Jesus's Crucifixion, Death, and Burial

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(John 19:1) Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged Him.

At the end of the last chapter, Jesus having been brought before Pilate to receive a sentence of death, Pilate had told the people he had found no fault in Jesus.  However, the people clamored for Jesus's crucifixion, so Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped.  It's difficult to understand Pilate's heart.  At the very least, I find him to be a very weak man.  He found no fault in Jesus, yet he let the people drive him, the Roman governor, to scourge an innocent man and deliver Him to be crucified.  John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, suggested that he might have delivered Jesus to be scourged so that they would be satisfied with that punishment and then he could release Jesus.  This might have some basis in truth as Pilate continued to say that he found no fault in Jesus (v. 4).  However, it was the custom to first scourge the criminals they condemned to be crucified.  Whatever his reasoning, he still was morally weak for having an innocent man scourged.

(2) And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. (3) And said, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck Him with their hands.

In derision, the soldiers braided a crown of thorns and put it on Jesus's head.  They also put a purple robe on Him and mocked Him as a king.  They also struck Him with their hands.

(4) Pilate therefore went forth again and said to them, "Behold, I bring Him forth to you that you may know that I find no fault in Him."

Then Pilate went back out to the Jews to tell them he was bringing forth Jesus to show how He had been scourged and abused and to tell them again that he found no fault in Jesus.  He found no fault, yet he allowed this to be done to Jesus?  Perhaps his purpose was to show that since he had allowed so much to be done to Jesus, if he had found Him to be the least bit guilty, he would have had no problem crucifying Him.  However, he said he still found no fault in Jesus. 

(5) Then Jesus came forth, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold the Man!"

Then Pilate brought Jesus forth, and He was wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe and was surely in a worse condition due to the scourging.  Pilate told the people to look at Jesus and see what had been done to Him, hoping this would satisfy the Jews.

(6) When the chief priests and officers therefore saw Him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify! Crucify!" Pilate said to them, "You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him."

However, not at all satisfied, the chief priests and officers cried out to crucify Jesus.  Pilate told them to take Jesus themselves and crucify Him if they thought they must, because he found no fault in Him.

(7) The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and by our law, He ought to die because He made Himself the Son of God."

The charge of sedition was not working with Pilate, so the Jews told him that according to their Jewish law, Jesus ought to die because He had called Himself the Son of God, which they were calling blasphemy.  Their law called for stoning, but they had wanted the governor to sentence Jesus so that He would be crucified, a more horrible method of killing.

(8) When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid.

When Pilate heard that, he was afraid.  He was convinced that Jesus was innocent as he could see more and more clearly the design of the Jews.  However, they now brought up a charge of which he did not have a full understanding.  He would bring their wrath if he denied them; however, as he saw Jesus as innocent, he probably wondered if He could truly be divine.

(9) And went again into the judgment hall and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer.

Therefore Pilate went back in to try to get an answer from Jesus.  He asked Him where He was from, but Jesus did not answer him.  He was surely trying to determine if Jesus was indeed divine and not of this world.  Jesus had already told Pilate His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36), and Pilate already had enough information to determine Jesus was innocent, yet he had had Him scourged and ridiculed.  Pilate was a morally weak man refusing to do what his conscience knew to be the right thing, so probably nothing more Jesus could say would change his actions.

(10) Then Pilate said to Him, "You don't speak to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You and have power to release You?"

In arrogance, Pilate cautioned Jesus about not speaking to him, as he told Jesus in his puffed-up pride that he had the power to either crucify Jesus or release Him.

(11) Jesus answered, "You could have no power against Me, except it were given you from above; therefore he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin."

Jesus told Pilate that he had no power over Jesus except what had been given to him by God.  Once Jesus had been delivered to be crucified, it was definitely going to be carried out.  And then Jesus went on to answer the question about Pilate's guilt in this matter.  He said that the one who delivered Him to Pilate had the greater sin.  That indicates that Pilate had indeed sinned in scourging an innocent man, but Jesus held the sin of delivering Him in the first place the greater sin.

(12) And from then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, "If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar."

After Jesus said that to Pilate, Pilate tried to release Him, being convinced of His innocence and probably desiring not to sin anymore against Him.  However, the Jews cried out against him, telling him he was no friend of Caesar's if he let Jesus go because Jesus had spoken of Himself as being king, so they saw that as against Caesar, returning to their charge of sedition.

(13) When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.

When Pilate realized the Jews might make accusations of his treachery against Caesar, he feared more for his own position than he did of condemning an innocent man, and he brought Jesus before the judgment seat, and he sat down as the judge in the place called Gabbatha in Hebrew, the Pavement.  The Greek word translated as "pavement" was "lithostrotos," meaning stoned or mosaic pavement.  "Gabbatha" meant "elevated" or "platform."  The Pavement was evidently an elevated stone or mosaic platform probably where judgments were pronounced.

(14) And it was the Preparation of the Passover and about the sixth hour, and he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"

It was the Preparation Day of the Passover at about noon.  The Jews counted their hours beginning at dawn or six in the morning.  The time was getting short before Passover would begin at sundown, so I suppose Pilate decided it was time to get this deed done.  He told the Jews to behold their king.

(15) But 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."

However, the Jews cried out to crucify Jesus, to which Pilate asked if they wanted him to crucify their king.  The chief priests answered that they had no king but Caesar.  They rejected their King Messiah, but also denied God as their king, calling Caesar their only king.

(16) Then he delivered Him therefore to them to be crucified. And they took and led Jesus away.

So the weak governor Pontius Pilate delivered Jesus to the Jews, knowing what they were about to do.  They took Jesus and led Him away.

(17) And He, bearing His cross, went forth to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha, (18) Where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side and Jesus in the middle.

Jesus bore His own cross and was led to a place called the Place of the Skull, or Golgotha in Hebrew, which means "skull."  It was so called because of the bones of criminals who had been executed that lay there.  That is where Jesus was crucified with two others, one on either side of Him, He being in between them.

(19) And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Pilate had made an inscription on the cross above Jesus, as the other Gospels put it, saying, "JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS."  The latter part of the inscription was meant to be the accusation against Him according to the account in Matthew, but it was a true assertion of who Jesus really was.

(20) This title then read many of the Jews, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near to the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

Many Jews had the opportunity to read the inscription because Jesus was crucified close to Jerusalem.  Pilate had written the inscription in three different languages, which probably accounts for the slight varying interpretations of all the Gospels.  Matthew had said it read, THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.  Mark said simply, THE KING OF THE JEWS, however, he did indicate that was the accusation, so he may have been commenting only on that part of the inscription.  Luke said it read, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

(21) Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but that He said, 'I am King of the Jews.'"

