John 19 - Every Man's Bible

19:1-3  When we are ridiculed, rejected, or abused, that is the time to look up—to Jesus’ experiences leading to the cross. Jesus suffered the shame and humiliation of being mocked, crowned with thorns, and struck in the face. He was shamefully exposed on the cross, yet held his head high enough to shout, “It is finished!” (19:30). Because of the shame Jesus suffered, we can hold our heads high as we look to God. We have been forgiven our sins and failures. Through Jesus, our sins and shame are removed, and we have been offered another chance at life.

19:4-16  The people who were shouting “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (19:6, 15) had just days before hailed Jesus as their King (12:12-13). Sometimes we are tempted to do the same thing. We may have surrendered our lives to God only to discover that following Christ comes at a sacrifice of our lives. We may have wanted a quick fix for our problems. When we realized that God wanted full surrender, we may have turned away. The people in Jerusalem gave up hope as Jesus hung on the cross. But three days later, they discovered that even death gave way to God’s power! The path of pain and death led to the greatest of victories—the Resurrection! God does call us to take up our cross and follow Christ, signifying the death of our old lives. But the cross we carry leads to the resurrected lives God desires for us. Our new lives in Christ are worth the sacrifice God calls us to make.

19:28-30  What did Jesus finish? The underlying word means “paid in full.” Jesus on the cross finished the work he was sent to do (17:4) and fully paid for our sin (1 Peter 3:18). In the greatest act of love in history, and in fulfillment of a complicated, centuries-old system of sacrifices, he became the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God (see John 1:29; Hebrews 8:1–10:18). The miracle of the Resurrection (John 20:1-9) confirmed that Jesus is the Savior who can bring forgiveness and new life to all of us.