John 19 - CSB Spurgeon Study Bible

19:2 “The soldiers also twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and clothed him in a purple robe.” Mockery was blended with cruelty. They might have made him a crown, yet surely it need not have been one of thorns unless they intended to put him to the utmost torment they could conceive. By this crown of thorns our blessed Lord was crowned king of the curse, for the earth was cursed through Adam’s sin. And part of the sentence pronounced by God in the garden of Eden was, “It will produce thorns and thistles for you.” So Christ wore the mark of the curse that man’s sin had brought upon the world.

19:7 “‘We have a law,’ the Jews replied to him, ‘and according to that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.’” They no doubt understood that he claimed to be divine and so he did. I have heard some say that Jesus was a good man but not God. If he was not God, he was certainly not a good man; for no good man, who was only a man, would claim to be God or lead others to believe he was divine. If he was not actually divine, he was a rank impostor.

19:19 “Pilate also had a sign made and put on the cross. It said: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” How wondrous was the condescension that he, whom all heaven adored as the ever-blessed Son of the Highest, should be hanged on a tree with his accusation written over his head just as if he had been a common malefactor! It was God’s purpose that his Son should not die on the cross without a public proclamation of his innocence and an official recognition that he was what he had said he was, namely, the King of the Jews. Who was to put up such a notice over his head as he hung there? Peter might have been bold enough to attempt to do it, but he would certainly not have succeeded, for the Roman legionaries jealously guarded every place of execution. Even John, daring as he might have been in such a crisis, could not have achieved the task. It was best that it should be done by authority, done by the Roman governor, done with an official pen and so secured that no envious chief priest dared to pluck it down, and no hand of a scoffer could be lifted up to blot out its testimony. It was privileged writing because it was written with the pen of a Roman official. And there it must stay, under the authority of the Roman law as long as the body of Jesus hung on the cross. See what God can do!

19:30 “It is finished.” There is only one Greek word for this utterance of our Lord, although to translate it into English, we have to use three words—an ocean of meaning in a drop of language. Yet it would need all the other words ever spoken, or ever can be spoken, to explain this one word. It is altogether immeasurable. It is high—I cannot attain to it. It is deep—I cannot fathom it.

The perfect satisfaction of the Father with Christ’s work for his people so that Christ could say, “It is finished,” is a ground of solid comfort to his church forevermore. Take comfort from this—the redemption of Christ’s church is perfected. Not another penny need be paid for her full release. Those whom he bought with blood are forever clear of all charges, paid for to the utmost. All those overwhelming debts that would have sunk us to the lowest hell have been discharged, and they who believe in Christ will appear with boldness before the throne of God itself.

“Finished!” By that one word Jesus declared that he had broken the head of the old dragon. We have a stern battle yet to fight, but what does that matter? Our Lord has defeated the foe, and we have to fight with one who is already vanquished. Surely, “It is finished,” sounds like the trumpet of victory. Let us have faith to claim that victory through the blood of the Lamb. And let all Christians, as one mighty army, take comfort from this dying word of the now risen and ever-living Savior. His church may rest perfectly satisfied that his work for her is fully accomplished.