The chief priests of the Jews objected to Pilate writing that Jesus was the King of the Jews.  They told him to write it as Jesus had said that He was King of the Jews, not that it was a fact.

(22) Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

However, Pilate answered that what he had written was to stand.  Neither he nor the chief priests realized that it was undoubtedly the will of God that it be written that way.

(23) Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also His robe. Now His robe was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

The soldiers who had raised Jesus up on the cross, apparently four of them, took Jesus's garments and divided them into four parts among them.  However, Jesus's robe or tunic, His outer garment, was made without seams and not easily divided.

(24) They said therefore among themselves, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be," that the scripture might be fulfilled which says, "They parted My garments among them, and for My vesture they cast lots." These things therefore the soldiers did.

The soldiers did not want to tear the robe, but agreed to cast lots for it, not knowing they were fulfilling the scripture in Psalm 22:18, "They part My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture," His outer garment.  The soldiers had indeed divided his garments among them and cast lots for His robe.

(25) Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

Jesus's mother and Mary Magdalene stood by the cross of Jesus.  It's unclear if Mary's sister and Mary the wife of Cleophas were two different women, or one and the same.  It's doubtful that Jesus's mother would have had a sister named the same as her, however, she could be Jesus's mother Mary's sister-in-law, who would have been called her sister.  Matthew and Mark, in their accounts, spoke of a Mary, the mother of James and Joses.  Mark said specifically she was the mother of James the Little and Joses.  James the Little was one of Jesus's twelve apostles, the son of Alphaeus, who is the same as Cleophas (Alphaeus being Greek and Cleophas, Hebrew).  If Cleophas was Joseph's brother (the husband of Jesus's mother), then Mary his wife would be called Jesus's mother Mary's sister; however, we are not told that.  But we are given one more clue when in Mark 6:3, neighbors asked about Jesus's family, specifically His brothers James and Joses.  This would suggest a very close relationship, if not Jesus's brothers from the same immediate family, probably His first cousins, sons of his earthly father Joseph's brother Cleophas, or Alphaeus.  By the way, this Cleophas is probably not the same person Cleopas in Luke 24:18 as Cleopas is a Greek name short for Cleopater, whereas Cleophas in the Greek is Alphaeus.

(26) When Jesus therefore saw His mother and the disciple standing by whom He loved, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son."

Jesus looked upon His mother Mary and also saw His beloved disciple John standing by her.  He told His mother to behold her adopted son who would care for her in the absence of her son Jesus.  Adam Clarke in his Commentary on the Bible pointed out that John was the only disciple who did not die a premature unnatural death.  It seems God protected and preserved him for the care of Jesus's earthly mother.

(27) Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother." And from that hour that disciple took her into his own.

Jesus also told John to behold his mother, and he did indeed care for her as his mother, taking her into his own home.  Albert Barnes in his Notes on the Bible wrote that tradition said that Mary lived with John until her death about fifteen years later.

(28) After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst."

This is really an amazing verse.  Jesus was thirsty, but He could have certainly borne that without complaint, but so that the scripture would be fulfilled, and that all who witnessed it would have further proof that He was the Messiah fulfilling every last detail that was written about Him by the prophets,  Jesus said He was thirsty.

(29) Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar, and they filled a sponge with vinegar and put it upon hyssop and put it to His mouth.

The Roman soldiers dipped a sponge in vinegar and put it on a hyssop branch and then lifted that up to Jesus's mouth.  That indeed fulfilled the scripture in Psalm 69:21 which read, "...in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink."

(30) When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, "It is finished," and He bowed His head and gave up the ghost.

Jesus was in complete control the entire time.  He asked for the drink to fulfill prophesy, and when that was done, He declared that His work culminating in dying on the cross was finished.  He then proactively gave up the ghost.  He chose to die at that point.  Everything that happened to Jesus was all within His will.  He could have stopped it at any point, but because of His love for us sinners, He chose to go through it all for us.

(31) The Jews therefore, because it was the Preparation, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath Day (for that Sabbath Day was a high day), besought Pilate that their legs might be broken and they might be taken away.

It was the Preparation Day for the Sabbath, and it was a special high one in that the Feast of the Passover commenced on the Sabbath in that year.  It was about 3:00 in the afternoon when Jesus died (Matthew 27:46) and that was the time the Jews started making preparation for their Sabbath.  Jewish law ordered that the bodies of criminals should not hang all night (Deuteronomy 21:23), and because they were anxious to start preparing for their high Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to break the crucified men's legs so that they would die quickly and could be taken away.  To be able to keep breathing when hanging on a cross, one would lift his body up with his legs, so once his legs were broken, he could no longer lift himself to breathe and would die.

(32) Then came the soldiers and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him.

The soldiers did indeed break the legs of the two criminals who were hanging on either side of Jesus.

(33) But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was dead already, they did not break His legs.  

The chief priests of the Jews would have surely liked to see Jesus's legs broken as an added cruelty, but because Jesus laid down His life of His own accord, He was not to be killed by the breaking of His legs.  

(34) But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side and immediately blood and water came out.

One of the soldiers, just to make sure Jesus was indeed dead, pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water spewed forth.  It is a consensus belief among commentators that the soldier had pierced the pericardium that surrounds the heart and that is where the water flowed from.  By piercing the heart, the soldier would guarantee that Jesus was dead or would have been immediately killed by his action.  The blood and the water would have proved that, but additionally may have been symbolic of water baptism and blood atonement.

(35) And he who saw it bore record and his record is true, and he knows that he says truth that you might believe.

This sounds like it was probably John himself who saw the soldier pierce Jesus's side and probably His heart, proving that Jesus was indeed dead so that there could be no claims of His having just fainted when He was later found to not be in His tomb.  John desired to make it a certain truth by an eyewitness that Jesus had indeed died.

(36) For these things were done that the scripture should be fulfilled, "A bone of Him shall not be broken."

Even after Jesus had died, the things that were done to Him fulfilled scripture.  Psalm 34:20 reads, "He keeps all His bones; not one of them is broken."

(37) And again, another scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."

Additionally, the scripture in Zechariah 12:10 was fulfilled which reads in part, "...and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced..."

(38) And after this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave leave. He came therefore and took the body of Jesus.

Afterward, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a secret disciple of Jesus, following Him secretly because he feared the Jews, asked Pilate if he might be permitted to take the body of Jesus.  Pilate indeed gave him permission and he took Jesus's body.

