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The Burial of Jesus

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Scripture Used to Create the Splice “The Burial of Jesus”

Matthew 27:57-66 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Matthew 27:57)

Mark 15:42-47 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Mark 15:42)

Luke 23:50-56 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Luke 23:50)

John 19:31-42 (Greek Text Analysis starting with John 19:31)

 

Need to catch up first? To read the Splice “The Crucifixion: Part Two”, click here.

 

Revelation 21:4
“…and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

 

THE SPLICE

Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, so that the 1 bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (2 for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that 3 their 4 legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.  But one of the soldiers 5 pierced His side with a spear, and immediately 6 blood and water came out. And 7 he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, 8 “NOT A BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN.” And again another Scripture says, 9 “THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY PIERCED.” After these things, when it was still evening, a rich man named Joseph of Arimathea (Arimathea is a city of the Jews), who was a prominent member of the 10 Council,  a good and righteous man (he had not consented to their plan and action against Jesus), himself had 11 also become a disciple of Jesus/being a disciple of Jesus/waiting for the kingdom of God, but a secret disciple for 12 fear of the Jews, he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus that he might take away the body of Jesus; Pilate 13 wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. And ascertaining this from the centurion, Pilate 14 granted permission/ordered it to be given, the body of Jesus, to Joseph. Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down from the cross. 15 Nicodemus (a Pharisee), who had first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a 16 mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 17 a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in clean linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb. This was Joseph of Arimathea’s own new tomb, which he had hewn and cut out in the rock, in which no one had yet been laid for burial. Therefore because of the 18 Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, 19 he/they laid the body of Jesus inside the new tomb; and 20 Joseph rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away (as did Nicodemus, but it is unclear when he left).  There were women who had been at the crucifixion, who among them was 21 Mary Magdalene and 22 Mary, the mother of Joses 23 and the other Mary. 24 These women had come with Him out of Galilee. They followed Joseph to see where Jesus was buried, and saw the tomb and was looking on to see how His body was prepared for burial. While the body was being prepared for burial, at least Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting opposite the grave. Then 25 they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested 26 according to the commandment.  Now on the next day, the day after the preparation the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’ Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, 27 “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a 28 seal on the stone that Joseph had rolled against the entrance.

 

Impression of Night

 

Want to continue reading? To read the Splice “The Resurrection: Part One”, click here.

 

Notes

 

bodies would not remain on the cross: The reason why the Jews did not want the bodies of the dead hanging on the crosses after sundown was because of Deuteronomy 21:23. However, Deuteronomy 21:23 does not specify that only Sabbaths and high days are to observe this mandate. Joshua obeys the mandate, with no mention of the day of the week in Joshua 8:29 and 10:26-27. Roman crucifixion practices normally left people to hang there on the cross until they died, and that could take days. (Back)

2 for that Sabbath was a high day:  This high day was in accordance with Exodus 12:16, Leviticus 23:5-8. (Back)

3 their: Referring to Jesus and the two thieves that were crucified that day, too (Matthew 27:38). (Back)

4 legs might be broken: This detail is found in John 19:32. The legs of victims of crucifixion were broken or smashed by an iron club. This practice was called crurifragium. It was used to expedite the deaths of the crucifixion victims. With smashed legs, the victim could no longer use their leg muscles to push themselves upwards to breathe. Thus, many of the deaths of crucifixion victims were due to asphyxiation. (Back)

5 pierced His side with a spear: The soldiers already knew that Jesus was dead; this is why they didn’t break His legs (John 19:33). This seems to be a sadistic act, with no apparent use other than to amuse the soldiers. But the real reason is because God allowed it to happen, to show that Jesus was truly dead. A piercing through the side with a spear would most certainly puncture vital organs. (Back)

6  blood and water came out: A medical explanation for this event would be because the soldier stabbed through Jesus’s heart. For a comprehensive explanation, view this article.  (Back)

7 he who has seen has testified: From John 19:35. “He who has seen and testified” is John, the writer of the Gospel of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John,  and Revelation. (Back)

8 NOT A BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN: From Psalm 34:20. In Exodus 12:46 and in Numbers 9:12, God gives the command that none of the Passover lamb’s bones should be broken. Jesus is our Passover Lamb, as written by Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:7. (Back)

