John 19:1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
At some point (Matthew 27:3-10 places it after Jesus had been condemned by the Sanhedrin.) Judas knew he had done wrong and tried to give the 30 pieces of silver back to the chief priests. He knew Jesus was innocent. He threw the money down when they refused to take it back, then went and hanged himself. They used the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers.
I’ve read various theories as to why Judas acted as he did. Key to me is that he acted with premeditation and in the face of the fact that Jesus knew what he was about. He was a vessel that Satan was allowed to indwell. Judas may have experienced remorse, but I don’t believe he ever experienced repentance and salvation. He had been given over to his own choices and suffered the consequences. In Mark 14:21 Jesus makes a powerful statement: “…woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.” That statement could not apply to a man of faith, a child of God’s kingdom.
Then Pilate had Jesus scourged, flogged. I’ve heard preached throughout my life the graphic description of the cat of nine tails used in the flogging, how it was made of leather strips utilizing stones, metal and glass to rip the flesh as they were pulled across the back. David Guzik quotes Edwards in providing more detail: "As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim’s back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues. Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh. Pain and blood loss generally set the stage for circulatory shock. The extent of blood loss may well have determined how long the victim would survive the cross.”
Note from Chuck Smith: “The flogging of the 39 stripes often resulted in death. If the prisoner admitted his crime, the stripes became weaker; if not, they became stronger. Jesus just endured it. By these stripes ‘we are healed.’”
Isaiah 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
John 19:2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
John 19:3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head. Then they put a purple robe (the color of royalty) on Him. They mocked Him by repeating, “Hail, King of the Jews,” and they struck Him with their hands. Matthew adds that they spit on Him (still the ultimate insult in the Middles East) and hit Him on the head with the reed they had given Him as a scepter. Finally, they put His own clothes back on Him before taking Him to be crucified.
Matthew 27:29–30 “And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.”
Note: At some point Pilate sent Jesus to Herod when he heard that Jesus was from Galilee (Luke 23:5-16). Herod wanted to see Jesus perform a miracle. When Jesus refused to even talk to him, he and his men mocked him and dressed him in a gorgeous robe and sent him back to Pilate. Maybe Pilate’s soldiers just finished what Herod’s men had started.
John 19:4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.
John 19:5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!
John 19:6 When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.
Again Pilate brought Jesus out and told the people that there was no reason for a charge against Jesus. He showed them that Jesus had been beaten and how He had been mocked with the purple robe and crown of thorns. I think he was hoping they would feel He had suffered enough. Instead, they shouted for Him to be crucified. Pilate told them to take Him and crucify Him. He could find no fault in Him.
We are told by Matthew that Pilate was well aware that the Jewish leaders had handed Jesus over to him because of envy. His wife had also warned him not to do anything to Jesus because that she had suffered in a dream about Him.
Matthew 27:18–19 “For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.”
It’s interesting to me that the Jewish leaders continued in their attempt to prove to Pilate that Jesus was guilty even after he had authorized the crucifixion. The trial continues to progress as though Pilate had never told them they could crucify Him (verse 6).
John 19:7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
The Jews were persistent; they wanted Pilate to agree with them. They claimed that Jesus should die because He claimed to be the Son of God.
John 19:8 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;
John 19:9 And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
John 19:10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
This really put some fear in Pilate. He went back to Jesus and asked Him where He came from. Jesus remained silent, and that made Pilate angry. He threatened Jesus for refusing to answer him and pointed out that he had the power to free Him or crucify Him.
John 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
Then Jesus boldly told Pilate that the only power he had over Him was that which was allowed from above. He was obviously referring to God the Father; I doubt if Pilate understood that. Then He told Pilate that the one who had handed Him over to Pilate had the greater sin. (I’ve always told my children that sin is sin is sin. Jesus clearly states that some sins are greater than others.)
John 19:12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.