(39) And there came also Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.

Nicodemus, another secret follower of Christ, who had first come to Jesus in the middle of the night so as not to be seen, brought a large quantity of myrrh and aloes, a hundred pounds, to perfume Jesus's body in honor and respect for Him.  John Wesley, in his Notes on the Bible, pointed out that while Jesus's apostles had apparently all left Him dead hanging on the cross, these two followers who had formerly only followed Jesus in secret, now came out publicly to care for His body.

(40) Then they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

Joseph and Nicodemus took Jesus's body and wrapped it in linen with the spices as was the custom of the Jews to bury someone.

(41) Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new sepulchre in which was never a man yet laid.

Near the place where Jesus had been crucified there was a garden in which was a new sepulchre that had never been used.  Matthew 27:60 told us it was Joseph's own new tomb that he had hewn out of rock.  

(42) There they laid Jesus because of the Jews' Preparation, for the sepulchre was near at hand.

Had they had more time, they may have prepared a different place for Jesus to be buried in His own tomb, but because it was near the end of Preparation Day and the Sabbath was fast approaching, they buried Him in Joseph's tomb as it was nearby.  This fulfilled another prophetic scripture in Isaiah 53:9, "And He made His grave with the wicked and with the rich in His death..."  Jesus had died among wicked criminals and was buried in a rich man's tomb, as Joseph was said to be a rich man.  Matthew told us in chapter 27:57 that Joseph was a rich man and a disciple of Jesus.  Mark 15:43 stated he was also a respected member of the council of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking for the kingdom of God.  Luke 23:50 added that he had not agreed to the council's decision regarding Jesus.  He was a good and just man who cared for Jesus's body and gave Him his own new tomb.  

Jesus is Condemned to Death by the People

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Luke 23:1) And the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate.

At the end of the last chapter, the Sanhedrin had met it seems rather secretly at the high priest's house and had found Jesus guilty of blasphemy that was punishable by death.  Their Sanhedrin was an ecclesiastical court and they had no authority to put Him to death, so they took Him to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor.

(2) And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found Him perverting the nation and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King."

The members of the Sanhedrin who had taken Jesus to Pilate put forth their accusations against Him.  First they said He was perverting the nation, which was a very broad accusation, and if meant perverting the religion of the Jews, I'm sure Pilate couldn't have cared less.  So then they lied and said that Jesus had forbidden people to pay tribute to Caesar which was of course not at all what He taught (Matthew 22:21).  The reason they gave for His forbidding tribute to Caesar was that He said He was Himself King.  They figured that the last part would certainly rile the Roman governor.

(3) And Pilate asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" And He answered Him and said, "You say."

Pilate then asked Jesus point blank if He was the King of the Jews, to which Jesus answered, "You say."  Once again, I find translations and commentaries adding to what Jesus said, declaring that He had said something to the effect of, "You speak rightly," or "It is as you say."  In the original text, Jesus said only, "You say."  Pontius Pilate would declare it himself when he would later put a sign over Jesus saying, "King of the Jews."  I truly believe Jesus and the Holy God's point was to have His accusers themselves state that they were indeed killing the Son of God and the King of the Jews.  

(4) Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the people, "I find no fault in this man."

Apparently, people had gathered around the governor's palace by that time, and Pilate said to them and to the members of the Sanhedrin that he found no fault in Jesus.  He had done nothing against Caesar or the government, and he didn't consider claiming He was King of the Jews to be an offense worthy of punishment.

(5) And they were more fierce, saying, "He stirred up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry beginning from Galilee to this place."

However, the members of the Sanhedrin did not want to accept that answer and began arguing more fiercely.  The best they could come up with was that He stirred up the people with His teaching throughout all Judea.

(6) When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the Man was a Galilean.

When Pilate heard them speak of Galilee, he then asked if Jesus was a Galilean.  Even though Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, He was brought up in Nazareth in Galilee, so everyone thought of Him as a Galilean.

(7) As soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself was also at Jerusalem at the time.

Obviously getting an answer in the affirmative, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod as He would be considered within Herod's jurisdiction.  Herod was also in Jerusalem at the time.

(8) And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad for he was long desirous to see Him because he had heard many things of Him, and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by Him.

Herod was very glad to see Jesus as he had long heard many things about Him and had desired to see Him.  When Herod first heard about Jesus, he thought He must be John the Baptist coming back to haunt him because he had had John beheaded.  Herod hoped to see Jesus and to witness a miracle performed by Him to satisfy his curiosity.

(9) Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing.

Herod questioned Jesus but we aren't told exactly what he asked.  We can gather from Jesus's non-response that Herod's questions were not from a genuine interest in the truth about Jesus, but rather merely out of curiosity.  He probably thought that now that he had Jesus before him in bonds that he could demand a miracle, but just as Jesus was unwilling to play prophecy games when the soldiers were hitting Him in the head and asking who it was who hit Him, He would not say anything to Herod or perform a cheap trick for him.

(10) And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.

Meanwhile, the chief priests and scribes of the Sanhedrin intensely made their accusations against Jesus.

(11) And Herod with his men of war treated Him contemptibly like He was nothing and mocked Him and arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him again to Pilate.

Herod and his men, we see from this Herod's true thoughts about Jesus.  He thought of Him as nothing of any importance, only to be mocked by him and his men.  They put Him in a robe, mocking Him as King, and sent Him back to Pilate.  The word translated as "gorgeous" actually means more precisely "bright, shining, gleaming white."  The Romans had mocked Him as King in a purple robe.  Jewish kings wore brilliant white robes, so now they put a white robe on Jesus in pure mockery, not realizing the symbolism of the pure and innocent Christ King.

(12) And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together, for before they were at enmity with each other.

Apparently, Pilate and Herod had been at odds with one another, but through their likely communications about Jesus, they had common ground that brought them together.  Neither saw Jesus as any threat.

(13) And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, (14) Said to them, "You have brought this man to me as one who perverted the people, and behold, I, having examined Him before you, have found no fault in this man concerning those things of which you accuse Him."

Having Jesus back before him, Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and all the people who were there to tell them that he had found no fault in Jesus.  Although they had said that He had perverted the people, Pilate had examined Him before them and didn't find Him guilty of any of the things of which they had accused Him.

(15) "No, not even Herod, for I sent you back to him, and lo, nothing worthy of death has been done by Him."

Pilate told the chief priests and rulers that even Herod had found no fault in Jesus, certainly nothing worthy of death.