9 THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY PIERCED: Zechariah 12:10. (Back)

10 Council: The Council, which was made up of the members of the Sanhedrin, was the exact group orchestrating the death of Jesus (Matthew 26:3-4, 59, Mark 14:1, 55, Luke 19:47, John 11:47-53). (Back)

11 disciple of Jesus/being a disciple/waiting for the kingdom of God: Matthew 27:57 says “also became a disciple of Jesus”, Mark 15:43 and Luke 23:51 says “waiting for the kingdom of God”, and John 19:38 says “being a disciple”. (Back)

12 fear of the Jews: The Pharisees were excommunicating people for loyalty to Jesus (see John 12:42). Excommunication excluded a person from all religious participation, social participation and even from business participation.  An excommunicated person became a total pariah; even the family members had to stop all association with that person, or the family would also risk excommunication (see John 9:1-41 on one man’s story of excommunication). The hate of others is a byproduct of faith in Christ (see Luke 21:16-17). (Back)

13 wondered if He was dead: Victims of crucifixion didn’t normally have a mercifully quick death, and six hours was comparatively quick. Victims could be hanging on the cross for days. To die in a matter of 6-ish hours was rare, if not unprecedented.  (Back)

14 granted permission/ordered it to be given: Matthew 27:58 says “ordered it to be given”, Mark 15:45 and John 19:38 say “granted permission”. (Back)

15 Nicodemus: Nicodemus’s story can be found in John 3:1-21. (Back)

16 mixture of myrrh and aloes: The Jewish people, as well as the Romans, did not use the embalming practices of the Egyptians. The myrrh and aloes were used for the burial materials in place of embalming, on Friday afternoon/towards evening. Mary Magdalene and the Galilean ladies bring spices and perfumes on Sunday morning for anointing (Greek word aleipho), but also due to the assumed decay, and therefore subsequent smell, of the body (see Mark 16:1, Luke 23:56, 24:1). (Back)

17 a hundred pounds weight: A Roman pound was 12 ounces, so this weight would be about 75 pounds in today’s current conventional measurement, where 16 ounces equals 1 pound. In metrics (24.35 grams equals an ounce), the weight would be around 30 kilograms. (Back)

18 Jewish day of preparation: The day before the Sabbath. (Back)

19 he/they laid the body of Jesus: Matthew 27:60 and Mark 15:46 mention only Joseph and John 19:42 says “they” (Back)

20 Joseph rolled a large stone: In all likelihood, Joseph ordered several slaves to do the rolling (he’s rich, Matthew 27:57), but the Bible doesn’t say that. Joseph most certainly couldn’t have rolled the stone by himself. This stone is so large, that the ladies going to the burial site on Sunday morning don’t know how they will move it away from the tomb’s entrance (Mark 16:3-4). An angel removes it before they get to the tomb (Matthew 28:2). (Back)

21 Mary Magdalene: Poor Mary M! Ugly rumors have circled around her for centuries, such as claims that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. There is absolutely nothing in the Bible to suggest that Ms. Magdalene was a prostitute. We know that she followed Jesus on His travels, just like the Twelve disciples did, due to Luke 8:1-2; we know that she had seven demons cast out of her due to Luke 8:2, and she was probably supporting Jesus’s ministry with her personal funds, due to Luke 8:3. She was not the only woman in the traveling group. Luke 8:3 tells us there were several women traveling with Jesus and The Twelve. Because of John 6:9, I think there were children traveling with the group, as well and because of 1 Corinthians 9:5, I believe it possible that the married disciples brought their (believing) wives even early in the ministry (1 Corinthians 9:5 refers to a time much later), which also lends credence to children being present. In any case the women that were present could have possibly been utilized to spread the word about Jesus to the women in the villages where Jesus taught. We do know that, at the very least, the ladies ministered to Him (Matthew 27:55). The Greek word for minister is diakoneó and means “to serve or minister”. It generally means to “care for others” and was also used to mean “serving at the table”. Mary Magdalene is mentioned in Matthew 27:56, 61, Matthew 28:1; Mark 15:40, 47, Mark 16:1, 9; Luke 8:2, Luke 24:10; John 19:25, 20:1, 11-18 and she is possibly included in Acts 1:14, but she is not mentioned by name. (Back)

