them He was stripped. No doubt He valued them, not merely on account
of their utility, but on account of those hands of love that had woven and presented them. Such is
the spoliation of death. "We brought nothing into the world," &c.; "Naked came we," &c. All of
the earth which men struggle for and gain they must lose.

II. THE DESECRATIONS OF AVARICE — gambling over the garments of the Son of God. If
aught of this earth were sacred, these were; yet avarice seizes them, gambles over them, and
turns them to its sordid ends. Avarice has ever traded in the sacred, and now more than ever. It
not only trades in corn, manufactures, &c., but in philanthropic and religious institutions.
Preaching has become a trade; temples, houses of merchandise; charitable societies, organs of
worldly greed.
III. THE CULMINATION OF WICKEDNESS. Where can you see —
1. Baser ingratitude than in putting to death One who "went about doing good"?
2. More outrageous injustice than in torturing One who was exquisitely tender and overflowing
with mercy? Truly the Crucifixion is the culmination of sin! And yet it is marvellous that the
most consummate production of human wickedness should be made by God the instrument by
which to banish it from the world. Thus sin frustrates its own purpose.
(D. Thomas, D. D.)
Legend of the Holy Coat
Archdn. Watkins., Biblical Museum., Bp. Ryle.More exactly the tunic, or undergarment. It
reached from the neck to the feet, while the outer "garment" was a square rug thrown round the
body. Ordinarily the tunic consisted of two pieces connected at the shoulder by clasps; but that
worn by Jesus was made in one piece. This seems to have been the rule with the priestly tunic.
Legend of the Holy Coat: — This relic is alleged to have been discovered in the fourth century
by Helena, the mother of Constantine, and by her deposited at Treves, at that time the capital of
Belgie Gaul and residence of the later Roman emperors. Concealed in a crypt from the Normans
in the ninth century, it was rediscovered in 1196, and then exhibited, and, not exhibited again till
1512, when Leo X. appointed it to be shown once every seven years. The Reformation and wars
prevented the observance for some time, but the celebration was attended in 1810 by a concourse
of 227,000 persons, and by a larger number in 1844, when Archbishop Arnoldi announced a
centenary. Net only were miraculous cures asserted to have been wrought by this relic, but this
celebration is memorable for the reaction which it produced, leading to the secession of Johann
Rouge and the German Catholics from the Church of Rome. The dimensions given on an
engraving, published at Treves in 1844, are, from the extremity of each sleeve, 5 feet 5 inches;
length from collar to lowermost edge, 5 feet 2 inches. In parts it is tender or threadbare; and
some stains upon it are reported to be those of the Redeemer's blood. It is a loose garment of
coarse material, dark brown in colour, probably the result of age, and entirely without seam or
decoration.
(Biblical Museum.)
Let us not rend it. — Bengel observes that we never read of our Lord "rending" His own
garments in desperate sorrow, like Job, Jacob, Joshua, Caleb, Jepthah, Hezekiah, Mordecai, Ezra,
Paul, and Barnabas (see Genesis 37:29; Numbers 14:6; Judges 11:35; 2 Kings 19:1; Esther 4:1;
Job 1:20; Acts 14:14).
(Bp. Ryle.)

COMMENTARIES
EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(23) On John 19:23-24, comp. Notes on Matthew
27:35-36; Luke 23:34. St. John’s account is again more full than any of the others.
And made four parts, to every soldier a part.—The soldiers there who carried the sentence into
execution were one of the usual quarternions (Acts 12:4), under the command of a centurion.
Also his coat: now the coat was without seam.—More exactly, the tunic, or under-garment. It
reached from the neck to the feet, while the outer “garment” was a square rug thrown round the
body. Ordinarily the tunic consisted of two pieces connected at the shoulder by clasps; but that
worn by Jesus was made in one piece. This seems to have been the rule with the priestly tunics.
(Comp. the account of Aaron’s tunic in Jos. Ant. iii. 7, § 4.)
MacLaren's ExpositionsJohn
AN EYE-WITNESS’S ACCOUNT OF THE CRUCIFIXION
John 19:17 - John 19:30.
In great and small matters John’s account adds much to the narrative of the crucifixion. He alone
tells of the attempt to have the title on the Cross altered, of the tender entrusting of the Virgin to
his care, and of the two ‘words’ ‘I thirst’ and ‘It is finished.’ He gives details which had been
burned into his memory, such as Christ’s position ‘in the midst’ of the two robbers, and the jar of
‘vinegar’ standing by the crosses. He says little about the act of fixing Jesus to the Cross, but
enlarges what the other Evangelists tell as to the soldiers ‘casting lots.’ He had heard what they
said to one another. He alone distinctly tells that when He went forth, Jesus was bearing the
Cross which afterwards Simon of Cyrene had to carry, probably because our Lord’s strength
failed.
Who appointed the two robbers to be crucified at the same time? Not the rulers, who had no such
power but probably Pilate, as one more shaft of sarcasm which was all the sharper both because
it seemed to put Jesus in the same class as they, and because they were of the same class as the
man of the Jews’ choice, Barabbas, and possibly were two of his gang. Jesus was ‘in the midst,’
where He always is, completely identified with the transgressors, but central to all things and all
men. As He was in the midst on the Cross, with a penitent on one hand and a rejecter on the
other, He is still in the midst of humanity, and His judgment-seat will be as central as His Cross
was.
All the Evangelists give the title written over the Cross, but John alone tells that it was Pilate’s
malicious invention. He thought that he was having a final fling at the priests, and little knew
how truly his title, which was meant as a bitter jest, was a fact. He had it put into the three
tongues in use-’Hebrew,’ the national tongue; ‘Greek,’ the common medium of intercourse
between varying nationalities; and ‘Latin’ the official language. He did not know that he was
proclaiming the universal dominion of Jesus, and prophesying that wisdom as represented by

Greece, law and imperial power as represented by Rome, and all previous revelation as
represented by Israel, would yet bow before the Crucified, and recognise that His Cross was His
throne.
The ‘high-priests’ winced, and would fain have had the title altered. Their wish once more
denied Jesus, and added to their condemnation, but it did not move Pilate. It would have been
well for him if he had been as firm in carrying out his convictions of justice as in abiding by his
bitter jest. He was obstinate in the wrong place, partly because he was angry with the rulers, and
partly to recover his self-respect, which had been damaged by his vacillation. But his stiff-
necked speech had a more tragic meaning than he knew, for ‘what he had written’ on his own
life-page on that day could never be erased, and will confront him. We are all writing an
imperishable record, and we shall have to read it out hereafter, and acknowledge our
handwriting.
John next sets in strong contrast the two groups round the Cross-the stolid soldiers and the sad
friends. The four legionaries went through their work as a very ordinary piece of military duty.
They were well accustomed to crucify rebel Jews, and saw no difference between these three and
former prisoners. They watched the pangs without a touch of pity, and only wished that death
might come soon, and let them get back to their barracks. How blind men may be to what they
are gazing at! If knowledge measures guilt, how slight the culpability of the soldiers! They were
scarcely more guilty than the mallet and nails which they used. The Sufferer’s clothes were their
perquisite, and their division was conducted on cool business principles, and with utter disregard
of the solemn nearness of death. Could callous indifference go further than to cast lots for the
robe at the very foot of the Cross?
But the thing that most concerns us here is that Jesus submitted to that extremity of shame and
humiliation, and hung there naked for all these hours, gazed on, while the light lasted, by a
mocking crowd. He had set the perfect Pattern of lowly self-abnegation when, amid the disciples
in the upper room, He had ‘laid aside His garments,’ but now He humbles Himself yet more,
being clothed only ‘with shame.’ Therefore should we clothe Him with hearts’ love. Therefore
God has clothed Him with the robes of imperial majesty.
Another point emphasised by John is the fulfilment of prophecy in this act. The seamless robe,
probably woven by loving hands, perhaps by some of the weeping women who stood there, was
too valuable to divide, and it would be a moment’s pastime to cast lots for it. John saw, in the
expedient naturally suggested to four rough men, who all wanted the robe but did not want to
quarrel over it, a fulfilment of the cry of the ancient sufferer, who had lamented that his enemies
made so sure of his death that they divided his garments and cast lots for his vesture. But he was
‘wiser than he knew,’ and, while his words were to his own apprehension but a vivid metaphor
expressing his desperate condition, ‘the Spirit which was in’ him ‘did signify’ by them ‘the
sufferings of Christ.’ Theories of prophecy or sacrifice which deny the correctness of John’s
interpretation have the New Testament against them, and assume to know more about the
workings of inspiration than is either modest or scientific.
What a contrast the other group presents! John’s enumeration of the women may be read so as to
mention four or three, according as ‘His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas,’ is taken to