(16) "I will therefore chastise Him and release Him."

Therefore, Pilate said he would release Jesus after he chastised Him.  Isn't it interesting that he would chastise someone in whom he had found no fault?  Chastise Him for what?

(17) (For of necessity he must release one to them at the feast.)

This was a parenthetical statement that may have been added by someone who transcribed scripture as it is said that it was excluded from some old manuscripts.  It had become a custom to release one prisoner at Passover, and the people expected it, so Pilate felt obliged to do it.

(18) And they cried out all at once, saying, "Away with Him and release to us Barabbas!"

It seems beyond belief that all the people could clamor for Jesus to be punished when they had so recently exalted Him in His entrance into the city.  The account in Matthew stated that the chief priests and elders had stirred up the people against Him.  People have never changed; to this day they can be so easily manipulated by people in power.  The people asked for a prisoner named Barabbas to be released instead of Jesus.

(19) (Who for a certain sedition made in the city and for murder, was cast into prison.)

Luke made a parenthetical statement explaining who Barabbas was.  He had been found guilty of sedition and murder and had been thrown into prison.

(20) Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spoke again to them.

However, Pilate preferred to release Jesus and spoke again to the people.

(21) But they cried, saying, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!"

Again, because he found no fault in Jesus and preferring to release Him rather than Barabbas, Pilate appealed to the people for Jesus's release.  It is so unbelievable and heartbreaking that people could be so cruel to not only imprison someone with whom no fault had been found, but also to see Him crucified!  That would be sad if it were any innocent person, but it being the most innocent and pure and also so loving a person to ever live on earth makes it unbearable.  I think it illustrates just how deplorable we people are, but because He loved us filthy unlovable lot so much, He willingly gave His life to save us.  No greater love has there ever been!  This crucifixion of Jesus was a true historical event; how could anyone deny Jesus and His loving gift to them?

(22) And he said to them a third time, "Why? What evil has He done? I have found no cause for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go."

A third time Pilate pleaded for Jesus, saying he had found no fault in Him that warranted death.  He even asked the people to tell Him what evil He had done.  He declared again that he would chastise Jesus and then let Him go free.

(23) And they were insistent with loud voices requiring that He be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.

However, the people and the chief priests were insistent and shouted loudly that Jesus should be crucified.  And it seems they prevailed:

(24) And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.

Pilate gave the death sentence to Jesus as the people required.  I find Pilate to be a most weak man.  Perhaps it was necessary for him to release the prisoner of the people's choosing at Passover, but I don't believe there was anything in the law that said the people had the right to choose who should be crucified.  Pilate could have released Barabbas and imprisoned Jesus for a while without sentencing Him to death, but he was a weak ruler who feared the wrath of the people.

(25) And he released to them him who for sedition and murder had been cast into prison, whom they had desired, but he delivered Jesus to their will.

Pilate released Barabbas, a murderer, but delivered up an innocent man to be crucified according to the will of the people.  I'm sure that the will of the people was not the normal law of the Roman government, but so weak a ruler that Pilate was, he gave in to the people.  The account in Matthew stated that Pilate washed his hands before the crowd and said he was innocent of Jesus's blood and that the people bore the responsibility, but I'm sorry, I can't see it that way.  Pilate could have easily in his position as governor saved an innocent life, but chose not to for fear of the people.  However, we know that it had to be done for the salvation of the world, and only God truly knew the heart of Pilate and He is the righteous judge.

(26) And as they led Him away, they laid hold of one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it behind Jesus.

As they led Jesus out of Pilate's court, they took hold of Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming into the city from the country and laid Jesus's cross upon him to carry behind Jesus.  In reading commentaries on this verse, I am very offended by Albert Barnes's commentary.  He said it was because Jesus was feeble that they compelled Simon to help Him.  The Catholic church of my youth always taught me that Jesus fell down and that is when they compelled Simon to carry His cross.  Neither is found in scripture!  I'm sure that Albert Barnes probably just meant that Jesus was weak from all the beating He had received before this point, but still scripture said nothing about that being the reason they forced Simon to carry His cross.  And who knows why the Catholic church said that Jesus fell down when scripture does not say that He did, but I find they way too often diminish the deity of Jesus in some way or another.  Even in my own study, I added to scripture myself when I studied the account in Matthew.  I believed that Jesus carried His cross for a while, as stated in John, but then His tortured and beaten body could do it no more.  Scripture didn't say that!  I believe the purpose in Simon carrying the cross was a more spiritual one and symbolic of following Jesus.  First, Cyrene was a country in Africa; Simon was a foreigner, a Gentile.  But here he took up the cross and followed Jesus, a beautiful picture of discipleship and the fact that it is given to all people to be a disciple of Jesus.

(27) And there followed Him a great company of people, and of women who also mourned and lamented Him.

A crowd of people followed Jesus and among them were women who cried for Jesus.  Some of these were surely His friends and followers, but I imagine that some women of the general public mourned for Him because they had compassion for Him because of the unjust cruelty they had witnessed.  It proves that not everyone was hellbent on seeing Jesus crucified. 

(28) But Jesus turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children."

However, Jesus turned to them and told them not to weep for Him, but that they should weep for themselves and for their children.  He willingly went to give His life to save all people.  He called them daughters of Jerusalem, and of course, He referred to what was to happen to Jerusalem because of the people's rejection of Him and His blood on their heads and that is why they should weep for themselves and their children.

(29) "For behold, the days are coming in which they shall say, 'Blessed the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.'"

I know Jesus's human body was tortured and weak at this point, but there is nothing feeble about Him.  He was in complete control and willingly went to His death, and He had the complete presence of mind to tell these women about their fate to come.  There was coming a time when it would be more blessed to be barren and to have never born children that would have to endure what was in store for them.

(30) "Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us.'"

Jesus told the women that the days that were coming would be so terrible that people would wish for mountains to fall upon them and kill them rather than be subject to the terrors and complete destruction facing them.

(31) "For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?"

Jesus's words were metaphoric.  If such a green fruitful life such as His, completely innocent, can be killed in such a brutal abhorrent way, what could dry unfruitful sinful people expect?  If the Romans punished Jesus in such a manner as this, what would they do to the entire Jewish nation?  The Romans would be used by God to punish Israel.  Sure, they were guilty of evil, too, and persecuted the Jews, but it was not the Roman rulers who condemned Jesus to crucifixion and death.  It was the Jewish people, God's chosen people, who condemned Him.  They were the dry useless chaff that would be burned and destroyed.  I know that God is just and that He can punish anyone or show mercy to anyone as He pleases, but I always think that God doesn't have to personally punish, although He has every right to, but I know all He has to do is turn His back and the wicked world will do it for Him.  

