John 19 - CSB Ancient Faith Study Bible

19:1 Augustine: Previous to stating how Pilate delivered him up to be crucified, John has introduced the following passage: “Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him.” . . . This makes it evident that Matthew and Mark have reported this incident in the way of a recapitulation and that it did not take place after Pilate had delivered him up to be crucified. For John informs us distinctly enough that these things took place when [Christ] yet was with Pilate. Therefore, we conclude that the other Evangelists have introduced the occurrence at that particular point, just because, having previously passed it by, they recollected it there. Harmony of the Gospels 3.9.36.

19:7-8 Cyril of Alexandria: The malicious design of the Jews had a result they little expected. They wanted to build up an indictment against Christ by saying that he had ventured to sin against the person of God himself. But the weighty character of the accusation itself increased Pilate’s caution, and he was more alarmed and more careful concerning Christ than before. He became more particular in his questions: what Jesus was and where he came from. I think he believed that, though Jesus was a man, he might also be the Son of God. This idea and belief of his was not derived from holy Scripture but the mistaken notions of the Greeks. Greek fables call many men demi-gods and sons of gods. The Romans, too, who in such matters were still more superstitious, gave the name of god to the more distinguished of their own monarchs, and set up altars to them, and allotted them shrines and put them on pedestals. Therefore Pilate was more earnest and anxious than before in his inquiry of who Christ was and where he came from. Commentary on the Gospel of John 12.

19:11 Origen: As with Job . . . it is not by accidental attacks that we are assailed, whenever we are visited with any such loss of property. It is not by chance when one of us is taken prisoner or when those who are dear to us are crushed to death in their houses that fall in ruins. For in each one of these circumstances every believer ought to say, “You could have no power at all against me, except it were given you from above.” For observe that the house of Job did not fall on his children until the devil had first received power against them [see Jb 1-2]. Nor would the horsemen have made a raid in three bands to carry away his camels and oxen and cattle unless they had been instigated by that spirit to whom they had delivered themselves up as servants of his will. On First Principles 3.2.6.

19:17-18 Clement of Alexandria: Isaac . . . is a type of the Lord, a child as a son. For he was the son of Abraham, as Christ was the Son of God, and a sacrifice as the Lord, but he was not immolated as the Lord. Isaac only bore the wood of the sacrifice, as the Lord the wood of the cross. And he laughed mystically, prophesying that the Lord should fill us with joy, who have been redeemed from corruption by the blood of the Lord. Isaac did everything but suffer, as was right, yielding the precedence of suffering to the Word. Furthermore, there is an intimation of the divinity of the Lord with his not being slain. For Jesus rose again after his burial, having suffered no harm, like Isaac released from sacrifice. Christ the Educator 1.5.

19:17 Cyril of Alexandria: They led away the author of life to die—to die for our sake. In a way beyond our understanding, the power of God brought from Christ’s passion an end far different from that intended by his enemies. His sufferings served as a snare for death and rendered it powerless. The Lord’s death proved to be our restoration to immortality and newness of life. Condemned to death though innocent, he went forward bearing on his shoulders the cross on which he was to suffer. He did this for our sake, taking on himself the punishment that the law justly imposed on sinners. He was cursed for our sake according to the saying of Scripture: “A curse is on everyone who is hanged on a tree” [Dt 21:22-23]. . . . We who have all committed many sins were under that ancient curse for our refusal to obey the law of God. To set us free he who was without sin took that curse on himself. Since he is God who is above all, his sufferings sufficed for all, his death in the flesh was the redemption of all. And so, Christ carried the cross, a cross that was rightfully not his but ours, who were under the condemnation of the law. . . . Indeed, our Lord Jesus Christ has warned us that anyone who does not take up his cross and follow him is not worthy of him. And I think taking up the cross means simply renouncing the world for God’s sake and, if this is required of us, putting the hope of future blessings before the life we now live in the body. Our Lord Jesus Christ was not ashamed to carry the cross we deserved, and he did so because he loved us. Commentary on the Gospel of John 12.

19:22 Augustine: The magi were from the Gentiles. Pilate too was a Gentile. They saw a star in the sky; he wrote a title on the tree. Both, however, were looking for or acknowledging the king, not of the Gentiles but of the Jews. Thus already there was a prefiguring of what the Lord himself spoke about later, “Many will come from the east and the west and sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom will go into outer darkness” [Mt 8:11-12]. The magi, you see, had come from the east, Pilate from the west. So [the magi] bore witness to the king of the Jews rising, that is, to his being born. Pilate bore witness to the king of the Jews setting, that is, to his dying. In this way, they could take their seats in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, from whom the Jews derived their descent. They were not descended from them, of course, in the flesh but grafted into them by faith. Thus the wild olive the apostle talks about, that was to be grafted into the olive, was already being prefigured. Sermon 201.2.

19:29-30 Cyril of Jerusalem: When [Jesus] had drunk the wine mingled with myrrh and vinegar, he said, “It is finished.” For the mystery has been fulfilled. The things that are written have been accomplished. Sins are forgiven. Catechetical Lectures 13.32.

19:30,32-34 Origen: Pilate sought to gratify the whole people who had said, “Crucify, crucify him” [v. 15]. He also feared a riot among the people and so did not give orders (according to the usual practice of the Romans with those who are crucified) for Jesus to be stabbed under his armpits. This is sometimes done by those who condemn people guilty of greater crimes because greater suffering is endured by those who are not stabbed after crucifixion who end up living in very great torment sometimes even the whole night and still the whole day after. Jesus, therefore, since he had not been stabbed and was expected to hang a long time on the cross and endure greater torments, prayed to the Father and was heard. Immediately on crying to the Father, he was taken. Or, as one who had the power to lay down his life, he laid it down when he wanted to. Commentary on Matthew 140.

19:38 Tertullian: Surely Joseph knew that what he handled with full respect was a body. This is that Joseph who had not consented with the Jews in their crime, the blessed man who did not enter the counsel of the ungodly or stand in the way of sinners, nor did he sit in the seat of mockers [see Ps 1:1]. It was right for him who buried the Lord to have been a subject of prophecy and now to be deservedly blessed. Against Marcion 4.42–43.

19:39 Augustine: Nicodemus had at first come to Jesus by night, as recorded by this same John in the earlier portions of his Gospel [see Jn 3:9-16]. By the statement given us here, therefore, we are to understand that Nicodemus came to Jesus, not only then, but he might that he was a regular visitor afterward in order, by hearing, to become a disciple. Tractates on the Gospel of John 120.4.