mean one woman or two. The latter is the more probable supposition, and it is also probable that
the unnamed sister of our Lord’s mother was no other than Salome, John’s own mother. If so,
entrusting Mary to John’s care would be the more natural. Tender care, joined with
consciousness that henceforth the relation of son and mother was to be supplanted, not merely by
Death’s separating fingers, but by faith’s uniting bond, breathed through the word, so loving yet
so removing, ‘Woman, behold thy son!’ Dying trust in the humble friend, which would go far to
make the friend worthy of it, breathed in the charge, to which no form of address corresponding
to ‘Woman’ is prefixed. Jesus had nothing else to give as a parting gift, but He gave these two to
each other, and enriched both. He showed His own loving heart, and implied His faithful
discharge of all filial duties hitherto. And He taught us the lesson, which many of us have proved
to be true, that losses are best made up when we hear Him pointing us by them to new offices of
help to others, and that, if we will let Him, He will point us too to what will fill empty places in
our hearts and homes.
The second of the words on the Cross which we owe to John is that pathetic expression, ‘I thirst.’
Most significant is the insight into our Lord’s consciousness which John, here as elsewhere,
ventures to give. Not till He knew ‘that all things were accomplished’ did He give heed to the
pangs of thirst, which made so terrible a part of the torture of crucifixion. The strong will kept
back the bodily cravings so long as any unfulfilled duty remained. Now Jesus had nothing to do
but to die, and before He died He let flesh have one little alleviation. He had refused the
stupefying draught which would have lessened suffering by dulling consciousness, but He asked
for the draught which would momentarily slake the agony of parched lips and burning throat.
The words of John 19:28 are not to be taken as meaning that Jesus said ‘I thirst’ with the mere
intention of fulfilling the Scripture. His utterance was the plaint of a real need, not a performance
to fill a part. But it is John who sees in that wholly natural cry the fulfilment of the psalm {Psalm
69:21}. All Christ’s bodily sufferings may be said to be summed up in this one word, the only
one in which they found utterance. The same lips that said, ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto
Me, and drink,’ said this. Infinitely pathetic in itself, that cry becomes almost awful in its appeal
to us when we remember who uttered it, and why He bore these pangs. The very ‘Fountain of
living water’ knew the pang of thirst that every one that thirsteth might come to the waters, and
might drink, not water only, but ‘wine and milk, without money or price.’
John’s last contribution to our knowledge of our Lord’s words on the Cross is that triumphant ‘It
is finished,’ wherein there spoke, not only the common dying consciousness of life being ended,
but the certitude, which He alone of all who have died, or will die, had the right to feel and utter,
that every task was completed, that all God’s will was accomplished, all Messiah’s work done,
all prophecy fulfilled, redemption secured, God and man reconciled. He looked back over all His
life and saw no failure, no falling below the demands of the occasion, nothing that could have
been bettered, nothing that should not have been there. He looked upwards, and even at that
moment He heard in His soul the voice of the Father saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased!’
Christ’s work is finished. It needs no supplement. It can never be repeated or imitated while the
world lasts, and will not lose its power through the ages. Let us trust to it as complete for all our
needs, and not seek to strengthen ‘the sure foundation’ which it has laid by any shifting,

uncertain additions of our own. But we may remember, too, that while Christ’s work is, in one
aspect, finished, when He bowed His head, and by His own will ‘gave up the ghost,’ in another
aspect His work is not finished, nor will be, until the whole benefits of His incarnation and death
are diffused through, and appropriated by, the world. He is working to-day, and long ages have
yet to pass, in all probability, before the voice of Him that sitteth on the throne shall say ‘It is
done!’
Benson CommentaryHYPERLINK "/context/john/19-23.htm"John 19:23-24. Then the soldiers,
when they had crucified Jesus — That is, erected the cross with him upon it; they took his
garments, and made four parts, &c. — Because four soldiers only are mentioned in the division
of the clothes, it does not follow that only four were present at the crucifixion. Since, if soldiers
were necessary at all, a great number must have been present to keep off the crowds which
usually press to see such spectacles as near as they can. From Matthew 27:54, it appears that the
soldiers who assisted at the crucifixion were commanded by a centurion. It is therefore more than
probable that the whole band, which Matthew tells us expressly was gathered together to scourge
Jesus, (John 19:27,) was present at his execution, especially as two others suffered at the same
time. The four soldiers who parted his garments, and cast lots for his vesture, were the four who
nailed him to the cross, (each of them fixing a limb,) and who, it seems, for this service had a
right to the crucified person’s clothes. That the scripture might be fulfilled, &c. — That is, all
this was done agreeably to an ancient prophecy, wherein these circumstances of the Messiah’s
sufferings were mentioned, to show that he was to be crucified naked; and consequently, that he
was to suffer a most ignominious, as well as a most painful death. The reader will observe that
the words here referred to, they parted my garments among them, &c., are quoted from the 22d
Psalm, where they seem to be spoken of David. But the fact is, that no circumstance of David’s
life bore any resemblance to this prediction, or to several other passages in this Psalm. So that, in
this portion of Scripture, as also in some others, the prophet seems to have been thrown into a
preternatural ecstasy, wherein, personating the Messiah, he spoke barely what the Spirit dictated,
without any regard to himself. These things therefore the soldiers did — Though with the utmost
freedom as to themselves, yet by the secret disposal of Providence, which led them to act in a
remarkable correspondence to the divine oracle.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary19:19-30 Here are some remarkable circumstances of
Jesus' death, more fully related than before. Pilate would not gratify the chief priests by allowing
the writing to be altered; which was doubtless owing to a secret power of God upon his heart,
that this statement of our Lord's character and authority might continue. Many things done by the
Roman soldiers were fulfilments of the prophecies of the Old Testament. All things therein
written shall be fulfilled. Christ tenderly provided for his mother at his death. Sometimes, when
God removes one comfort from us, he raises up another for us, where we looked not for it.
Christ's example teaches all men to honour their parents in life and death; to provide for their
wants, and to promote their comfort by every means in their power. Especially observe the dying
word wherewith Jesus breathed out his soul. It is finished; that is, the counsels of the Father
concerning his sufferings were now fulfilled. It is finished; all the types and prophecies of the
Old Testament, which pointed at the sufferings of the Messiah, were accomplished. It is finished;
the ceremonial law is abolished; the substance is now come, and all the shadows are done away.
It is finished; an end is made of transgression by bringing in an everlasting righteousness. His
sufferings were now finished, both those of his soul, and those of his body. It is finished; the
work of man's redemption and salvation is now completed. His life was not taken from him by
force, but freely given up.

Barnes' Notes on the BibleHis garments - The plural here is used to denote the outer garment. It
was made, commonly, so as to be easily thrown on or off, and when they labored or walked it
was girded about the loins. See the notes at Matthew 5:40.
Four parts - It seems, from this, that there were four soldiers employed as his executioners.
His coat - His under garment, called the tunic.
Was without seam - Josephus (Antiq., b. 3 chapter 8, Section 4) says of the garment or coat of
the high priest that "this vesture was not composed of two pieces, nor was it sewed together upon
the shoulders and the sides; but it was one long vestment, so woven as to have an aperture for the
neck. It was also parted where the hands were to come out." It seems that the Lord Jesus, the
great High Priest of his people, had also a coat made in a similar manner. Compare Exodus
39:22.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary23, 24. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified
Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts; to every soldier—the four who nailed Him to the
cross, and whose perquisite they were.
a part, and also his coat—the Roman tunic, or close-fitting vest.
without seam, woven from the top throughout—"perhaps denoting considerable skill and labor as
necessary to produce such a garment, the work probably of one or more of the women who
ministered in such things unto Him, Lu 8:3" [Webster and Wilkinson].
Matthew Poole's Commentary Both Matthew, Matthew 27:35, and Mark, Mark 15:24, mention
this parting of Christ’s garments amongst them, which must be understood of his inward
garments; which some tell us might easily be done, because their garments were made up of four
parts. But his outward garment, which is called his coat, was all of a piece.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThen the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus,.... The
crucifixion of Christ was at the request and solicitation of the Jews, was ordered by the Roman
governor, and performed by the Roman soldiers; the sinful men into whose hands Christ was to
be delivered:
took his garments; which they had stripped his body of, crucifying him naked; as what properly
belonged to them, it being usual then, as now, for executioners to have the clothes of the persons
they put to death; these were his inner garments:
and made four parts, to every soldier a part; for it seems there were four of them concerned in his
execution, and who were set to watch him:
and also his coat; or upper garment;
now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout: in such an one the Jews say (b)
Moses ministered: and of this sort and make was the robe of the high priest, said to be of "woven
work", Exodus 28:32 upon which Jarchi remarks, , "and not with a needle"; it was all woven, and
without any seam: and so the Jews say (c) in general of the garments of the priests:
"the garments of the priests are not made of needlework, but of woven work; as it is said, Exodus
28:32. Abai says, it is not necessary (i.e. the use of the needle) but for their sleeves; according to
the tradition, the sleeve of the garments of the priests is woven by itself, and is joined to the
garment, and reaches to the palm of the hand.''

