John 19 - The Swindoll Study Bible

HERE IS THE MAN John 19:5 All the way through the Gospels, it’s as if the Word of God has been telling us, “Here is the man!” Here is the man in Bethlehem, where He was born. Here is the man in Nazareth, where He was reared. Here is the man in Galilee, choosing His disciples and preaching His early messages. Here is the man at the Last Supper in Jerusalem with His eleven faithful on that final night. Here is the man in Gethsemane, praying, “If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me” (Matt. 26:39). Here is the man after the flogging. And here is the man at Golgotha on the cross, suffering and finally committing Himself to the Father’s hands. All throughout, the Word of God points to Jesus.

THIRSTY John 19:28 Jesus has likely been thirsty for a very long time at this point. In fact, if you do a careful study of the Crucifixion, you find that the trials and Crucifixion together lasted more than twelve hours. He has been scourged, pummeled, beaten, spit upon, humiliated, stripped, and mocked. All the while, there has not been offered Him one moment of rest or relief. But it’s interesting that it is not until the very end that He asks for something to calm His thirst. There is not a bit of selfishness in our Savior. All the way through, He’s thinking of others and of the fulfillment of Scripture.

“IT IS FINISHED!” John 19:30 These words are terribly important. There was not one prophecy related to the Atonement that still needed to be fulfilled. It had all been completed, exactly as the prophets had said. So Jesus tasted the wetness brought to His lips, sighed, and gave up His spirit. Done! Salvation was accomplished.

NICODEMUS IS BACK John 19:39 Here, after Jesus’ death, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea take Jesus’ body from the cross and prepare it for burial. This is the same Nicodemus who had come to Jesus at night trying to find out the meaning of His statement about being “born again” (John 3:1-21). At some point, Nicodemus had seen the truth in Jesus’ words and, unlike most of the other Pharisees, had recognized Him as the Messiah. Then throughout the rest of Jesus’ ministry, Nicodemus must have been growing in faith and interest in Jesus and His role in God’s plan.