John 19:13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
John 19:14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour:
I don’t think Pilate believed Him, but he was unsure enough to be scared. He tried his best to set Jesus free, but the Jews would not have it. They told Pilate that he was an enemy of Caesar if he freed Jesus; anyone who claimed to be a king was in opposition to Caesar. Pilate was beaten. He brought Jesus out to the judgment seat at the Pavement (a checkerboard designed mosaic on which the Roman tribunal, the judges seat, was placed), called Gabbatha in Hebrew, on Preparation Day at about the sixth hour.
McGee: “Jesus is in the hands of a cheap politician—-not the judge of Roman justice that Pilate should have been. These Jewish religious rulers are prepared to report Pilate to Rome accusing him of permitting subversion. That would be treason, and Pilate doesn’t want such a charge against him. Pilate will let his political position overrule his justice.” Sad to say, such self-serving adjudication is on display in our judicial system today in America.
Mark 15:25 states that Jesus was crucified the third hour, which would be 9:00am according to Jewish reckoning of time. After quite a bit of research, I found that there is no definitive explanation for the time difference in Mark and John’s accounts. Arguments are made regarding Jewish and Roman reckoning of time, copyist error, etc. Again, this is a minor discrepancy that will eventually be made clear (if we even care to know at that time).
That being said, I think the Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible gives the most plausible explanation. It states, “It remains then to understand the Evangelist to refer to the two broad divisions of the day, so familiar to the Jews, the third and the sixth hours; and to suppose that as the event occurred between the two, the one Evangelist specified the hither terminus, while the other takes the further one.”
I liked the following quote from an article at bible.org, “The Time of Jesus Death and Inerrancy: Is Harmonization Plausible?“
“In summary, inerrancy applies to the original autographs of the Bible, does not require ‘modern technical precision,’ and is not negated by differences in parallel passages that have not been resolved. So, while the time of Jesus’ death as a case study does not prove the doctrine of inerrancy neither does it disprove it either.”
…and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
John 19:15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.
John 19:16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.
Pilate presented Jesus to the crowd as their King, but they shouted for His crucifixion. When Pilate again asked for confirmation that he should crucify their King, the chief priests answered that they had no king but Caesar. Finally, Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified. Luke states it this way in 23:25, “he delivered Jesus to their will.”
Matthew tells us that Pilate washed his hands as a public testimony to the innocence of Jesus and that the crowd accepted responsibility for Jesus’ death; they even declared their own children to be accountable. We know the truth—that each one of us is accountable.
Matthew 27:24-25 “When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.”
Luke 23:27-31 informs us that on the way to Calvary, the LORD was followed by a great number of women who truly mourned what was happening to Him. In spite of all His pain and suffering, Jesus spoke to them words of warning and truth. Future days would bring about times of suffering for the Jewish people that would make moms wish they had no children to suffer the horror of those times. Those who are alive at that time will want to die.
I believe this could be descriptive of many past events in Jewish history to this point, but the wording seems directly related to those uttered by those on planet earth at the time of the 6th seal judgment in the tribulation.
Luke 23:30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
Revelation 6:15-16 “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb….”
I also wanted to address the statement in Luke 23:31: “For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?”
According to the commentators, this is recognized as a Jewish proverb. The best explanation I found was in Coffman’s commentary quoting George Bliss: “The green tree represents the innocent and holy Savior in the spirituality and vigor of His life; the dry tree represents the morally dead and sapless people, typified by the fig tree, blasted by His word, four days earlier.”
(cf Matthew 21 and Mark 11)
John 19:17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
John 19:18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
Jesus carried His cross as He headed to the place of a skull, called Golgotha in Hebrew. This was a small hill or knoll outside Jerusalem. (I can’t help but believe that this is one of the authentic sites I saw in Jerusalem. The place near the garden tomb that is identified as Golgotha truly looks like a skull—even after all these years.)
Again, Matthew adds some information. At some point, Simon the Cyrene was compelled to carry Jesus’ cross because He was so badly beaten and weakened that He evidently couldn’t carry it Himself.