22 Mary, the mother of Joses: Mary, the mother of James and Joseph/Joses is also called Mary, the mother of James the Less (see Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40). I’ve been kicking around the idea that it’s possible that Mary the mother of Joses/Joseph and James, as well as Jude, whose book is placed before Revelation, is Mary, the mother of Jesus. See Matthew 13:55, 27:56, Mark 6:3, 15:40 and see Jude 1. James the disciple, son of Alphaeus, is never called James the Less in any account, and the phrase “James the Less” is only used in Mark. Here’s a link to my study on the whole James debate. Unless there is a direct identity provided in the Bible, we are speculating on which James is which. Just like there were so many people named “Mary” mentioned, there were probably lots of people named “James”, too. (Back)

23 and the other Mary: The other Mary may be Mary the mother of James and Joseph/Joses, but it is unclear. See Matthew 27:61, Mark 15:47, Luke 23:55-56 for mention of these women. (Back)

24 These women: We can safely assume that Mary Magdalene came from Magdala which was on the western side of the Sea of Galilee. (Back)

25 they returned: It is assumed that the ladies returned to wherever they were staying during the Passover and Sabbath, but the Bible does not say where that is at. (Back)

26 according to the commandment: Exodus 20:8-11; 31:12-17 where resting on the seventh day is recorded as a commandment from God. (Back)

27 You have a guard: This is the group of Roman soldiers that was granted to the Jews. See Matthew 28:12, 14. One could say that this Roman guard came from the Herodians’ influence, because they had been conspiring to put Jesus to death along with the Pharisees. Pilate really only comes into the story during Jesus’s trial but Herod and his Herodians are mentioned a few times before (Matthew 22:15, 16, Mark 3:6, 8:15, 12:13, Luke 13:31-32 and Acts 4:27).We really don’t know much about the guard or who they came from because the Bible doesn’t say. (Back)

28 seal on the stone: I believe this seal is Roman, because the guard is Roman. I believe the guard is Roman because of Matthew 27:65-66 and 28:12, 14. Also, the relevance of a Jewish seal on such an important tomb seems silly, as the Jews didn’t have much power of their own. However, one could argue that the Jews sure had enough power to pressure Pontius Pilate into crucifying people. Simply put, the Bible doesn’t state whether the seal was Roman or Jewish. If it was a Roman seal on Jesus’s tomb, it was an object of authority. (Back)

Jesus Before Pilate, the Second Time

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Scripture Used to Create the Splice “Jesus Before Pilate, the Second Time”

Matthew 27:15-31 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Matthew 27:15)

Mark 15:6-20 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Mark 15:6)

Luke 23:13-25 (Greek Text Analysis starting with Luke 23:13)

John 18:38 – 19:16 (Greek Text Analysis starting with John 18:38)

 

Need to catch up first? To read the Splice “Jesus Before Pilate, the First Time” click here

 

Psalm 17:5
My steps have held fast to Your paths. My feet have not slipped.

 

THE SPLICE

1 Pilate went out to the Jews, summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought this Man to me as one who 2 incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. 3 No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold nothing deserving death has been done by Him. Therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” Now at the 4 feast the governor, Pilate, was 5 accustomed/obliged to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. The crowd went up and began asking Pilate to do as he had been accustomed to do for them. So when the people gathered together, Pilate answered and said to them, “You have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews? Which of the two do you want me to release for you?  Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For Pilate knew that it was because of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over. At that time the Romans were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. The man named Barabbas, who was a robber, had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection at Jerusalem. But the chief priests and elders stirred up and persuaded the crowds to ask Pilate to release Barabbas for them instead and to put Jesus to death, and so they cried out all together, saying, “Not this man, but Barabbas. Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” Answering again and wanting to release Jesus, Pilate addressed them a second time and said, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews? What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” The people in the crowds all shouted back, 6 “Crucify Him!” But Pilate said to them the third time he addressed them, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.”

And wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released 7 Barabbas for them, the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder. Pilate then took Jesus and 8 scourged Him/had Him scourged. After the scourging, the soldiers of Pilate took Jesus away into the 9 Praetorium, and the soldiers called the 10 whole Roman cohort to gather around Him. They 11 stripped Jesus of all His clothes, dressed Him up in a 12 purple/scarlet robe, twisted together a 13 crown of thorns and put it on His head as if it were a king’s crown, and gave Him a reed for His right hand to hold as a mock 14 scepter; and they began to come up, 15 mockingly kneeling and bowing before Him and saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slaps in the face. They also took back the reed they made Him hold in His right hand and beat Him repeatedly in the head with it, all the while they were also spitting on Him. After these abuses, Pilate came out again said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.” Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple/crimson 16 robe. Pilate said to them, 17 Behold, the Man!” So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for 18 I find no guilt in Him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and 19 by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.” Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, 20 he was even more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to crucify You?” Jesus answered, “ You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been 21 given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the 22 greater sin.”

As a result of this, Pilate made efforts again to release Him but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.” Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the 23 judgement seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, 24 Pilate’s wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” Now it was the 25 day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the 26 sixth hour . And Pilate said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!” So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” They kept shouting all the more, they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified, saying “Crucify Him!” And their voices began to prevail, along with the voices 27 of the chief priests. When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd saying, 28 “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. So he then handed Jesus over to them to be crucified. Pilate delivered Jesus to their (the chief priests, the rulers; the whole crowd of people) will. The soldiers of Pilate 29 Jesus’s own clothes back on Him and led Him out to be crucified.

 

Want to continue reading? To read the Splice “The Crucifixion: Part One” click here

 

NOTES

 

1  Pilate went out to the Jews:  At the time of Jesus’s trial, the chief priests, elders, disciples and Jesus had probably been awake all night. See Matthew 26:17-27:14; Mark 14:12-15:5; Luke 22:1-23:17; John 13:1-18:38) to read about the previous evening. During this last trip to Jerusalem, it was Jesus’s custom to spend His days teaching in the temple and to spend His nights on the Mount of Olives (Luke 21:37) which is out by Bethany (Matthew 21:17; Luke 19:29). People were getting up early so they could listen to Him (Luke 21:38), which means Jesus was up early. He had been awake a really long time by the time He was crucified, assuming He took no naps, which He had done at least once before on a boat. See Luke 8:23; Mark 4:38; Matthew 8:24 regarding the boat. To read the Splice about that time on the boat, “Jesus Calms the Storm on the Sea of Galilee”, click here. (Back)

2  incites the people to rebellion: This is the human reason why Jesus was crucified. The ultimate reason is because it was God’s will (Isaiah 53:10, John 18:11) that Jesus die in this manner (Deuteronomy 21:23, Galatians 3:13) for the sake of those who would believe, for the forgiveness of their sins (Ephesians 1:4-7). Although anyone and everyone is invited and called to believe and receive this salvation (John 3:15-18), only those whom He has given the God-gifted faith can actually believe (John 6:44, Ephesians 2:8-9). This is because the idea of the cross, salvation or sin is foolishness to people without this faith that is God-instilled and not human conjured. (Back)

3 No, nor has Herod: Pilate sent Jesus to Herod when he found out that Jesus was a Galilean. To read about Jesus’s visit to Herod, see Luke 23:6-12. (Back)

4 feast: The Passover feast. (Back)

5 accustomed/obliged: Matthew 27:15 says accustomed (Greek word: ethó) and Luke 23:17 says of necessity (obliged) (Greek word: anagké). Mark 15:8 says as usually he did (Greek word: kathos) and John 18:39 says custom (Greek word: sunétheia). By the words used, we can know that Pilate was accustomed to releasing a prisoner for the Jews every Passover because he was forced to, not because he was a caring, considerate person. (Back)

6 “Crucify Him!”: Jesus had told His disciples that this would happen. Many times He mentioned that He would have to suffer and die, and told them that they too would have to take up their crosses, if they were going to follow Him. See Matthew 10:38, 16:21, 24, 17:22-23; Mark 8:31, 34, 10:32-34; Luke 9:22-23, 18:31-33; John 12:32-33. (Back)

7  Barabbas:  The Bible confirms that Barabbas was a violent person (John 18:40), and it says that he was jailed with the insurrectionists who had committed murder (Mark 15:7), that he was a notorious prisoner (Matthew 27:16), that he had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder (Luke 23:19). Acts 3:14 tells us (through Peter) that Barabbas was a murderer. What became of Barabbas? With this freedom granted by Pilate, did he become a repeat offender, meeting his end in a crucifixion anyway (robbers/thieves, insurrectionists, and murderers were crucified by the Romans)? Did he thank God for the release from prison and start learning about Jesus, perhaps from some of the disciples, themselves? Did Barabbas ever think about Jesus and what happened that day? Did he realize what was done for him, and respond to the call for repentance and salvation in Jesus? (Back)