So that this was an entire woven garment from top to bottom, excepting the sleeves, which were
wove separately and sewed to it; of this kind also was his coat, which Jacob Iehudah Leon says
(d),
"was a stately woollen coat of a sky colour, wholly woven, all of one piece, without seam,
without sleeves;''
such a garment Christ our great High Priest wore, which had no seam in it, but was a curious
piece of texture from top to bottom. The very learned Braunius (e) says, he has seen such
garments in Holland, and has given fine cuts of them, and also of the frame in which they are
wrought. What authority Nonnus had to call this coat a black one, or others for saying it was the
work of the Virgin Mary, I know not.
(b) T. Bab. Taanith, fol. 11. 2. Gloss in ib. (c) T. Bab. Yoma, c. 7. foi. 72. 2. Maimon. Hilch.
Cele Hamikdash, c. 8. sect. 16. (d) Relation of Memorable Things in the Tabernacle, &c. c. 5. p.
23. (e) De vestitu Sacerdot. Heb. l. 1. c. 16. p. 346, 360, 361.
Geneva Study Bible{7} Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and
made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven
from the top throughout.
(7) Christ signifies by the division of his garments amongst the bloody butchers (except for his
coat which had no seam) that it will come to pass, that he will shortly divide his benefits, and
enrich his very enemies throughout the world: but in such a way that the treasure of his Church
will remain whole.
EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT CommentaryHYPERLINK "/context/john/19-23.htm"John 19:23-24. Οὖν] again
connects the history, after the intermediate narrative respecting the superscription, with John
19:18.
ἐσταύρωσαν] For they were the executioners of the crucifixion.
τὰ ἱμάτ. αὐτοῦ] His garments, with the exception, however, of the χιτών, which is afterwards
specially mentioned, the shirt-like under-garment. The account of John is more exact and
complete than that of the Synoptics (Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34).
τέσσαρα] There were accordingly four soldiers, the ordinary τετράδιον στρατιωτῶν (Acts 12:4).
ἐκ τῶν ἄνωθεν ὑφαντὸς διʼ ὅλου] From the top (where the button-hole was, ἀπʼ αὐχένος,
Nonnus) woven quite through, throughout, so that thus the garment was a single texture, woven
from above entirely throughout, without seam, similar to the priestly vestment in Joseph. Antt.
iii. 7. 4. See Braun, de vestitu Hebr. p. 342 ff.; Rosenmüller, Morgenl. V. p. 273 f. On the
adverbial διʼ ὅλου, comp. Asclep. 16; Nicand. 1; Plut. Mor. p. 695 f.; Bernhardy, p. 235, also διʼ
ὅλων, Plat. Soph. p. 253 C.
ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ, κ.τ.λ.] This casting of lots for the χιτών, after the division of the ἱμάτια, was not an
accidental occurrence, but was in connection with the divine determination for the fulfilment of
Scripture, which says, etc. The passage is Psalm 22:19, closely following the LXX. The suffering
of the theocratic sufferer, in this psalm, is the prophetic type of the suffering of the Messiah.

“They have divided my garments amongst one another (ἑαυτ. = ἀλλήλους, comp. Luke 22:17),
and cast lots over my raiment,”—this complaint of the Psalmist, who sees himself as being
already subjected to the death of a criminal, and the division of his garments among his
executioners therewith connected, has found its Messianic fulfilment in the corresponding
treatment of Christ, in so far as lots have also been cast over His raiment (in reality, over His
under-garment). In this fulfilment the χιτών was that portion of His clothing on which the ἐπὶ τὸν
ἱματισμόν μου ἔβαλον κλῆρους was historically carried out; but we are not, for this reason, to
say that John took τὸν ἱματισμόν as equivalent to τ. χιτῶνα (Lücke, De Wette.
οἱ μὲν οὖν στρατ. τ. ἐποί] Simple (reminding one of Herod., Xen., and others) concluding
formula for this scene of the soldiers’ proceedings. On μὲν οὖν, see on Luke 3:18.
ταῦτα] That related in John 19:23-24. A secret allusion,[244] in these closing words
(Hengstenberg, Godet), is arbitrarily forced upon them.
[244] Hengstenberg: “But the occupation itself stands under a secret direction, and sacred irony
passes over irony to the side of profane irony.” Here Scholten coincides with Hengstenberg,
supplying: “who knew nothing of the O. T., etc.”
Expositor's Greek TestamentHYPERLINK "/john/19-23.htm"John 19:23. “The soldiers, then,
when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments”—the executioner’s perquisite (Apuleius has
the comparison “naked as a new-born babe or as the crucified”)—and as there were four soldiers,
τετράδιον, Acts 12:4, they divided the clothes into four parts. This was the more easily done
because the usual dress of a Jew consisted of five parts, the headdress, the shoes, the chiton, the
outer garment, and the girdle. The χιτών remained after the four other articles were distributed.
They could not divide it into four without spoiling it, and so they cast lots for it. It was seamless,
ἄρραφος, unsewed, and woven in one piece from top to bottom.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges23–27. The four Enemies and the four Friends
23. Then the soldiers] Better, The soldiers therefore. The ‘therefore’ looks back to John 19:18.
his garments] The loose, outer garment, or toga, with the girdle and fastenings. This was large
enough to be worth dividing, and in some cases was the only garment worn.
four parts] A mark of accurate knowledge; a quaternion of soldiers has charge of the prisoner, as
in Acts 12:4; but there the prisoner has to be guarded and kept alive, so four quaternions mount
guard in turn, one for each watch. The clothes of executed criminals were the perquisite of the
soldiers on duty.
his coat] Better, the coat or shirt: it fitted somewhat close to the body, reaching from the neck to
the knees or ancles.
without seam] Josephus tells us that that of the high-priest was seamless, whereas in other cases
this garment was commonly made of two pieces (Ant. iii. vii. 4).
Bengel's GnomenHYPERLINK "/john/19-23.htm"John 19:23. Στρατιῶται, the soldiers) viz.
four.—καὶ τὸν χιτῶνα, and the tunic) [the inner vest] they took.—ἄραφος, without seam, not

sewed together) appropriate to the holy body of the Saviour. Weigh well what Fabricius, in the
Centifolium, p. 407, has collected concerning the mode of living of the Saviour. Nor did He ever
rend His garments in sunder.
Pulpit CommentaryVerses 23, 24. - (c) The seamless garment. Verse 23. - Matthew 27:35, Mark
15:24, and Luke 23:34 all mention that the soldiers took his garments (ἱμάτια), and divided them
according to the ordinary custom followed at executions amongst themselves. These were the
head-dress, the large outer robe with its girdle, the sandals, one taking one thing and another
another, and each evangelist added that the soldiers cast lots upon the garments, as to who should
take which. As these garments may have been of varied value, the lot may have been required;
but John, in his narrative, throws fresh light upon this latter and humiliating act. Then the
soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier
a part. This shows that a quaternion of soldiers, and not the "whole band," had been told off for
the infernal deed. Pilate knew now that there was no need of an army to keep the people from
popular insurrection. The rest of the garrison were not far off, should they be required; moreover,
the servants of the high priest were ready to act on an emergency; but John adds, And also the
coat (the χιτών, the ‫ּבְל‬‫;)ׁשו‬ the long vesture which clothed his whole person, reaching from the
neck to the feet, and which, when removed, left the sacred body naked. This had probably not
been removed by either tiered or Pilate before, and the cursed indignity thus reached its climax
(Hengstenberg; cf. Job 24:7-10). Now the coat was without seam from the top - from the upper
portions - woven throughout (δι ὅλου, an adverbial form) - woven, possibly, by the mother who
loved him, and corresponding with the dress of the priests. Keim and Thorns see here "a
symbolizing of Jesus as the High Priest" (see Holman Hunt's celebrated picture the "Light of the
World"). Certainly John saw the Lord in his glory with a garment of the kind (woven of radiant
light, and reaching to the feet, Revelation 1.). The unity of the Savior's seamless vesture has been
variously treated in patristic literature: as symbolic of the unity of natures in his Person, by the
Monephysites; and by Cyprian ('De Unitate Ecclesiae,' § 7) in his conflict with Novatianists, as
symbolic of the unity of the Church, and he actually builds on it his dictum, "He cannot possess
the garment of Christ who parts and divides the Church of Christ." This garment could not be
conveniently divided.
Vincent's Word StudiesFour parts
All the Synoptists relate the parting of the garments. The four pieces to be divided would be, the
head-gear, the sandals, the girdle, and the tallith or square outer garment with fringes. Delitzsch
thus describes the dress of our Lord: "On His head He wore a white sudar, fastened under the
chin and hanging down from the shoulders behind. Over the tunic which covered the body to the
hands and feet, a blue tallith with the blue and white fringes on the four ends, so thrown over and
gathered together that the gray, red-striped undergarment was scarcely noticeable, except when
the sandal-shod feet came into view" ("A Day in Capernaum").
Coat (χιτῶνα)
Or tunic. See on Matthew 5:40.
Without seam (ἄῤῥαφος, or ἄραφος)
Only here in the New Testament. From ἀ, not, and ῥάπτω, to sew together. Like the tunic of the
High-Priest. Only John records this detail.
Woven (ὑφαντὸς)

Only here in the New Testament.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
Crucified on Calvary
John 19: 17-30
We have consideredmuch in recentweeks concerning the journey Jesus
made as He left the Upper Roomwith the elevenand made His way toward
Calvary. This was a time filled with intense emotion, horrific abuse, and
unimaginable suffering. He has been betrayed by His own countrymen,
condemned to death upon the cross, and scourgedmercilessly. Having made
His waythrough Jerusalem, Jesus has been brought to the hill of Golgotha.
There He will be crucified at the hands of sinful men for the redemption of
mankind.
This passageis difficult to consider. It reveals the extreme abuse and
suffering of our Lord, and yet it reveals hope. We must bear in mind, as
difficult as this is to consider, the crucifixion of Christ was not some horrible
mistake. Granted, an innocent Man was convictedof crimes He had not
committed and condemned to death, but it was all within the sovereignwill of
God. In order for humanity to be forgiven of sin and reconciledto God, Jesus
had to die on the cross. Had these events not happened, there would be no
atonement for our sin. Jesus fulfilled God’s eternalplan of redemption as He
bled and died on the cross.
I want to examine our text and considerthe realities they reveal. These verses
do not speak of a fable or legend. They record the crucifixion of Christ for the
sin of the world. Let’s take a few moments to consider:Crucified on Calvary.