Again, I have to ask Mr. Barnes if this sounds like a feeble man.  I know he meant no disrespect and Jesus's human body had indeed been horribly tortured and weakened, and it pains me to think of the pain He endured, but I know He was a triumphant King who willingly did all this to defeat Satan and death and to bring all of us to Him in eternal life.  He was always in control and teaching to His last moments on earth.

As this is a rather long chapter, I will end this post with this and continue chapter 23 in the next post.

Repent and Enter at the Narrow Gate, or Perish

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Luke 13:1) There were present at that season some who told Him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

In the last chapter Jesus had been speaking to His disciples and a multitude of people, teaching them to be reconciled to their Lord and ready for His second coming.  At this time some of the present company told Jesus about a certain incident.  According to Biblical scholars, this was most likely about the Galileans who were followers of Judas of Galilee (Acts 5:37) who refused to acknowledge the Roman government.  There was an occasion recorded by the historian Josephus when Pilate surrounded and killed Galileans while they were sacrificing in the temple, thus mingling their blood with their sacrifices.

(2) And Jesus answering, said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things?"

Jesus perceived that their reason for telling Him of this incident was to pass judgment on the character of Galileans who seemingly sinned above all and received their just punishment.  He point-blank asked them if that was their supposition.

(3) "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish."

Jesus answered that was not the case, but unless they repented, they, too, would in like manner perish.  Indeed, they would.  The fate of those Galileans, killed while sacrificing at the temple, was an illustration of what was to happen to the Jews who would be slain in Jerusalem by Roman soldiers.  The broader point was that unless they repented of their sins, they would perish in hell for eternity.

(4) "Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were sinners above all men who dwell in Jerusalem?"

In this question of Jesus, He showed them that not only Galileans, whom they may have had contempt for, but also inhabitants of Jerusalem had died violent deaths.  Apparently, this was a recent occurrence that a tower which had been built at the Pool of Siloam fell and killed eighteen men likely as they were purifying themselves in the pool, which made this case much like the one they had described with the Galileans.  Did they also presume that those eighteen Jews were more sinful than the other Jews in Jerusalem?

(5) "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish."

Again Jesus told them that was not the case, and that unless they repented, they would all perish in the same way.  Once again, it was a picture of what was to come.  As the tower fell and buried the eighteen in the pool, so would Jerusalem fall and they would all be buried in the ruins of the city.  This may have been exactly what Jesus meant, warning them to repent before all of Jerusalem fell, but I can't help but think about it in a broader sense.  That's because, if there was someone in Jerusalem who repented and followed Jesus, Jerusalem would have still fallen and could have killed that innocent person.  Jesus said it rains on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45) indiscriminately, but the just will have eternal life whereas the unjust will be permanently destroyed.

(6) He spoke also this parable, "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came and sought fruit on it and found none."

Jesus then began a parable to illustrate His point.  He spoke of a man who had a fig tree planted in his vineyard.  He went to it to gather fruit from it, but there was none.

(7) Then he said to the vinedresser, "Behold these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none; cut it down, why let it cumber the ground?"

The owner of the vineyard spoke to the keeper of his vineyard, telling him he had been coming to that particular fig tree for three years looking for fruit and had found none.  He told the vinedresser to cut it down as it was taking up ground that a fruitful tree could use.  This was a symbol of God looking for good fruits from His creation, and finding none, wishing to destroy it and allow the more fruitful of His creation to take its place.

(8) And he answering, said to him, "Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig around it and fertilize it."

The vinedresser answered his master, asking that he allow the tree one more year.  He would work it, nurture and fertilize it.  The vinedresser is a symbol of Christ, the intercessor for us sinners, asking for patience while He was on earth to nurture and teach the sinners.  

(9) "And if it bears fruit, well; and if not, after that you shall cut it down."

Like the vinedresser for the barren tree, Christ the intercessor for sinners, asked for one more chance to allow sinners to bear the fruit of repentance, and if by then they did not, then they could be destroyed.  Interestingly, Christ's ministry was also three years like the time that the owner of the vineyard had been looking for fruit from the fig tree.  Still the Jews had not come to repentance, but Jesus in His love and mercy and patience, asked for more time for them.  Even at His crucifixion Jesus would ask forgiveness for the ones who crucified Him because they didn't know what they were doing (Luke 23:24).  However, after that, if they still did not bear the fruit of repentance, then they were to be destroyed.

(10) And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

Sometime later Jesus was teaching at one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day.

(11) And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years and was bent over and could in no way lift up.

There was a woman in the synagogue who had a condition that kept her bent over and unable to lift herself up.  She had had the condition for eighteen years, but it did not keep her from attending the synagogue on the Sabbath.  I can't help think about what feeble excuses we might use not to attend church, but this woman went in her condition and received an incredible blessing as we will see in the next verses.  What blessings might we be missing when we miss church?

(12) And when Jesus saw her, He called and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."

When Jesus saw the bent over woman, He called out to her and told her that she was released from her infirmity.

(13) And He laid hands on her and immediately she was made straight and glorified God.

Jesus laid His hands on the woman, and she immediately straightened up and praised God.

(14) And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day, and said to the people, "There are six days in which men ought to work; in them therefore, come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day."

The ruler of the synagogue was indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath.  He seemed to be indignant at the people as well as he quoted to them the fourth of the ten commandments that men were to do their work in six days and not on the seventh.  He suggested people should come to be healed on one of the six work days and not on the Sabbath.  You would think that prayer and laying on of hands would be exactly what was expected on the Sabbath.  What Jesus had done could not really be considered work, but the laws had become so strict and cumbersome, they had lost all sense of their original purpose.

(15) The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite, does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it away to watering?"

Jesus called the ruler a hypocrite and asked if he or any of them loosed their oxen and donkeys on the Sabbath and lead them to water.  That was considered work in their strict interpretation of the law, yet they, including the ruler himself who was being so hypocritical at that moment, would certainly do that.  If they would do good to water their animals, how much more good and proper was it to heal people from their infirmities when the occasion arose?

(16) "And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?"

Indeed, Jesus went on to say that as they would all loose their animals in order to water them, shouldn't that woman, who was a daughter of Abraham, one of God's own chosen people, who had been bound by Satan for eighteen years, be loosed from her bond on the Sabbath day?  After all, was she not worth more than the animals, as Jesus said in Luke 12:7, "You are of more value than many sparrows."