8  scourged Him: Scourging was the usual pre-crucifixion punishment, in order to weaken the victim and humiliate him. The Romans used whips made of leather, with several strands of braided leather and those strands had bits of metal or bone attached to the ends of them. These whips were called “flagrum”. The person to be scourged was stripped naked and flogged across the entire backside of his body. This beating tore the flesh off very quickly and sometimes exposed the bones and organs.  (Back)

9 Praetorium: This was Pilate’s residence when he was visiting Jerusalem, as he normally ruled from Caesarea Maritima. Scholars debate on where the Praetorium was at in Jerusalem, some stating Herod’s palace and some saying it was at Antonia fortress. We don’t know, because the Bible doesn’t give coordinates, but a nice house (whether it was Herod’s palace or not is up for debate) is more in order than a military barracks for someone like Pontius Pilate. (Back)

10 whole Roman cohort: This could be the whole Roman cohort that was afforded to the Sanhedrin (John 18:3) or the entire cohort that was standing in Pilate’s court or possibly both of them; it’s even possible that they are one in the same. Just the same, it isn’t clear if the Sanhedrin’s cohort had accompanied Jesus, the chief priests, scribes and elders to the Praetorium. We only know that the Roman cohort was present for the arrest of Jesus (John 18:12). (Back)

11 stripped Jesus of all His clothes: Jesus had His clothes forcibly removed from Him several times that day. All floggings took place without clothes, so He was stripped then. He was then stripped afterwards when the Roman soldiers put a scarlet robe on Him (Matthew 27:28). He was then again stripped at the cross, before His crucifixion. Stripping was done for humiliation purposes. (Back)

12 purple/scarlet: Matthew 27:28 uses the word scarlet and the Greek word used for scarlet is kokkinos which means “crimson or scarlet”. Mark 15:20 uses the word purple and the Greek word for purple is porphýra which means “a purple garment indicating wealth”. Helps Word-studies© explains a little more in depth. There were three familiar shades of purple in the ancient world: deep violet, deep scarlet (or crimson), and deep blue. John 19:5 uses the Greek word porphyroús which means a purple (reddish-purple) cloth or dye. All three of these together tells us that the robe was a purple-scarlet color, maybe akin to red-violet or violet-red from a crayons box. We can only speculate on the exact color.(Back)

HELPS Word-studies taken from The Discovery Bible, available at discoverybible.com, copyright © 2021, HELPS Ministries Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

13 crown of thorns: The crown of thorns is mentioned in Matthew 27:29, Mark 15:17, and John 19:2. All three accounts use the word akanthinos or akantha meaning “thorns/thorny bush” or “prickly plant”. There is speculation that these thorns were date palm thorns. Assuming that date palms haven’t changed in the past 2,000 years, date palms have strong spine-type thorns at the base of the leaves. The spines are around 4 inches long. There was even a relatively recent study done on date palm thorn injuries! The Bible does not specify what type of thorns were used. (Back)

14 scepter: Jesus’s next scepter will be made of iron, and He will shepherd the nations with it. Iron scepters would be a symbol of strength (iron) and authority (scepter) (Revelation 19:15). (Back)

15 mockingly kneeling and bowing before Him: There will be a time, when every person will bow down on their knees and confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord. See Philippians 2:9-11. (Back)

16 robe: The Greek word for robe, used in Matthew 27:28 is chlamus which was a short cloak, worn by military officers and soldiers. The Greek word for robe used in John 19:5 is himation and means “a long, loose and flowing outer robe or cloak”. It’s possible that they are both meaning the word “cloak”. It’s also possible that they dressed Jesus in two garments—the one from Herod which is mentioned in Luke 23:11, and uses the word esthés meaning “clothing” or “robe”, and then they threw the cloak on over that. (Back)

17 Behold, the Man: Pilate was probably hoping that the crowd, seeing Jesus beaten, scourged, spit on, and mocked, would be satisfied with that and stop asking for His crucifixion. It didn’t work, if that was what he was aiming for. (Back)

