John 19 - NLT Student Life Application Study Bible

19:1-3 First Tortures This flogging alone could have killed Jesus. The usual procedure for this practice was to bare the upper half of the victim’s body, tie their hands to a pillar, and then whip them with a three-pronged whip that had pieces of lead in the prongs. The number of lashes was determined by the severity of the crime; up to 40 were permitted under Jewish law (Deuteronomy 25:3). The soldiers then went beyond their orders to whip Jesus—they also mocked his claim to royalty by placing a crown on his head and a royal robe on his shoulders.

19:17-18 Roman Execution This place called Golgotha, “Place of the Skull” (according to tradition, because the rock formation of the hill looked like a skull), was probably a hill outside Jerusalem along a main road. Many people were executed in this place so the Romans could use them as an example to the people who traveled along the road. Crucifixion was a form of execution used by the Romans (among others) that gave its victims a hideously slow and painful death. (See more on crucifixion.)

19:18-37 What do you think about Jesus’ willingness to sacrifice himself for the sake of others? See the next turning point of The Bible’s Big Story.

19:25-27 Care for His Mother Even while dying on the cross, Jesus was concerned about his family. Jesus instructed his close friend John, the writer of this Gospel, to care for Mary, his mother. Mary’s husband, Joseph, must have been dead by this time. As the oldest son, Jesus was responsible for making arrangements for his mother’s care, and he entrusted her to someone who stayed with him at the cross. Tradition says that Mary later moved to Ephesus with John and that both are buried there.

19:30 Paid in Full The word translated “finished” here can also mean “paid in full.” Jesus came to finish God’s work of salvation (4:34; 17:4), to pay the full penalty for our sins. With his death, the complex sacrificial system ended because Jesus took all sin upon himself. Now we can freely approach God because of what Jesus has done for us. Those who believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection can live eternally with God and escape the penalty that comes from sin.

19:38-42 Secret Disciples No More Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were secret followers of Jesus. They were afraid to make their allegiance known because of their positions in the Jewish community. Joseph was a leader and honored member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high council. Nicodemus, also a member of the council, had come to Jesus by night (3:1-21) and later had tried to defend him before the other religious leaders (7:50-52). Yet here, both men risked their reputations to provide for Jesus’ burial. (See an illustration of what Jesus’ tomb may have looked like.)