Matthew 27:32 “And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.” (cf Mark 15:21 & Luke 23:26)
Jesus was crucified along with two others—one on each side of Him.
Wiersbe: “From the human standpoint, the trial of Jesus was the greatest crime and tragedy in history. From the divine viewpoint, it was the fulfillment of prophecy and the accomplishment of the will of God. The fact that God had planned all of this did not absolve the participants of their responsibility. In fact, at Pentecost, Peter put both ideas together in one statement.”
Acts 2:23 “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain….”
John 19:19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
John 19:20 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.
John 19:21 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.
John 19:22 Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.
Pilate had a sign prepared and fastened to the cross saying, “Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews.” The sign was written in Hebrew, Greek and Latin so that everyone could read it. The chief priests protested to Pilate; they wanted him to have the sign say that Jesus claimed to be the King of the Jews—not that He was the King. Pilate was firm; the sign would stay as he had written it.
Wiersbe: “The fact that this sign was written in Hebrew (Aramaic), Greek, and Latin is significant. For one thing, it shows that our Lord was crucified in a place where many peoples and nations met, a cosmopolitan place. Hebrew is the language of religion, Greek of philosophy, and Latin of law, and all three combined to crucify the Son of God.”
The other gospels tell us that the chief priests, scribes, elders, soldiers and other onlookers mocked Jesus as He hung on the cross (Matthew 27:40, 42-43, Luke 23:35, Mark 15:32). Matthew and Mark tell us that the thieves that were crucified on each side of Him joined in the mockery. At some point however, according to Luke, one of the thieves experienced a change of heart and realized that Jesus was innocent and was the true King of the Jews, the Savior. He showed his faith by admitting his sin and asking the LORD to remember him when He came into His kingdom. Jesus immediately responded to the repentant sinner (as He always does) and promised that he would that very day be with Jesus in Paradise.
There is a song by Stuart Townend that I think beautifully expresses the heart of those of us that are beneficiaries of Jesus’ sacrifice.
How deep the Father’s love for us
How vast beyond all measure.
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away.
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.
Behold the Man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders.
Ashamed to hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished.
His dying breath has brought me life.
I know that it is finished.
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom.
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His rewards?
I cannot give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom.
John 19:23 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.
John 19:24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots 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 cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.
When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they divided His clothes into four shares, one for each of them, including the coat (the tunic/shirt), which stayed as one piece. It was seamless and woven in one piece from top to bottom. They cast lots to decide who would get this garment. This was in fulfillment of scripture.
Psalm 22:18 “They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.”
John 19:25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
John 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
John 19:27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
John tells us that standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, her sister (Salome, John’s mom cf notes at 1:9), Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He spoke to His mother and told her John would be a son to her in His place; He also spoke to John and told him that Mary was his mother. In other words—comfort one another; be there for each other. (I think John wanted to be nameless; he preferred to be referred to as the one Jesus loved. That is really how I would love to be known. I would pray for my life to be recognized as so closely identified with Jesus that my individual identity just disappeared.) We learn that from then on John took Mary into his home. (This is interesting since we know that Jesus had brothers and sisters. I assume that Joseph was dead, and His brothers and sisters were on their own. As the oldest son, He would have been responsible for His mother; so He wanted the two people He loved most to be there for one another.)
Matthew 27:45 and Luke 23:44 tell us that during the time that Jesus was on the cross from the 6th to 9th hours (12noon – 3pm) the sun was darkened and there was darkness over the land.
John 19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
John 19:29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.
John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
After a while….. (Jesus was just there – hanging on the cross – enduring the burden of my sin.) Jesus was confident that all scripture concerning Him was fulfilled, and He stated that He was thirsty. Jesus—the living water—was thirsty. (I never thought about it that way before. The only thing that could make Him thirsty was the weight of my sin on His being.) So they soaked a sponge in vinegar and put it on the stalk of a hyssop plant and lifted it to His lips. After receiving the drink (Matthew 27:34 clarifies that He tasted, but would not drink), He said, “It is finished.” (This is a Greek legal term for “the debt is paid.”) Then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. He had been obedient to the Father and completed ALL that He had come to accomplish. Our passover Lamb was slain.