I. A Place ofDistinction (18-19)– Calvary is certainly a place of distinction. It
is impossible to fully graspthe enormity of that place and the event of Jesus’
crucifixion. Consider:
A. The Setting (18) – And he bearing his cross wentforth into a place called
the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:Jesus was ledto a
hill, just outside Jerusalem, knownas Golgotha. This would have been a place
that all the people were familiar. The Romans had carriedout many
crucifixions and Calvary was a hill reservedfor such punishment. The rock
formations found naturally on Calvary resembled that of a skull. This was a
place of suffering and death.
 I have tried to imagine how Jesus felt as He made His way to this place. He
was God robed in human flesh. He was with the Father in eternity past, prior
to creation. Jesus was there as Calvary’s hill was formed. He knew there
would come a day when He would offer Himself as the sacrificialatonement
for sin on that very spot. Calvary is not just a place where condemned
criminals were put to death. It is the place where the sinless Son of God, bore
the sin of humanity as He died in our place. The eternal plan of God was
about to be fulfilled on this lonely hill outside of Jerusalem.
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B. The Sacrifice (18) – Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on
either side one, and Jesus in the midst. John simply states:they crucified Him.
As Jesus was brought to Calvary, He was placedon the cross and lifted up.
This was a very traumatic experience, specificallydesignedto inflict as much

pain and suffering as humanly possible. He was crucified betweentwo other
men who were also condemned to death.
 As I read these words, I was againreminded of the greatsacrifice Jesus
made for all humanity. The other men had committed crimes worthy of death.
They were guilty and forced to suffer their just reward. Jesus was innocentof
all charges. He was the sovereignGodin bodily form. His power, authority,
and compassionhad been showntime and again, and yet He was rejectedby
His own people. It was there on Calvary that Jesus sufferedin our place. The
righteous God took our sin and guilt upon Himself, suffering the righteous
judgment we deserved. The Man in the middle made an eternalsacrifice and
difference that faithful day!
II. A Place ofOpposition (19-22)– The opposition Jesus dealtwith leading up
to the cross followedHim to Calvary’s hill. Notice:
A. The Announcement (19-20)– And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the
cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE
JEWS. [20]This title then read many of the Jews:for the place where Jesus
was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek,
and Latin. As Jesus was crucified, a plaque was made by Pilate and affixed to
the cross. It declaredthis Man was, Jesus ofNazareth, the King of the Jews.
Likely this was written of Pilate to revealthe accusations broughtagainst
Jesus. The Jews had presentedHim as a man who claimed to be a king, guilty
of stirring up trouble againstRoman authority.
 We are certain Pilate did not recognize Jesus as the Christ. He was not
regardedas the Son of God or King, but Pilate’s proclamationrevealedtruth.
Those who had consentedto His death never recognizedJesus as the Christ,
but God used a pagangovernorto proclaim the deity of His Son to those who
lookedon that day. It was written in eachof the common languages so all
could read the words inscribed.

B. The Argument (21-22)– Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate,
Write not, The King of the Jews;but that he said, I am King of the Jews. [22]
Pilate answered, What I have written I have written. The Jews were unhappy
with the title Pilate displayed. They urged him to make a distinction declaring
this man merely claimed to be the King of the Jews. This further confirms
their opposition and rejectionof Jesus. Theywanted none to assume that
Jesus was their King. Amazingly Pilate refused to make any changes and left
the title as it had been written. God saw to it during the crucifixion that
testimony was given of Christ regardless ofthe oppositionof the Jews.
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 Many continue to voice the same concernand opposition today. They refuse
to embrace Jesus as the Christ. They want to emphasize His claims, but refuse
to identify with Him. I am thankful that I have embraced Jesus as the Christ,
submitting to Him in salvation. The day will come when all who have denied
the deity of Christ will bow at His feet and proclaim Him Lord.
III. A Place of Condescension(23-24)– Here we find the actions of the soldiers
as they stoodat the foot of the cross. Theiractions revealthe condescensionof
Jesus. Consider:
A. The Humility (23) – Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took
his garments, and made four parts, to every soldiera part; and also his coat:
now the coatwas without seam, wovenfrom the top throughout. As Jesus
hung upon the cross in shame before the onlookers,soldiers gambledfor His
garments. He bore the sins of the world, suffering from horrible abuse, and
the soldiers add to His shame my gambling for the few possessions He had.

 This is the Son of God, and yet He has no more than a few worldly
possessions. He has been stripped of His garments and his accusers don’t even
have the dignity to offer the few things He does own to those who loved and
caredfor Him. I am amazed when I considerhow our Lord humbled Himself
as He became the sacrifice for our sin. He laid aside the glory He possessed
with the Fatherto put on a robe of flesh, and now He hangs before the
multitude in open shame. Phil.2:7-8 – But made himself of no reputation, and
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness ofmen: [8]
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
B. The Prophecy(24) – They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend
it, but castlots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled,
which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they
did castlots. These things therefore the soldiers did. The actions of the
soldiers was actually a fulfillment of prophecy. This was revealedcenturies
earlier in Psalm22:18. The life and ministry of Jesus was carriedout
according to the sovereignwill of God and the events of the crucifixion were
no exception. Again we are reminded and assuredthat the crucifixion of Jesus
was not a horrible accidentor greatmistake. These events were planned
before the foundation of the world and carried out to the smallestdetail. Jesus
fulfilled every prophecy concerning His coming as He lived here upon the
earth. There can be no doubt He is the Christ, Savior and Lord!
IV. A Place of Devotion(25-27)– As difficult and lonely as the past few hours
had been for Jesus, there were a few who followedHim to the cross outof love
and devotion. Notice:
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A. The Gathering (25) – Now there stoodby the cross of Jesus his mother, and
his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.Most
had rejectedor abandoned Jesus, but there were faithful women who
accompaniedHim. We cannotbegin to imagine the grief and anguish these
felt as they stoodbefore the cross. His mother was likely flooded with
memories of His life with her. One can only wonderhow much of this Mary
actually comprehended until the events beganto unfold. Mary Magdalene was
there, having been delivered from demon possession. Her devotion to Jesus
was unrivaled. John was there, but he was the only disciple who appearedat
the cross. Thesewere committedto go as far as they possibly could with Jesus.
 This ought to serve as a challenge for eachof us. This was certainly not
convenient for them, and there would have been risks involved in publicly
identifying with Jesus, but they were undeterred. Mosttoday have trouble
identifying with the Lord on Sunday mornings within church services, much
less among a hostile, unbelieving world. I pray we will determine to serve the
Lord and identify with Him whereverand wheneverwe can!
B. The Grace (26-27)– When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple
standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy
son! [27] Then saith he to the disciple, Beholdthy mother! And from that hour
that disciple took her unto his own home. In His dying moments, suffering
unimaginable pain, Jesus made provision for His mother. He ensured she
would be caredfor after His departure. His focus remained on the needs of
others instead of His present suffering.
 This is a powerful example of the grace and mercy of our Lord. The same
grace is offered to all who will look to Him by faith. He made provision for
every man as He died upon the cross. He was not there to atone for His sin,
but to make the way of redemption for us! The grace ofGod was put on
display for the world to see at Calvary!