(17) And when He had said these things, all His adversaries were ashamed; and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

When Jesus had spoken what He did, the ruler of the synagogue as well as other adversaries like the scribes and Pharisees who were surely also in the synagogue hoping to catch Jesus in the wrong, were all put to shame.  Whether or not they personally felt ashamed or not, they were surely disgraced and silenced as all the people rejoiced in what Jesus had done and said.

(18) Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?"

I don't believe this question of Jesus was made at the same time as when He was in the synagogue, but rather later or at another time, "Then He said...."  Jesus asked a question He would answer Himself, what was the kingdom of God like and to what should He compare it for His listeners' understanding.

(19) "It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and cast into his garden, and it grew and became a great tree and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it."

Jesus used this comparison to show that the kingdom of God was not a sudden perfection on earth that they might have believed it would be.  The people expected an earthly king Messiah who would set up His kingdom immediately.  However, He explained it was not like that.  It would start very small like the mustard seed but would grow to be enormous in the world and would shelter many who would take refuge in it.

(20) And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?"

Jesus asked the question again in order to give another example.

(21) "It is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened."

Jesus said the kingdom of God on earth was like leaven, though small and perhaps seemingly begun in secret with a small few, would swell and spread till God's people throughout the whole world were leavened with the Gospel.

(22) And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.

Jesus went through cities and villages as He journeyed toward Jerusalem, and He took the time to teach people about the kingdom of God as He went along the way.

(23) Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And He said to them, (24) "Strive to enter in at the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able."

Someone among the people Jesus taught asked Him if there were only a few who were saved.  He told the people to strive, or be diligent about their salvation, striving to be Christ-like in communion with Him in prayer, in study of the scriptures, contending with Satan and the world that opposed salvation.  Jesus called this a narrow gate that many would seek to enter but would be unable.  The use of the word "seek" here bothered me a little because Jesus had said, "Seek, and you shall find."  However, God said in Deuteronomy 4:29, that one would find Him if he sought Him with all his heart and with all his soul.  I believe that is what makes it the narrow gate.  It's not enough to just say we wish to enter the kingdom of God and call ourselves Christian because we say we believe in Jesus and Father God.  We must truly strive to make Him the Lord of our lives proving we desire Him with all our hearts and souls.  Just saying we believe and continuing to live a worldly life is trying to enter by a broad gate that is not of Christ and His narrow gate.

(25) "When once the Master of the house has risen up and has shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us,' and He shall answer and say to you, 'I do not know you where you are.'"

Jesus told them that once the Master of the house, meaning God in heaven, had shut His door, and people stood outside the door asking to be let in, He would answer and say He did not know them as His own who lived among His flock, as they came from the world.  Not only would people be unable to enter the narrow gate because they did not wholeheartedly seek the Lord with all their hearts and souls, but they came too late.  God said in Isaiah 45:23, and it was reflected upon in Romans 14:11, that in the end every knee would bow to Him and every tongue would acknowledge Him; every person would eventually acknowledge God, but it would be too late then.

(26) "Then you will begin to say, 'We have eaten and drunk in your presence, and you have taught in our streets.'"

Jesus said those people would plead their cases saying that they had been in His presence, if not with Him personally, in His church, and His word was taught in their streets.  They would say that they "knew" Him.

(27) "But He shall say, 'I tell you, I do not know you where you are; depart from Me, all workers of iniquity!'"

However, the Lord would reiterate that He did not know them where they were in the world.  He would call them workers of iniquity and would demand they depart from Him.  Most all the translations other than the King James Version translated Jesus's words as something to the effect of, "I don't know you or where you came from" or "I don't know where you come from."  The fact that it was said twice the very same way, "I do not know you where you are," or exactly in the KJV, "I know you not whence you are," I believe that is exactly what was meant.  The Lord Jesus knows everyone and He knows where they came from.  I believe the sense is that He did not recognize them as one of His own because of where they were in the world, living as the world and not as one of His flock.

(28) "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you shall see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you thrust out."

Those Jesus told to depart from Him would find themselves wailing in anguish when they saw their fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the prophets who had foretold Jesus to them, there in the kingdom of God, and they were thrust out.

(29) "And they shall come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God."

Souls would come from all corners of the earth to sit in the kingdom of God.  This meant Gentiles would come from all nations to sit in the kingdom of God, but they, God's chosen people, would not be able to enter because they never really knew Jesus and He did not know them as His own.

(30) "And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last."

By this statement, Jesus was telling them that the last, the Gentiles, the farthest removed from God, and the last to receive the Gospel after it was rejected by the Jews, would be first in the kingdom of God.  God's first chosen and the first to hear the Gospel would become last because they had rejected it.

(31) The same day there came certain of the Pharisees saying to Him, "Get out and depart from here, for Herod will kill You."

That same day some Pharisees came to Jesus and warned Him to depart from there because Herod would kill Him.  From verse 22 we know that Jesus was journeying toward Jerusalem, so He was not there yet.  Therefore this may have been Herod the Tetrarch of Galilee whose jurisdiction went no further than Galilee.  Perhaps it was of good will that some Pharisees warned Jesus to get out of Herod's jurisdiction, but more likely they just wanted Him to leave and that was designed to make Him leave, whether or not it was Herod who sent them.  

(32) And He said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.'"

However, Jesus fittingly called Herod a fox as he was known as a crafty and incestuous prince.  He told those messengers to go tell Herod that He intended to stay and do the works He was sent to do for the short time He had left to do them, and on the third day He would depart for Jerusalem where He would be perfected when He died there.  Whether He would be just three days there before He was perfected, or rather what He said was to be symbolic of the three days He would be in the tomb before He rose again, the meaning was the same.  He had a short time to do His work and then He would be gone.

(33) "Nevertheless, I must walk today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem."

However, Jesus said that He would be walking toward Jerusalem those three days, though He intended to keep working His miracles as He journeyed.  He said that was because a prophet could not perish out of Jerusalem.  Obviously, it wasn't true that no prophet could ever perish outside of Jerusalem, but as that was where the Sanhedrin was which was said to be the only one to try and judge a prophet, that was where Jesus determined to go.  He did not fear death by Herod where He was and would not immediately depart, but He knew where He must go to die so He would be journeying that way.

(34) "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to you; how often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!"

Jesus then lamented over Jerusalem calling it a place that killed the prophets and stoned to death those who were sent to it in order to save it.  How often Jesus had desired to gather the people of Jerusalem together to protect them as a hen gathered her chicks under her wings, as He had made three different trips to Jerusalem in order to do just that.  However, Jerusalem rejected Him.

