Sunday, November 1 · Cities Church
Four Great Nails He Bore
At the cross Jesus is cast out, stripped, vilified and crucified, and in each of those sufferings he is still the one doing something: bearing the cross, clothing sinners, loving his own, and reigning as king.
The passages
He went out, bearing his cross, to the place called “The Place of a Skull”, which is called in Hebrew, “Golgotha”, where they crucified him, and with him two others, on either side one, and Jesus in the middle. Pilate wrote a title also, and put it on the cross. There was written, “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Therefore many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. The chief priests of the Jews therefore said to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘he said, “I am King of the Jews.”’” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top throughout. Then they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to decide whose it will be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which says, “They parted my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.” Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Therefore when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home.
John 19:17–27
But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5
I will greatly rejoice in Yahweh! My soul will be joyful in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10
For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21
They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.
Psalms 22:18
No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.”
John 10:18
Go deeper
Why does John make a point that Jesus carried his own cross when the other Gospels say Simon carried it?
John watched the whole thing and still chose the words "bearing his own cross." For him the walk to Golgotha is not a man being dragged to his death but a shepherd laying his life down on purpose, step by step, even when his body gave out and Simon had to finish the carry.
He went out, bearing his cross, to the place called “The Place of a Skull”, which is called in Hebrew, “Golgotha”,…
John 19:17
No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.”
John 10:18
But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5
What does it show that the soldiers stripped Jesus and divided his clothes while the tunic stayed whole?
Jesus hangs exposed in front of the city while four soldiers gamble over the last of his belongings. John lets the shame sit there and then reads the deeper thing into it: the one man with nothing to be ashamed of takes on the shame of people who have everything to be ashamed of, and they come away dressed.
Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top throughout. Then they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to decide whose it will be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which says, “They parted my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.
John 19:23–24
For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21
Why does Jesus, dying on the cross, stop to place his mother in the care of the beloved disciple?
Mary is standing at the foot of the cross watching her son suffocate, and his first recorded words from the cross in John are about her. He hands her to John and John to her, and John takes her home that same hour. The man with the least room left to think about anyone else is thinking about someone else.
But standing by Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Therefore when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home.
John 19:25–27
The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have all of you, that he might sift you as wheat, but I prayed for you, that your faith wouldn’t fail. You, when once you have turned again, establish your brothers.”
Luke 22:31–32
Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his time had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
John 13:1