V. A Place ofRedemption (28-30)– There is much in these final verses. There
is a lot that we could consider, but I want to focus on the redemption Jesus
secured. Notice:
A. The Triumph (28) – After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now
accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. We find an
interesting and definitive statementhere. Jesus knew all things were now
accomplished. The onlookers mayhave viewed a defeatedman, one whose
claims had not workedout, a complete failure. However, the perception of the
onlookers did not revealreality. Jesus had known of this moment since before
time began. He had fulfilled the plan of God completely up to this point. Jesus
knew He had been obedient to the will of God in securing redemption for
humanity. Although He was enduring greatpain, this was a triumphant
moment for Jesus. His faithfulness to the plan had been successfuland God
was pleased.
 The world would have us believe it’s hopeless, but nothing is further from
the truth. Jesus fulfilled redemption’s plan and securedsalvationfor us. He
was triumphant!
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B. The Transaction(30) – When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he
said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. Here we
find the greateststatementever uttered from human lips. Jesus had
completed the work of redemption. He had fulfilled every requirement
necessaryto purchase our redemption. He sacrifice was complete, andit had
been sufficient. He knew the Father was pleasedwith His work. The sin of

mankind had been atoned. His was the final and fulfilling sacrifice. Never
againwould blood be shed for sin. He provided the means of salvationfor
humanity in the offering of His sinless body as the sacrificialatonementfor
sin.
 After proclaiming the work complete, Jesus bowedHis head and gave up the
ghost. He wasn’t murdered on the cross. His life was not takenfrom Him. He
freely gave it, at the time of His choosing, to atone for sin. He willingly laid it
down and He powerfully took it up again. His death provided the means of
atonement, but He was always in complete control. Having risen triumphant
from the grave, He conquered sin and death. Those who belong to Christ in
salvationhave nothing to fear, not evendeath! He rose from the grave in
resurrectionlife and all the saved will as well, just as He did!
Conclusion:These verses are difficult to consider. They revealthe awful
treatment and suffering our Lord endured. However, they are reasonto
rejoice as well. This was all carried out in accordanceto the will of God. This
was all within His plan for our redemption and reconciliation. I am thankful
Jesus was willing to bear my sin and take my place. He endured all of this on
our behalf. He provided the means of salvationfor all who will respond in
faith.
This passageis personalfor me because I have identified with the Lord. Do
you know Christ as your Savior? If not, I urge you to respond to His call for
salvation. If you are saved, I pray you will be reminded of all Jesus endured
for you. This passageoughtto challenge every believer to live a life that
honors Christ. He is worthy of our love and devotion!
CALVIN
Verse 23
23.Then the soldiers. The other Evangelists also mention the parting of Christ’s garments among
the soldiers, (Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34.) There were four soldiers who parted
among themselves all his garments, except the coat, which, being without seam could not be

divided, and therefore they cast lots on it. To fix our minds on the contemplation of the purpose
of God, the Evangelists remind us that, in this occurrence also, there was a fulfillment of
Scripture. It may be thought, however, that the passage, which they quote from Psalms 22:19, is
inappropriately applied to the subject in hand; for, though David complains in it that he was
exposed as a prey to his enemies, he makes use of the word garments to denote metaphorically
all his property; as if he had said, in a single word, that “he had been stripped naked and bare by
wicked men;” and, when the Evangelists disregard the figure, they depart from the natural
meaning of the passage. But we ought to remember, in the first place, that the psalm ought not to
be restricted to David, as is evident from many parts of it, and especially from a clause in which
it is written, I will proclaim thy name among the Gentiles, (Psalms 22:22) which must be
explained as referring to Christ. We need not wonder, therefore, if that which was faintly
shadowed out in David is beheld in Christ with all that superior clearness which the truth ought
to have, as compared with the figurative representation of it.
Let us also learn that. Christ was stripped of his garments, that he might clothe us with
righteousness; that his naked body was exposed to the insults of men, that we may appear in
glory before the judgment-seat of God. As to the allegorical meaning to which some men have
tortured this passage, by making it mean, that heretics tear Scripture in pieces, it is too far-
fetched; though I would not object to such a comparison as this, —that, as the garments of Christ
were once divided by ungodly soldiers, so, in the present day, there are perverse men who, by
foreign inventions, tear the whole of the Scripture, with which Christ is clothed, in order that he
may be manifested to us. But the wickedness of the Papists, accompanied by shocking
blasphemy against God, is intolerable. They tell us, that Scripture is torn to pieces by heretics,
but that the coat — that is, the Church — remains entire; and thus they endeavor to prove that,
without paying any attention to the authority of Scripture, the unity of faith consists in the mere
title of the Church; as if the unity of the Church were itself founded on any thing else than the
authority of Scripture. When, therefore, they separate faith from Scripture, so that it may
continue to be attached to the Church alone, by such a divorce they not only strip Christ of his
garments, but tear in pieces his body by shocking sacrilege. And though we should admit what
they maintain, that the coat without seam is a figure of the Church, they will be very far from
gaining their point: for it will still remain to be proved, that the Church is placed under their
authority, of which they show no sign whatever.
ALAN CARR
THE OLD RUGGED CROSS MADE THE DIFFERENCE
Intro: This is a very special time of the year for those of us who know the Lord Jesus Christ. To
me, it is far more special than Christmas. As we approach the time when we will celebrate the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead, it is a time for believers to think about the things
that really matter in life. The things that make life worth living and the things that have shaped
us into what we are this morning.
For me, it is a time to remember the cross. It is a time to remember that 2,000 years ago, God
loved me so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die on a cross so that I might be saved. It is a
time for me to remember that, while my upbringing, my education, and my experiences have

contributed to who I am, it was the cross os Calvary that made the difference in my life. If you
are saved, you will have to make the same statement today!
This morning I want to take you back to that day when Heaven died for earth. I want to take you
back to Calvary and show you why the old rugged cross made the difference. If you are saved, I
hope you will remember what Jesus did for you that day and I pray that you will fall in love with
Him all over again. If you are lost, I want you to learn today that the cross of Calvary can make
all the difference in your life now and in your eternity later. As we travel back to that time long
ago, and look at a message that is as fresh as today, I want to preach on the subject, The Old
Rugged Cross Made The Difference. Allow me to make a few observations from this text that
tell how and why The Old Rugged Cross Made The Difference.
I. V. 16-18 THE TRIP TO THE CROSS
A. V. 16 The Plan Of That Trip - Pilate delivered his prisoner to the cross, but God was
fulfilling and ages old plan by delivering up His Son, 1 Pet. 1:20; Rev. 13:8. Calvary
wasn't an accident, it was a divine assignment. Designed to purchase salvation for
sinners.
B. V. 17 The Place Of That Trip - "The place of a skull." A place associated with death
in the minds of the people of Jerusalem. Yet, it was a place prepared by the Father
Himself (Ill. The foreknowledge and planning of the Father!) A place designed to host
the death of the Lamb of God.
C. V. 17, 18 The Pain Of That Trip - Verse 17 tells us that He carried His cross to
Calvary. The other Gospel writers mention that a man by the name of Simon of Cyrene
carried the cross for Him. There is no contradiction! He left Pilate's judgment hall
carrying the cross. Simon was recruited along the way to help. John's words bring to
mind the symbolism of the cross. Jesus was bearing upon Him the sins of the world! That
cross was more than wood. It represented the heartbreak, the pain, the slavery and the
debt of sin. That's what Jesus was carrying that day!
When they arrived at Calvary, verse 18 reminds us that Jesus was crucified. They nailed
our Lord to the cross with spikes through His hands and His feet. (Ill. The agony of that
experience! Isa. 53:4-5; Isa. 52:14.)
D. V. 18 The Power Of That Trip - Verse 18 records that Jesus was "in the midst" of
two thieves that day. Friend, when Jesus gets in the midst, things begin to happen! Luke
23:42-43 tells us that one of those thieves came to faith in Jesus that day and was saved.
The other died lost, because he rejected Jesus. The truth of this verse is that Jesus can not
be avoided. Just like those thieves, every person in this room will make a decision
concerning Jesus Christ! He cannot be evaded or avoided. You will decide!
II. V. 19-24 THE TESTIMONY OF THE CROSS
(Ill. Two events occurred at Calvary that day that gave loud testimony to what was taking place.)
A. V. 19-22 The Testimony Of The Writing - Ill. Pilate's sign. Written in Hebrew, the
language of religion; Greek, the language of philosophy and culture (Greek was also
the language fo the common man!); and Latin, the language of law and government;
the sign told all who might have passed by that Jesus was The King of the Jews. The
cross of Christ became a giant Gospel tract for all who were passing by.