1Corinthians 5:7 “...For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us….”
At the time that Jesus gave up the ghost, both Matthew and Luke tell us that the veil of the temple that prevented entrance to the holy of holies was torn in two from top to bottom. This is beautiful, miraculous evidence of our privilege as believers to now be able to personally approach the throne of grace.
Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
There was also a great earthquake at that time. The events associated with the death of the Savior caused fear in some of the onlookers and caused at least one centurion and others to recognize Jesus as the Son of God.
Matthew 27:54 “Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.”
Matthew also records another miracle that happened at this time.
Matthew 27:52-53 “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”
Again, I resorted to commentaries to help the thinking process. The comments made by JFB made sense to me. The graves were probably opened with the earthquake in preparation for the resurrection of the saints themselves after His resurrection (as clearly stated in verse 53). This would further verify the truth of His resurrection, which the Jewish leaders in particular would try to deny. The scripture is clear that these resurrected saints appeared unto many.
Cf note at 20:9 – I’m not sure why Matthew made note of the resurrected dead at this point other than to keep the focus on Jesus at the resurrection. It seems that there were two earthquakes that occurred three days apart.
Again, the other gospels give a further account of words spoken by Jesus on the way to the Golgotha and from the cross. (cf Luke 23:28-31, 34, 43, Matthew 27:46 & Mark 15:34, Matthew 27:50, Luke 23:46 and Mark 15:37)
John 19:31 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.
John 19:32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
John 19:33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
John 19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
We are reminded that it was the day of preparation for the Passover. The Jews didn’t want bodies left on the cross on the Sabbath day that was to begin at sundown (a special Sabbath called a “high day”), so they asked Pilate to have the legs broken (which would cause them to die because they wouldn’t be able to support themselves to breathe) and the bodies taken down. They broke the legs of the men on either side of Jesus. When they came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead and did not break His legs. They pierced His side for confirmation that He was dead. It was confirmed when the blood and water flowed from the wound. (Chuck Smith: The mingling of blood and water is the result of the heart bursting. So Jesus died of a broken heart.)
John 19:35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
John 19:36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
John 19:37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
John then emphasizes that this testimony is a true record of what he witnessed with his own eyes. The purpose of this record is to encourage the reader to become a believer. Again, he reminds us that scripture was fulfilled which foretold, “A bone of him shall not be broken.” (Psalm 34:20) And another that said, “They shall look on him whom they pierced.” (Zechariah 12:10) Always, it is emphasized that events occurred in fulfillment of scripture.
John 19:38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
John 19:39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
John 19:40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
John 19:41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
John 19:42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.
Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. He was a secret disciple of Jesus because he feared the Jewish leaders. Pilate gave his permission. Nicodemus, the one who had come to Jesus by night, went with Joseph and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, 75 lbs of it. They wrapped Jesus’ body using the spices and strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. There was a garden near Golgotha that had a new tomb in it—one that had never held a body before. In fact, Matthew tells us it was Joseph’s own tomb.
Matthew 27:59–60 “And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.”
This is where they laid the body of Jesus. It was close and convenient, and time was of the essence in light of Passover.
John 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone that had sealed it had been rolled away.
Note: Mark identifies Mary Magdalene as the woman out of whom Jesus had cast seven devils.
Mark 16:9 “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.”
Matthew 28 tells us that Mary Magdalene did not come alone when she first came to the grave; “the other Mary” was with her. Luke adds that Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and “others” were with her. At some point, there was a great earthquake. At the same time an angel descended from heaven and rolled away the stone that sealed the tomb. The appearance of the angel caused the men who were guarding the tomb to faint from fright.