18 I find no guilt in Him: This is proof of Pilate’s sin of murder. He knows Jesus is not guilty of any crimes, making the crucifixion a murder (Exodus 20:13, Leviticus 24:17). (Back)

19 by that law He ought to die: The law that the Jews are referring to is Leviticus 24:16. This law requires stoning, though, not hanging. Regardless, if it had been anyone else that had claimed to be God, they would be correct—a blasphemy against God deserving death had occurred. However, Jesus is God (John 1:1). (Back)

20 he was even more afraid: From John 19:8. In English we might take this to mean that Pilate was afraid to begin with. However, the Greek word used for more is mallon and although its meaning does mean “more”, it also means “much” or “rather”.  Perhaps a better translation (for modern English readers) for this sentence would be “he was very afraid”.  (Back)

21 given you from above: All authority on earth is granted by God. See Romans 13:1. (Back)

22 greater sin: That is, the Jews had the greater sin. Pilates’s sin was lesser because he was placed there in authority by God, and was given the authority as judge. Those bringing Jesus to him have the greater sin in presenting Jesus to Pilate in the first place. However, Pontius Pilate will put to death an innocent Man, see note 18. (Back)

23 judgement seat at a place called The Pavement: The Greek word for judgment seat is béma and it means “an elevated place” and has the feeling of the judge looking down on the accused. God also has a béma seat of judgment. See 2 Corinthians 5:10 and Romans 14:10 which should be read with the understanding of Revelation 20:11-15. In reading the aforementioned verses, it’s important to understand that the only good that anyone can do is submit, repent and have faith in Christ (Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:9, 2 Peter 3:9, James 4:6-7), as Christ removes all sin from the person who believes, “as far as the east is from the west”, see Psalm 103:10-14 (this is the Psalm to read when you are feeling weary and downtrodden from your own sins). The bad that people commit is rejection of Him (John 3:18). Therefore, those who reject Jesus have the full weight of the Law and therefore the full weight of all their sin. The penalty for rejection of Jesus is eternal damnation (Romans 6:23, Revelation 20:15). (Back)

24 Pilate’s wife sent him a message: We only hear about Pilate’s wife in Matthew 27:19. It is unknown what her dream was about, or how she suffered, but here was a chance for Pilate to stop the judgment, to take a step back and consider his wife’s advice. He fails to listen. (Back)

25 day of preparation for the Passover: The day of preparation for the Passover is only called so in John 19:14. It is called the day of preparation before the Sabbath in Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54 and John 19:31, 42. It is both things at once. John also mentions that this Sabbath was a high day (John 19:31). The high day refers back to Exodus 12:14-21, where God instructs Israel (through Moses and Aaron) that on the 14th day of the first month (Nisan) until the 21st day of the same month, no one eats leavened bread. On the 15th day is the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6). On the 14th is the day that the Passover lambs are slain and eaten, along with the 1st day of observance of no leaven. This particular Sabbath is a high day, as it is during the Passover’s/Feast of Unleavened Bread’s observance. See Leviticus 23 for more on the laws of the Jewish religious feasts and festivals. (Back)

26 sixth hour: Mark 15:25 tells us that Jesus was crucified at 9 am or the third hour. Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44, tell us that darkness falls over the land from about the sixth hour until the ninth (noon to 3pm). John can’t possibly mean noontime, because of these times as recorded.  John is possibly using Roman time-keeping whereas, Matthew, Mark and Luke are using Jewish time-keeping. Jewish time-keeping began at sunrise and Romans began counting the hours of the day at midnight, so the sixth hour would be 6am. This would fit with the rest of the time-keeping, as recorded. It’s also possible that John means it was the sixth hour since the trials began or sixth hour since Jesus’s arrest. (Back)

27 of the chief priests: From Luke 23:23. This part of the sentence “and of the chief priests” was in the original Greek, but some English translations omit it.  (Back)

28 “I am innocent of this Man’s blood: Not true. God will hold him accountable for killing an innocent man (Exodus 23:7, Proverbs 6:16-17) (Back)

29 Jesus’s own clothes back on Him: His clothes must be full of blood and gore from the flogging He endured, and the subsequent beating. These will be the clothes that the soldiers will divide up (the outer clothing into 4 pieces) and cast lots for (they cast for the under-tunic) later on (Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24), as prophesied in Psalm 22:18. (Back)