The importance of this is that Jesus is pictured as a universal Savior. That does not mean
that He will automatically save everybody, but that He will save anyone who will come
to Him by faith regardless of their social standing or background. He is the Savior of
"whosoever will.", John 3:16; Rev. 22:17.
B. V. 23-24 The Testimony Of The Wager - Ill. The seamless garment. The soldiers
gambled for it just as the Scriptures has predicted, Psalm 22:18. The picture in this
garment is special. First, the seamless garment was to be worn by the High Priest of Israel
as part of his ceremonial dress, Exodus 39. This was to remind him that he was going
into the presence of God without blemish and without flaw. This was picture of the Lord
Jesus and what He was about to do as our Great High Priest, Heb. 9:24-28; Heb. 10:12.
Second, just the night before, Israel's High Priest had rent his own garments in the
presence of Jesus. This was forbidden by the Law, Lev. 21:10, and was a picture of the
end of the High Priestly system in Israel. Also, when Jesus died, we are told that the veil
of the Temple was rent from top to bottom, Matt. 27:51. This is also a picture of the end
of the Old Testament system. When Christ died, He was the only one Whose garments
were not torn! This si God's way of picturing for us that the old system had forever
passed away and that we now have a new High Priest. He alone is qualified for the job!
Thank God, He is even in Heaven this morning carrying out that job for you and me,
Heb. 7:25.
III. V. 25-30 THE TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS
(Ill. Lest we are left to think that Calvary was a place of death and suffering only, we are given
three statements made by the Lord while He hung on the cross. These statements teach us the
truth that Calvary was a place of triumph also.)
A. V. 25-27 The Triumph Of Compassion - In the midst of His dying hour, with His
enemies reveling in His death, and with a little band of faithful followers at His feet,
Jesus took the time to make provision for His mother. There are many truths here, bu the
one that I want to point out is that even in death, He did not forget others! He was dying
to save men and He remembered His mother that day. He made sure that Mary would be
taken care of for the rest of her life.
His actions are symbolic of the fact that through His death, those who receive Him enter
into a new relationship with God. One in which they too are taken care of forever, John
10:28. He may not have mentioned our names, but we were in His heart and on His mind
that day!
B. V. 28-29 The Triumph Of Connection - The next statement from the Lord was "I
thirst!" Ill. His agony and the conditions He had endured that day! It is ironic that the
One Who created the streams, the creeks and the river, the One Who filled oceans with
water, was thirsty that day!
Surely His body was thirsty that day, but there is far more in view here! If you take all the
conditions of Calvary into account. If you consider the darkness, the pain, the isolation,
the separation from the Father and the physical thirst, Luke 16:24, you get a clear picture
of Hell. When Jesus was on the cross, He was enduring Hell on earth. He was suffering
our Hell so that we might enjoy His Heaven!
Don't misunderstand me, there is a literal burning Hell where the lost will experience
pain, torment, thirst, isolation and separation from God forever. That is true! It is also

true that Jesus endured all the torments of Hell while He hung on the cross for you and
me. He endured Hell for countless billions of humans in His six hours on the cross that
day! He took your hell for you, so that you wouldn't have to! All you have to do is come
to Him and be saved!
C. V. 30 The Triumph Of Completion - The final word recorded by John is "It is
finished." The is a translation of the Greek word "tetelestai". It is in the perfect tense
which means something that took place in the past which had present abiding results. It
could be translated this way, "It stands finished and always will be finished!" In other
words, Jesus is saying it is "Done!"
This was a common word in that society. It was used by slave who had completed and
assignment given to him by his master. He would report back, "It is finished!" It was used
of an artist who had completed work on a painting. He would step back and say, "It is
finished!" It was used by a merchant who had sold merchandise on credit when the bill
had been paid in full. He would write in his ledger book, "Tetelestai! It is finished!"
When Jesus used this word from the cross, He was saying, "Father, I have finished the
assignment I was given! I have applied the last strokes to the picture of salvation, it is
finished. I have paid the penalty for sin. It is finished!" Thank God, our salvation rests
upon the finished work of Jesus on the cross! It is finished! It is done! To be saved, I have
to do nothing but lean on what He has already done for me! There is nothing left for me
to do!
(Ill. young man, after a revival service, came up to the visiting evangelist and they were
getting ready to put up everything for the night. The young man had left after the
invitation, under conviction, he had returned at the conclusion of the service and went up
to the evangelist and he said, "Sir, what can I do to be saved?" And the evangelist hardly
even lifted up his eyes from the work he was doing, he said, "I'm sorry, Son, you're too
late." And the boy said, "Surely, surely, that can't be. Surely I'm not too late. You're still
here. Won't you tell me what must I do to be saved?" And the evangelist stopped what he
was doing, looked at him, and he said, "I'm sorry, Son, you're too late. Jesus did
everything necessary for you to be saved 2,000 years ago. All you have to do is just
receive His finished work for your salvation.")
(Ill. That is a major part of the good news of the Gospel! It is finished! Are you trusting
in the forever finished work of Jesus and nothing else? It's too late for you to do anything
else!)
IV. V. 31-37 THE TREASURE OF THE CROSS
A. The Treasure Of Accomplishment - Did you notice that the death of Jesus took
place just like the Old Testament Scriptures had predicted it would? His legs were no
broken, Psa. 34:20. His side was pierced, Zech. 12:10. In fact, over 300 precious
prophecies were fulfilled to the letter during the birth, life and death of Jesus. He
accomplished the plan of God for lost humanity so that we might be saved from the
penalty, power and presence of sin! He did just what His Father had said that He would
do!
B. The Treasure Of Atonement - Verse 34 records the precious truth that when Jesus
died, and they pierced His side, blood and water both ran out. This indicates that He was

dead before they pierced His side with the spear. Doctors who have studied the death of
Jesus and the record of Scripture have concluded that His heart probably burst while He
was on the cross. When it did, the platelets and the serum in His blood separated. When
they thrust in the spear, blood and water came forth. Jesus literally died of a broken heart!
Broken hearted for you!
My friends, that blood which flowed that day was precious blood! It was the blood of the
atonement. That blood, and that blood alone, is the price that satisfies God and opens the
door of Heaven to those to whom it is applied. There is only one means of salvation! You
must be washed in the blood, 1 Pet. 1:18-19. Nothing else that you do and are in life
matters until you are washed in the blood, Heb. 9:22. How does one get washed in the
blood? When you look to Jesus by faith for your soul's salvation, His blood is counted as
the payment for your sins. In other words, the blood is applied and you are saved by
grace. The atonement we have through the blood of Jesus is a treasure that is priceless in
its value to the human soul!
C. The Treasure Of Access - When that spear was thrust into the side of our Lord, it
opened the way to God for all who will come by faith! If you will only believe, the way
to God has been opened. The way to Heaven has been paved with blood. Now, there is
access to God for "whosoever will". Have you come to Jesus by faith? The door is open
for you today, John 10:9!
Conc: Notice what verse 30b says about the death of Christ. It says that He "bowed His head
and gave up the ghost." Now, when people die they rarely bow their heads. In fact, it is far more
common for people to raise their heads to try and get just one more breath. Not Jesus! When He
knew that God the Father had been satisfied and that the price of salvation had forever been paid,
He willingly allowed His spirit to leave His body, John 10:18. He died only when He knew that
He had opened a perfect way for you and me to be saved!
As we bring these thoughts to a close today, I want to ask you a question. Has the old rugged
cross made the difference for you? Have you cast all your hope of heaven upon what Jesus did
that day? Are you trusting His death for you as the payment for your sins? Or, are you still trying
to do it yourself? Friend, you can't, and you will never be able to provide salvation! It has
already been finished! All you have to do is believe!
Does the truth that Jesus did all of this for you move your heart? Are you keenly aware that you
need to be saved today? Would like to be free from your sins? Would like to be sure that you will
miss Hell and go to Heaven when you leave this world? If the answer to any of these questions is
"Yes". Then you need to move from where you are and come down to where I am. We will take
the Bible and show you how to get to God. The old rugged cross can make all the difference for
you, but only if you will receive the finished work of Jesus as your own. Will you do that right
now?
STEVEN COLE
So Great a Salvation (John 19:17-30)

June 28, 2015
Donald Grey Barnhouse (Let Me Illustrate [Revell], p. 245) tells about visiting a 16th century
Augustinian monastery and palace near Madrid, Spain, called El Escorial. It is a magnificent
building where the kings of Spain have been buried for centuries. The architect who built it made
an arch so flat that it frightened the king. He ordered the architect to add a column that would
uphold the middle of the arch. The architect argued that it was not necessary, but the king
insisted. So the column was built. Years later, the king died and the architect then revealed that
the column was a quarter of an inch short of the arch, which had not sagged in the slightest.
Barnhouse said that guides pass a lath between the arch and the column to show that in over 400
years, the arch has not moved.
That arch is like our salvation in at least three ways. First, there is a master designer or planner
behind it. It did not just happen, but was carefully planned and carried out by God. Second, it is
totally sufficient in and of itself. Just as the arch didn’t need the help of a column to stand, so our
salvation as provided in Christ is perfect and sufficient without human works needed to
supplement it. Third, there is a practical aspect or function to it. The arch wasn’t just for looks,
but to support that building. Our salvation isn’t just for looks, but is to result in a life of good
deeds to glorify our Lord. These three points are brought forth in John’s account of the death of
our Savior. The lesson is:
Through Christ’s death God planned and provided totally for our salvation, which results in good
works.
The title of this message, “So Great a Salvation,” is from Hebrews 2:3, which rhetorically asks,
“How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” From John’s eyewitness description of
Jesus’ death we learn three things about our great salvation:
1. God planned Christ’s death for our great salvation.
John wants us to see that the cross was no accident. From start to finish it was in accordance with
God’s foreordained purpose, even in the seemingly minor details. John shows this through Jesus’
fulfillment of types and prophecies; through Pilate’s inscription; and through the soldiers’
gambling.
A. God’s plan for our salvation is evident in Jesus’fulfillment of types and
prophecies.
John 19:17: “They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place
called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.” (The Latin for “Skull” is
“Calvary.”) The phrase, “He went out,” points back to the Old Testament sacrificial system,
where the sin offering was taken outside the camp. Leviticus 16:27 states, “But the bull of the sin
offering and the goat of the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the
holy place, shall be taken outside the camp, and they shall burn their hides, their flesh, and their
refuse in the fire.” Hebrews 13:11-13 applies this type to Jesus:
For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as
an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the
people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So, let us go out to Him outside the
camp, bearing His reproach.