(35) "Behold, your house is left to you desolate, and verily I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you shall say, 'Blessed He who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

Because Jerusalem rejected Jesus, it was then consigned to destruction, and would not see Him again until the time when its people would acknowledge Him as Messiah and Savior coming the second time in the name and authority of the Lord.  However, that would be to the posterity of Jerusalem's present people, when the time came that they might be converted in the latter days.

The Crucifixion, Death, and Burial of Jesus

Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:

(Mark 15:1) And immediately in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus and carried Him away and delivered Him to Pilate.

In the last chapter and post, Jesus had been found guilty of blasphemy in a mock trial filled with false witnesses.  The next morning, after the whole council had discussed the matter among themselves, they bound Jesus and took Him to Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea, and the one who had the power to inflict capital punishment.

(2) And Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" And He, answering, said to him, "You say it."

Pontius Pilate asked Jesus directly if He was the King of the Jews.  Jesus answered something to the effect of "as you say," meaning that He indeed was, although not the earthly temporal king Pilate and the others imagined.

(3) And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.

At that point the chief priests began accusing Jesus of all sorts of things, but He said nothing in response.

(4) And Pilate asked Him again, saying, "Do You answer nothing? Behold how many things they witness against You."

Pilate then asked Jesus another question, this time about why He answered nothing in response to all the things the chief priests testified against Him.

(5) But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

Jesus still did not answer.  Pilate marveled over the fact that Jesus did not try to defend Himself.  Jesus had answered Pilate directly when he had asked Jesus if He was the King of the Jews.  However, He would not get into a squabbling war against all the false accusations of the priests, and He knew it would do no good anyway, as their minds were set on putting Him to death.

(6) Now at the feast he released to them one prisoner, whomever they desired.

At the Passover Feast, the governor had a custom of releasing one prisoner, whomever the people wanted to have released.

(7) And there was one named Barabbas bound with them who had made insurrection with him who had committed murder in the insurrection.

There was at that time a prisoner named Barabbas bound with those who had committed insurrection with him, he who had committed murder during the insurrection.  It could be read that the group of insurrectionists had committed murder, not necessarily Barabbas himself, but Peter called Barabbas a murderer later in Acts 3:14.  The account in John said Barabbas was a robber.  Matthew called him notable.  It is evident he was at the very least a notorious criminal and probably a murderer.

(8) And the multitude, crying aloud, began to desire him to do as he had always done for them.

A multitude of people had apparently gathered to Pilate and began crying out to him to do as was his custom every year at this time and release a prisoner.

(9) But Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" (10) For he knew that the chief priests had delivered Him out of envy.

Pilate answered the crowd asking if they would have him release Jesus, the King of the Jews.  Pilate realized that Jesus was innocent and that the chief priests had only brought Him to him out of envy because of His fame among the people.  Their flimsy arguments against Him had no proof, and Pilate was willing to let Jesus go free.

(11) But the chief priests moved the people that he should rather release Barabbas to them.

The chief priests moved among the people soliciting for Barabbas's release, and indeed persuaded the people to ask for Barabbas to be freed.

(12) And Pilate answered and said again to them, "What do you want then that I shall do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?"

The people having asked that Barabbas be freed, Pilate answered their cries and asked what then they wanted him to do with the one they called King of the Jews.

(13) And they cried out again, "Crucify Him!"

The people cried out in answer to crucify Jesus.  This had to be the rallying cry of the chief priests who incited the people against Jesus for why else would the people who had so recently hailed Him as the Son of David with shouts of "Hosanna!" now want Him crucified?

(14) Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?" And they cried out more exceedingly, "Crucify Him!"

Pilate was probably quite baffled as to why the people should want Jesus crucified.  He asked the people why they wanted that, what evil had He done?  However, they just cried out all the more to crucify Jesus.

(15) And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas to them, and delivered Jesus when he had scourged Him to be crucified.

Pontius Pilate was a weak man.  He, as governor, had found no fault in Jesus, but to please the people, released Barabbas to them, then scourged Jesus and delivered Him to be crucified.  Even if it was his own custom that he release the prisoner Barabbas to the people as they requested, did he have to scourge Jesus and send Him to be crucified just because the people demanded it?  He had found no fault in Him; he could have released Barabbas and continue to hold Jesus, but he let the people take his power as governor from him.  Even though we were told in Matthew 27:24 that Pilate washed his hands before the crowd declaring his innocence of the blood of this just person, he was the one who had Jesus scourged and delivered Him to be crucified.  He was guilty of Jesus's death and a very weak man, indeed!

(16) And the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium and they called together the whole band.

The soldiers led Jesus away into the judgment hall called the Praetorium where they called together their entire company of soldiers.

(17) And they clothed Him with purple and platted a crown of thorns and put it on His head. (18) And began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

They clothed Jesus in the royal color of purple and made a crown of thorns and put it on His head.  They mocked Him as a king, but the crown of thorns added some torture as well.

(19) And they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him and bowing their knees, worshiped Him.

They struck Jesus on the head with a reed and spat on Him.  When they bowed their knees to Him, they only pretended worship; theirs was only mockery.

(20) And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple from Him and put His own clothes on Him and led Him out to crucify Him.

After the soldiers had had their fill of fun at mocking Jesus, they took the purple cloth off Him and put His own clothes back on Him.  They then led Him out to be crucified.

(21) And they compelled one Simon, a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear His cross.

Interestingly, I have always believed and it is indeed taught in the Catholic Church that Jesus fell while carrying His cross, probably very much weakened by His beating and scourging, and that is why Simon was compelled to carry the cross for Him.  However, while studying this verse, I found that nowhere in scripture does it say that Jesus fell.  I didn't even see this when I studied the account in Matthew.  Matthew had stated that it was as they came out, they found Simon of Cyrene to carry Jesus's cross.  My commentary at the time was that the account in John stated that Jesus had indeed carried His cross at least a little while before Simon was called.  However, it was not because Jesus had fallen.  Although He may have been wearied and weakened by His beatings, nowhere does scripture suggest that, much to my amazement, as that is what I have always been taught and believed.  The soldiers probably compelled Simon to carry the cross to prolong Jesus's agony on the cross.  They didn't want Him to die too soon and definitely not before He reached the place of His crucifixion, so they found someone and forced him to carry Jesus's cross.