After reading the accounts in Mark 16 and Luke 24, I think that the earthquake and the rolling away of the stone must have happened before the women arrived at the tomb. Mark states that the women entered the tomb and saw “a young man” dressed in a long white garment sitting on the right side of the tomb, and it scared them. Luke tells us that there were two men in “shining garments” that caused them to bow down in fear. The women did not faint, and the angel spoke to them.
Matthew 28:5-7 “And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.”
Mark 16:5-7 “And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.”
Luke 24:2-10 “And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words, And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.”
Matthew again adds information. As the women were on their way to tell the disciples the message of the angels, Jesus met them.
Matthew 28:9-10 “And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
John 20:2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
John picks up at this point, focusing on Mary Magdalene as the messenger. She came running to Peter and John and told them that Jesus’ body had been taken from the tomb and hidden from them. She must have been ahead of the others and missed meeting Jesus. Either she didn’t believe the angels, or she took off before they told of the resurrection. The problems associated with these types of minor details are confusing, but not faith shattering. We are either missing something in the translation or there is another explanation that we will learn after our own resurrection.
John 20:3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
John 20:4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
John 20:5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
John 20:6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
John 20:7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
John 20:8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
John 20:9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
Peter and John both ran to the tomb. John got there first and saw the strips of linen lying there, but he did not go in the tomb. Peter, on the other hand, walked right in when he got there. He too saw the strips of linen lying there as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. This cloth was folded separately and was separate from the linen strips. (Doesn’t this negate any validity to the shroud of Turin?) (cf with Lazarus in 11:44)
Finally, John also entered the tomb and realized that Jesus was truly gone. (John explains that they still did not yet understand from scripture that Jesus would arise from the dead.)
Psalm 16:10 “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”
Although they may not have understood the scripture, Jesus had told them point blank that He would rise again the third day.
Matthew 17:22-23 “And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again.”
Luke 18:31-33 “Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.”
I think special mention needs to be made of the information in Matthew 28:11-15. When the guards who had been on duty recovered, they ran directly to the chief priests to tell them what had happened. The priests and elders gave money to the soldiers to bribe them to lie about what happened. They were to tell people that His disciples came and stole the body while they slept. They would personally intercede with the governor to ensure that the guards were not punished for failing at their duty. The soldiers gladly agreed.
John 20:10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
John 20:11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
John 20:12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
John 20:13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
Peter and John returned home. Mary Magdalene had evidently followed them back to the grave. When they left to return home, she stayed outside the tomb and wept. When she bent over to look into the tomb, she saw two angels in white seated where Jesus’ body had been—one at the place of the head and one at the feet. They asked her why she was crying. She explained that they had taken her Lord’s body away, and she didn’t know where to find it. Mary seemed to be comfortable in talking with the angels and responded naturally to their questions.
John 20:14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
John 20:15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
John 20:16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Verse 17 – “touch” – attach oneself to, touch
When Mary turned back around, she saw Jesus standing there; but she did not recognize Him. (I think partly because she did not expect to see Him and partly because our appearance is a bit changed in the glorified state.) Jesus asked her who she was looking for. She thought He was the gardener that had removed the LORD’s body and asked where he had put Jesus. Then Jesus said her name. She immediately recognized her name from His lips and cried out, “Rabboni,” meaning “Master.” (This brings to mind John 10:3-4.) He cautioned her not to grab Him since He had not yet returned to the Father. Then He asked her to go and tell His brothers (their position in the family as believers) that He was returning to His Father and their Father, to His God and their God.
The question begs, “Why did Christ not want Mary to touch Him?” I found an explanation from Arthur Pink that was enlightening: “On this very day, the morrow after the Sabbath, the high priest waved the sheaf of the first fruits before the Lord while He, the First fruits from the dead (1Cor 15:23) would be fulfilling the type by presenting Himself before the Father. (Companion Bible)”
1Corinthians 15:22-23 “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.”
John 20:18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
Mary quickly obeyed and ran and told the disciples that she had seen the LORD and gave them His message.