Also, John notes that Jesus bore His own cross. This probably refers to the horizontal crossbeam,
not to the entire cross. The upright portion was already put in the ground. The other Gospels
(Luke 23:26, parallels) report that the soldiers forced a man named Simon of Cyrene to bear
Jesus’ cross. There is no contradiction: Jesus carried His cross from the place of judgment as
long as He was able. But His bodily weakness due to the scourging and other mistreatment
caused Jesus to stumble under the load. At that point, the soldiers conscripted Simon. But John
wants to emphasize that Jesus bore the cross to show the Father’s sovereign plan and the Son’s
obedience to that plan (D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John [Eerdmans/Apollos], p.
609).
Also, when God gave the startling command to Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac was a
type of Christ. In that moving story, we are told that Abraham put the wood for the sacrifice on
Isaac his son, who submitted to his father (Gen. 22:6). Even so, John wants us to see that Jesus,
the Son of God, bore His own cross in obedience to the Father.
Also, Jesus was crucified between two others. John does not mention specifically the fact that
they were criminals or tell us as Luke does about the repentance of the one thief. But still, in
dying between two thieves, Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 53:12, which predicted that Messiah would be
“numbered with the transgressors” as He bore the sin of many and interceded for the
transgressors. This brings out “the truth that Jesus was one with sinners in His death” (Leon
Morris, The Gospel of John [Eerdmans], p. 806).
The other gospels report that when they arrived at Golgotha, just before they crucified Jesus,
they gave Him wine to drink mixed with myrrh (Mark 15:23; or gall, Matt. 27:34); but after
tasting it, He refused to drink it. It is often said that this was a narcotic to ease the pain, but D. A.
Carson (Expositor’s Bible Commentary [Zondervan], ed. by Frank Gaebelein, 8:575) argues that
it was a form of torment that amused the soldiers, because the myrrh made the wine so bitter that
it tasted like gall and was undrinkable.
John 19:28 reports that later, as He hung on the cross, Jesus cried out, “I am thirsty.” This time
someone gave Him some sour wine (or vinegar) on a sponge to drink. The two references
together (to gall and sour wine) fulfilled the Messianic Psalm 69:21, where David complained,
“They also gave me gall for my food and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” Also, in
Psalm 22 David depicts the details of a death by crucifixion hundreds of years before that cruel
punishment was devised. In Psalm 22:15 the sufferer describes his thirst: “My strength is dried
up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and You lay me in the dust of death.”
John 19:29 also says that they used a stalk of hyssop to lift the sponge to Jesus’ lips. Hyssop was
what Israel used to put the blood on the doorposts of their homes at Passover (Exod. 12:22).
Jesus’ thirst not only fulfilled Scripture, but it also shows His full humanity. His suffering was
not mitigated by the fact that He also is God. Docetism, a heresy that plagued the early church,
taught that Jesus wasn’t truly human. He was God, but just seemed to be human. But as John
1:14 states, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Hebrews 2:17 explains, “Therefore,
He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and
faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”
Dr. S. Lewis Johnson (www.sljinstitute.net, sermon “Pilate and the Jews”) suggested that Jesus’
thirst also represented His spiritual condition as He who knew no sin was made sin on our behalf.
Like the psalmist whose soul was parched as he felt separated from God (Ps. 42:1-2; Ps. 63:1), so
Jesus was spiritually thirsty as He cried out (Matt. 27:46), “My God, My God, why have You

forsaken Me?” How ironic that the One who promised the woman at the well living water that
would quench her thirst forever died crying out, “I am thirsty”! So Jesus’ fulfillment of types and
prophecies shows that His death was no accident. God predicted it and planned it all for our
salvation. (I’ll treat one other fulfilled prophecy, that of the soldiers’ gambling, in a moment.)
B. God’s plan for our salvation is evident in Pilate’s inscription.
None of the gospels, including John, describe the horrific details of death by crucifixion. It is one
of the most tortuous forms of execution ever devised. After the brutal scourging, which killed
some before they were crucified, the victim was forced to carry his own crossbeam to the site of
execution. A man would walk ahead carrying the placard stating the charges, which served as a
solemn warning to others not to commit the same crime. The victim was stripped naked and laid
out on ground, where his hands or wrists were fasted to the crossbeam with large nails. The
crossbeam was then hoisted up and fastened to the upright. The man’s two feet were forced
together and nailed with one nail. There was sometimes a peg used as a supporting seat, not to
alleviate pain, but to prolong it, as it allowed him to push up to gasp for air. Sometimes a man
would suffer on the cross two or three days before expiring.
The placard would be attached to the cross for all to read. Only John mentions the three
languages that Pilate had the charges written in: Hebrew (or Aramaic); Latin, and Greek. Hebrew
was the language of the Jewish people in Israel. Latin was the language of the ruling Roman
government. Greek was the lingua franca of commerce and trade. John wants us to see that
Jesus’ death was not just for the Jews, but for the whole world, a theme that he has emphasized
throughout his Gospel (John 1:29; 3:16; 4:42; 12:20-21).
The charge that Pilate wrote was (John 19:19), “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE
JEWS.” Pilate wrote the inscription to mock the Jews: “This is what we Romans do with you
Jews: We crucify your king. This miserable man on the cross is a fitting king for you despicable
Jews!” The chief priests felt the barb and objected (John 19:21), “Do not write, ‘The King of the
Jews’; but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’” But at this point, Pilate had been manipulated
enough by the Jews, so he retorted (John 19:22), “What I have written I have written.”
But what Pilate meant in sarcasm, God meant in truth. Jesus really was the promised King of the
Jews. When He was born, magi from the east came to Jerusalem asking (Matt. 2:2), “Where is
He who has been born King of the Jews?” When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her
that she would be with child through the Holy Spirit, he said regarding Jesus (Luke 1:32-33),
“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him
the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His
kingdom will have no end.” Although in His first coming, He died as the sacrifice for our sins, in
His second coming, He will rule the nations with a rod of iron as King of kings and Lord of lords
(Rev. 19:15-16). So, like Caiaphas who inadvertently prophesied that Jesus should die for the
nation, so Pilate unknowingly proclaimed the truth that Jesus is the King of the Jews and of all
nations. Make sure He’s your king!
C. God’s plan for our salvation is evident in the soldier’s gambling for Jesus’
garments.
John 19:23-25a:
Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a
part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. So they

said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be”; this was to
fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they
cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.
The prophecy that the soldiers inadvertently fulfilled was Psalm 22:18, “They divide my
garments among them; and for my clothing they cast lots.” None of these pagan soldiers were
aware of that psalm or of the fact that they were fulfilling a prophecy made 1,000 years before.
But John points this out to let us know that these were not random happenstance. Although these
soldiers were not pre-programmed robots and were only doing what soldiers tend to do, the
sovereign hand of God behind the scenes was controlling even these minor details surrounding
Jesus’ death. While Jesus died naked to bear our shame, He clothes us who believe with His robe
of perfect righteousness!
Perhaps as Mary and the other women stood there in horror and grief watching these events
unfold, they thought, “Some of us made those garments for Jesus and now these heartless men
who do not know God and do not care at all about Jesus are gambling for them. Where is God in
all this?” But if they knew and could recall the Scriptures, they would have marveled at God’s
sovereign hand fulfilling even these peripheral details at this horrible scene!
As I mentioned recently, some theologians and pastors (called open theists) try to absolve God of
the problem of evil and suffering by arguing that He is not sovereign and omnipotent over the
evil things people do. Rather, He is as surprised and upset by it as you are. Years ago I attended a
funeral for a young woman at another church here in town where the pastor said, “This tragedy
was not in the will of God.” He meant to offer comfort by saying that God had nothing to do
with her death, but he really robbed the grieving family of the only comfort we have in such
difficult circumstances, namely, that the sovereign God who cares about every sparrow that falls
to the ground cares for you in your troubles (1 Pet. 5:6-7).
The way that the minute details of Jesus’ death fulfilled these many types and prophecies teaches
us that we can trust the Bible, even when we don’t fully understand it. I’m sure that David and
Isaiah and many other Old Testament authors did not fully understand the things that they wrote
which later would be fulfilled specifically in Christ’s death for our sins. As 1 Peter 1:10-12
explains:
As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made
careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within
them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was
revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have
been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent
from heaven—things into which angels long to look.
But even when we don’t understand why God is allowing our suffering, we can trust in the
promises of His Word. Someday in heaven we will look back even on the puzzling minor details
and see how He worked them together for our good.
We also can rest in God’s faithfulness as we realize that there is no such thing as luck for us as
God’s children. The soldiers believed in good luck as they cast lots for Jesus’ garments, but as
believers we know that God was working even the rolling of the dice to accomplish His
sovereign purpose (Prov. 16:33). They were responsible for their sin, but God overruled it for
His purpose.

Also, when we submit to God’s mighty hand through the trials He brings into our lives, He uses
them to conform us to the image of His Son, who learned obedience through the things that He
suffered (Heb. 5:8). God uses tribulation to produce in us perseverance, proven character, and
hope (Rom. 5:3-4; see, also James 1:3-4). Just like that arch that had a wise architect who
planned it, so the Father planned our salvation.
2. The great salvation that God provided through Christ’s
death is sufficient and lacks nothing.
The arch that that architect so carefully designed did not need a column to support it. The column
only detracted from the sufficiency and beauty of the arch. In the same way, the salvation that
God provides through Christ’s death is complete and sufficient. Any attempts to add human
merit or works only detracts from the wisdom and glory of its architect.
As the cross loomed ahead of Him, Jesus prayed the night before (John 17:4), “I glorified You
on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.” Here, just before
He utters His final words (Luke 23:46, citing Ps. 31:5), “Father, into Your hands I commit My
spirit,” Jesus cries out (John 19:30), “It is finished!” (The Greek verb for “accomplished” and
“finished” is the same.) Then (John 19:30), “He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” No one
took His life from Him; as the good shepherd, He laid it down on His own initiative for His
sheep (John 10:11, 18).
The fact that Jesus finished or accomplished our salvation on the cross means that we cannot add
anything to what He did. To add human works or merit to the finished work of Christ is like
building a column to support an arch that doesn’t need any support. It detracts from the
architect’s design and skill, as well as from the beauty of the arch he made. As Paul put it (1 Cor.
1:30-31), “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and
righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, ‘Let him who
boasts, boast in the Lord.’” Or (Eph. 2:8-9), “For by grace you have been saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may
boast.” The only way to respond to God’s gift of salvation through Christ’s finished work is to
receive it by faith alone.
But while we are saved by faith alone, the faith that saves always produces fruit. Through
Christ’s death God planned and provided totally for our great salvation. But, also …
3. Our great salvation results in good works.
Just as the arch in the Escorial served a practical function, so our salvation is not just for looks.
God designed it to bring Him glory as we engage in good deeds. As Ephesians 2:10 adds, “For
we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
This is exemplified in our Lord’s compassion for His mother as He hung on the cross. Although
He was going through unimaginable agony and understandably could have thought only of
Himself, He tenderly committed His mother’s care to the apostle John (John 19:26-27).
Apparently Joseph had already died, leaving Mary as a widow. In that culture, widows had
difficulty supporting themselves. Jesus’ brothers, who were not yet believers, were probably not
present at the cross. John was Mary’s nephew and had the special designation of being the one
whom Jesus loved. Jesus knew that John would be responsible to take care of Mary. So He

demonstrated from the cross both the need to honor our parents and also to care for widows
(Exod. 20:12; 1 Tim. 5:3-16).
The Bible is full of commands which show that our salvation is not just for our personal benefit,
but is to work itself out in practical good deeds:
Philippians 2:3-4: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind
regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own
personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”
Titus 3:1: “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for
every good deed.”
Romans 15:1-2: “Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength
and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his
edification.”
Conclusion
Commenting on John’s account of our Savior’s suffering here, J. C. Ryle remarks (Expository
Thoughts on the Gospels [Baker], pp. 290-291):
He that can read a passage like this without a deep sense of man’s debt to Christ, must have a
very cold, or a very thoughtless heart. Great must be the love of the Lord Jesus to sinners, when
He could voluntarily endure such sufferings for their salvation. Great must be the sinfulness of
sin, when such an amount of vicarious suffering was needed in order to provide redemption.
I conclude by going back once more to Hebrews 2:3: “How will we escape if we neglect so great
a salvation?” Answer: We won’t escape! Make sure that you do not neglect the great salvation
that our gracious God and Savior provided at the cross! Trust in Him and serve Him with all your
heart!
Application Questions
1. A critic asks, “How could God plan the crucifixion of Jesus and at the same time hold
those who did it accountable for their sin?” Your answer?
2. What are the practical implications of believing that there is no such thing as good luck or
bad luck for believers?
3. What’s wrong with the Roman Catholic view that we must add our merit or works to
faith in Christ in order to be saved? They would use James to support this. How would
you counter it?
4. Many argue that we should come together as Catholics and Protestants on the areas where
we agree and set aside matters where we disagree, such as justification by faith alone.
What biblical book counters this argument? (Try Galatians.)
Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2015, All Rights Reserved.
CRIES OF CRUCIFIXION
Dr. W. A. Criswell

John 19:25-35
10-22-72 7:30 p.m.
By listening to our music this evening, you would know beforehand that the message concerns
the crucifixion of our Lord. On the radio of the city of Dallas, you are sharing and worshiping
with us in the First Baptist Church. And the title of the sermon is Cries of Crucifixion. In our
preaching through the Gospel of John we are in the nineteenth chapter, and we cordially invite
you to open your Bible, you who are in this great auditorium and all of you who listen on radio;
open your Bible and read the passage out loud with us. John chapter 19, we begin at verse 25 and
read through verse 35; John chapter 19, verse 25 through 35, now all of us reading it out loud
together:
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of
Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by, whom He loved, He saith
unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son!
Then saith He to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto
his own home.
After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be
fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon
hyssop, and put it to His mouth.
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head,
and gave up the ghost.
The Jews therefore, because it was the Preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the
cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs
might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with
Him.
But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs:
But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and
water.
And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye
might believe.
[John 19:25-35]
It was the sovereign purpose of God that the crucifixion of our Lord should be open and public.
Satan sought to slay the Savior when He was born in Bethlehem [Matthew 2:16]. He sought to
slay Him in Nazareth, when His own townspeople tried to cast Him headlong from the high cliff
on which their city was built [Luke 4:28-29]. There are many who think that Satan tried to slay
our Lord in Gethsemane [John 18:1-6]. But it was the purpose of God that He should be exposed
openly, publicly, where the eyes of all could look upon Him. He was crucified outside the city
gate on the main road and highway and entrance into Jerusalem [John 19:20-21; Hebrews 13:12],
and He was crucified at the height of the Passover season [John 19:14]. The historian Flavius

Josephus says that at that Passover season there were as many as three million pilgrims who
came from the ends of the earth to be present for that sacred celebration. It was the purpose of
God that He should be raised before the eyes of men: that He should die openly, exposed.
Again, it was the purpose of God that He should be crucified with transgressors. In the fifty-third
chapter of Isaiah, written more than five hundred years before the day of the cross, the prophet
said, "And He was numbered with the transgressors" [Isaiah 53:12]. All four of the Gospels are
very careful to point out that Jesus did not die alone. He was crucified with insurrectionists and
seditionists and murderers. He was the central cross; and on either side was there a malefactor
nailed to the tree by His side [Matthew 27:38].
Again, it was the purpose of God that He should die the most excruciating death that is known to
human imagination. There is no torture, there is no agony, there is no execution that even begins
to approach the horror of the agony and the moral disgrace of the Roman cross. It was devised by
the merciless and ruthless and cruel Roman for slaves and for enemies of the government. No
Roman citizen could be crucified. That was why Paul was beheaded. It was a disgrace reserved
for felons, malefactors, criminals, seditionists, insurrectionists; those who would plot the
overthrow of the Roman authority.
The agony of crucifixion is beyond what any of us have ever looked upon, much less
experienced. The nails through hands and feet were festering, bleeding wounds that soon were
covered with gangrene. The burning fever and the indescribable thirst would sometime last for
several days; the awful torture of being hanged and immobile in a slow and exhausting and
horrible, agonizing death. And the moral disgrace that was attendant to the cross was doubly so
to the Jew. Their method of execution was by stoning. And in the twenty-first chapter of the
Book of Deuteronomy, the great lawgiver wrote:
If a man hath committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a
tree: his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in anywise bury him that
day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy
God giveth thee for an inheritance
[Deuteronomy 21:22-23]
And that passage in Deuteronomy, "For he that is hanged on a tree is accursed of God"
[Deuteronomy 21:23], is the passage that is quoted by the apostle Paul in the third chapter of the
Book of Galatians: "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for
us: for it is written, Cursed is every man that is hanged on a tree" [Galatians 3:10]. The moral
disgrace that accompanied the cross was as agonizing to the innocent, pure, spotless,
unblemished soul of the Son of God as was the physical agony of the death itself.
There that day, on Mt. Calvary, on Golgotha, seemingly the whole world in representation was
gathered. All of us were there, all of us: there is the reviling crowd, the passers-by, the mockers,
and the rejectors, and the scorners, and the scoffers, and the blasphemers. And some of them
were saying, "Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it again in three days, come down
from the cross, and we will believe Thee." There were others who cried, and said, "He saved
others; but Himself He cannot save" [Matthew 27:40-42]. And there was the quaternion of
soldiers who were under Pontius Pilate’s mandate to nail Him to the cross. They gambled at the
foot of the cross for the fifth garment. There were five pieces of clothing that the Lord possessed,
apparently all that He owned in the world: His sandals, the leathern girdle, the outward garment,
the hat, the turban, the headpiece, and the fifth, an inward garment, made without seam. One

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