I can’t help but wonder how much Jesus’ mother understood was going to transpire at the end of her Son’s life. You would have thought that Mary Magdalene would have gone straight to His mother, except that she was being obedient to Jesus’ request.
Even though the disciples didn’t understand about the resurrection, I can’t help but think Jesus would have explained it clearly to His mother beforehand. The mom in me would like to think so anyway. Even though she knew He was God’s Son, He was still her baby and child grown to manhood that she saw suffer cruelly at the hands of her people. She would have been eager to know He was alive and well. Then again, maybe the fact that she wasn’t there was a great display of her faith in God’s plan for her Son as announced to her by the angel before His birth, and probably affirmed to her by Jesus before His death.
From the wording in Mark 16 and Luke 24, it would seem that Jesus appeared to two more of His followers before appearing to the disciples as a group. Cleopas is the name of one of the two according to Luke 24:18. These two followers were on the road to Emmaus (a city close to Jerusalem). Jesus came near them, but they didn’t recognize Him because He was in “another form” according to Mark.
Mark 16:12 “After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.”
Jesus asked the men what they were talking about and why they were so sad. Cleopas figured he must be a stranger if he hadn’t heard the headline news of recent events. They proceeded to explain that Jesus of Nazareth, “a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,” had been delivered by the Jewish leaders to be crucified. They were disappointed because they thought He was the Messiah who would redeem Israel. This had all happened three days before. Just this morning they had heard from several of the women that they had seen angels at the tomb who told them that Jesus was alive. That had been verified by some of the disciples who went to the tomb to see for themselves.
I would assume Cleopas to be the husband of one of the Mary’s identified as present at the cross (19:25).
At this point Jesus began to speak to them. He explained why the Messiah had to suffer as prophesied in the scripture. They invited Him to eat with them; and as they were eating, their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. Then He vanished.
Luke 24:25-32 “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”
The next few verses in Luke were a bit thought-provoking.
Luke 24:33-35 “And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.”
When the two men arrived at the location of the eleven and others, they found them abuzz about the fact that Jesus had appeared to Simon Peter. This understanding is supported by Paul in his letter to the Corinthians.
1Corinthians 15:3-5 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve….” Note: Cephas is another name for Simon Peter.
I agree with JFB that this is a very precious truth. Jesus is very tenderhearted toward those that endure much for Him. In Peter’s eyes, he had failed His LORD. In God’s eyes, he had learned a valuable lesson that would make him an even more valuable servant.
As the two were telling their story, Jesus appeared in their midst. This is where John picks up.
John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
John 20:20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
Still on the day of the discovery of the empty tomb, the disciples were together behind locked doors (for fear of the Jews) that evening. Jesus appeared and stood among them and bid them peace. He showed them His hands and His side to confirm it was indeed He, and the disciples were overjoyed to see their LORD.
Again, Luke 24 gives us more information regarding this meeting. At first they were afraid of Him because they thought He was a ghost. Jesus encouraged them to touch Him; a ghost doesn’t have flesh and bones. The disciples wanted to believe, but they were still hesitant; so the LORD asked for some food. They gave Him a piece of broiled fish and a honeycomb, and He ate.
Luke 24:36–43 “And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have….And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.”
That the LORD identified Himself as being flesh and bone has always stood out to me because of 1Corinthians 15:50: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.”
In thinking about why, I am assuming that our resurrected bodies won’t be dependent upon blood for life. There are many statements in the Old Testament that make it clear that the life is in the blood in the present age.
Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood….”
I think our life in the coming age will be dependent upon the Spirit, the source everlasting life.
Galatians 6:8 “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”
Wiersbe: “For centuries, the Jewish Sabbath had been associated with law: six days of work, and then you rest. But the Lord’s Day, the first day of the week, is associated with grace: First there is faith in the living Christ, then there will be works.”
John 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
When I looked up the word for peace in verse 21, I found an interesting implication. One of the meanings was “to set at one again.” I thought that made good sense here. After the stress of the last few days and after their doubts concerning their future in consideration of their recent expectations, they were probably not fully “unified” in their conclusions. Jesus’ resurrection had just reestablished their connection and given them a direction for the future. They would be a team again, just as they had been during the previous three years of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus explained that He was now sending them out as witnesses of the truth, just as the Father had sent Him.
John 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
John 20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Jesus then gave them the authority to declare sins forgiven. In His name is understood I believe, because men cannot give blanket forgiveness of sins in and of themselves; they were Christ’s representatives, His ambassadors, declaring the truth on His behalf. Those who accepted that truth could be declared forgiven. Those who rejected it would be declared “still in sin.” Forgiveness through faith in Christ results in His making us righteous.
The Holy Spirit is the person of God working in and through us. The action of “remitting sins” could only come from God through the disciples as directed by the Spirit. It’s a result of their acting as instructed by Jesus in the great commission.
Matthew 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
I believe that this is when the disciples received the indwelling Holy Spirit. Their empowerment or “baptism in the Spirit” would come at Pentecost. In Acts 1:8 the Holy Spirit came “upon” (epi) the disciples for empowerment; here they received the indwelling earnest of the Holy Spirit that secured their inheritance in Christ.
Again, Luke gives us more regarding Jesus’ instructions to the disciples.
Luke 24:44-48 “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.”
I think one of the key truths in this passage is that contained in verse 45—The LORD opened their understanding of the scriptures at this point.
John 20:24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
John 20:25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
Thomas, one of the disciples, was not with the others when they first saw the LORD after His resurrection. So when the others told him they had seen Jesus, he doubted them. He said that unless he saw for himself the nail marks in His hands and touched them and put his hand in the LORD’s side, he would not believe them.
This is another typical human reaction. We just don’t want to learn unless we do it firsthand. If we had the common sense to learn from other’s mistakes or experiences, we’d save ourselves a heap of pain and heartache. What’s more—it is always the people we should be able to trust the most that we most often refuse to heed—like our parents. Thomas had spent three years with these men and the LORD. Why would he think they would lie to him?
John 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
John 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
A week later the disciples were in the house again, and this time Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus appeared and stood among them. Again He greeted them with “peace.” (As I’ve grown older and wiser, I have come to realize that it is the most precious gift that is ours to claim through faith in Jesus and knowing that He is in control. One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusteth in Thee.”)
Next, Jesus spoke directly to Thomas. He told him to touch His wounds with his hands and put his hands in His side. Jesus basically told him to “quit doubting; believe!”
I can’t help but compare this with the first comments Jesus made to Mary Magdalene after His resurrection. She was told not to touch Him since He had not ascended to the Father. Here, He invites Thomas to touch Him. That tells me that He must have ascended to His Father and returned to encourage His disciples before sending them out in the power of the Spirit and returning to the Father to await His glorious coming as KING of kings and LORD of lords. My logic is that He ascended after seeing Mary and before presenting Himself to the disciples the first time. I believe He presented Himself to the Father as the first fruits of the harvest of souls that would result from His sacrifice to redeem us from sin. At that time, He was probably anointed as our High Priest.
John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Thomas immediately recognized Jesus and exclaimed, “My Lord and my God.” I would assume his voice had a tinge of shame mixed in with total awe and joy. Little did he know he would go down in history as “doubting Thomas.” He probably did many other very good things; yet we remember him mainly for his doubts. Interestingly, many of the disciples are presented “warts and all” as we would say. This is more encouraging than discouraging. We can relate…and we can have hope that we aren’t hopeless.
Then Jesus pronounced a blessing for those who have not seen Him and yet have believed (like me).
John 20:30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
Then John tells us that Jesus did many miraculous signs that he did not record. The ones he did record, however, were intended to affirm our belief in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, and that through believing we could have eternal life. This is the whole purpose John wrote his gospel.