I believe there is some beautiful symbology in Simon of Cyrene bearing Jesus's cross.  Simon was coming out of the country or fields, as opposed to being in the city, and he was just passing by.  He was apparently well known, if for no other reason, than because he was the father of Alexander and Rufus, who were apparently well known enough to be mentioned by name by Mark.  Why mention these names at all?  Perhaps Mark was establishing eyewitness accounts to the crucifixion of Jesus.  Simon was from Cyrene in North Africa, a foreigner.  The account in Luke says that Simon carried the cross after Jesus, behind Him.  That is a beautiful picture of discipleship, taking up the cross and following Jesus (Matthew 16:24).  Not only that, but it was given to foreigners, Gentiles, all people in the world, to have the privilege of carrying the cross and following Jesus.

(22) And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, the place of a skull.

The soldiers brought Jesus to Golgotha, which literally meant "place of a skull."  It was a gruesome place known for its executions there and the skulls of men lay scattered about.

(23) And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh, but He did not take it.

The soldiers tried to give Jesus wine mixed with myrrh to drink, but He refused it.  Matthew, in his account, called it vinegar mixed with gall, and said that Jesus tasted it and then refused to drink it.  Vinegar was a light wine that had become acidic, and gall was a word used to denote anything exceedingly bitter, and myrrh was indeed a bitter substance.  There was a custom to give this strong drink to dying criminals to make them less sensible to their sufferings.  However, Jesus refused to drink it as He was unwilling to blunt the pain of what He must do and rather chose the cup His Father had given Him to drink.

(24) And when they had crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots on them to see what every man should take.

Mark's meaning of "crucified" seems to be that they had fastened Jesus to the cross and raised it up, not that He had yet died on the cross.  The soldiers parted His garments between them, casting lots to determine who should take what.  This fulfilled a prophecy in Psalms 22:18, "They part My garments among them and cast lots on My vesture."

(25) And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.

I don't believe that Mark meant Jesus was crucified at specifically the third hour of the day, 9:00 a.m., but that it was during the third hour and the entire three-hour period of the day, meaning the time between 9:00 and 12:00 noon.  The Jews divided their days into four three-hour periods, and also their nights into four three-hour periods, each beginning at 6:00.  Matthew and Luke stated it was in the sixth hour, which could have meant exactly the sixth hour, 12:00 noon, or the time between noon and 3:00 in the afternoon.  It is reasonable to suppose that Jesus was raised up on the cross about noon, perhaps a few minutes before, so as to make it in the third hour period as Mark stated, but close enough to noon that Matthew and Luke called it the sixth hour.

(26) And the inscription of His accusation was written above, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Pilate had made a sign to be placed above Jesus on the cross that read THE KING OF THE JEWS.  Pilate had found no fault in Jesus, so His only "crime" was being King of the Jews.  Perhaps it was written with a hint of mockery, as certainly many of the people who read it would take it.  Perhaps Pilate didn't even know the reason he wrote it, but God intended it as truth of the sovereign King.  Behold what the people were doing to their King who conquered death! 

(27) And with Him they crucified two thieves, one on His right hand and the other on His left.

Two thieves were also being crucified at the same time as Jesus.  They were on either side of Him with Jesus Himself in the middle.

(28) And the scripture was fulfilled which said, "And He was numbered with the transgressors."

Prophecy from Isaiah 53:12 was fulfilled which said that Jesus was numbered with the transgressors.  He was certainly no transgressor of the law, but He was counted as one and hung with thieves.

(29) And those who passed by railed against Him, wagging their heads and saying, "Ah, You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, (30) Save Yourself and come down from the cross!"

People who passed by Jesus on the cross jeered and mocked Him, shaking their heads and saying that He who could destroy the temple and build it up again in three days should save Himself and come down from the cross.  Of course, that is not exactly what Jesus had said, and little did they know He was doing just that in allowing the temple of His body to be destroyed and He would be raised again three days afterward.  Also unbeknownst to them was the fact that if He had indeed come down from that cross as He surely could have if He wanted to, His temple would not have been destroyed and wouldn't have raised again in three days, and there would be no salvation for the world He came to save, including some of their wretched souls.  Jesus died for all, but not all would accept His gift of salvation.

(31) Likewise, also the chief priests, mocking, said among themselves with the scribes, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. (32) Let Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross that we may see and believe." And they who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

Even the chief priests and the scribes mocked Jesus, and chimed in that He saved others, but He couldn't save Himself, and if He was truly Christ the King, then He should come down from the cross and then they would believe Him.  Once again, if He had done that, then their foolish souls could never be given the opportunity to be saved.  They had seen and heard more than enough to prove Jesus was who He said He was, but they didn't want to believe.  Mark stated that the thieves crucified with Him also reviled Him.  Matthew stated as much in his account.  However, the account in Luke stated that just one of the thieves chimed in at this point saying if He was the Christ, He should save Himself and them, too.  Maybe the other had at first mocked Jesus, but more likely it was probably that the mocking one was loud and noticeable among all the ones who mocked Jesus at that particular time that it was seen as the thieves (plural) mocking, too.  Additionally, the conversation between Jesus and the one thief who did not mock Him was private and not shouted among all the other cries of "Save Yourself!"  It may not have been witnessed and known by the other Gospel authors, but it was given to Luke by inspiration of the Holy Spirit to know what transpired that we might all know that we can be saved no matter what we have done and no matter what the late hour.  That one thief rebuked the other, and calling Him Lord, asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom, and Jesus told him he would indeed be with Him in paradise that very day.

(33) And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

In this case, since both ends of the time period are mentioned, I believe it is meant to be taken literally that there was darkness over the whole land from noon until 3:00 in the afternoon.  This fulfilled prophecy; Amos 8:9 said, "'And it shall come to pass in that day,' says the Lord God, 'that I will cause the sun to go down at noon and I will darken the earth in the clear day.'"  Indeed, it was a very dark time for the Jewish nation.  It might also be seen as the people extinguishing the Light and Sun of righteousness, though they never actually could.  It was that sign they were always demanding of Christ.

(34) And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which being interpreted, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

The darkness that was over Christ during that time could also be seen as symbolic of the darkness of the sin of the world that was upon Him as He was offering Himself in atonement for the sin of the world.  At the end of that time period, at about 3:00 in the afternoon, Jesus cried out to God, asking why He had forsaken Him.  The light of God had been withdrawn from Jesus as He took on all the filthy sin of the world.  This was the one thing that Christ found almost impossible to bear, as He had said in His prayers in the garden at Gethsemane, being separated from God the Father.  Jesus Christ was God on earth in human form, but at this moment he was only man, separated from His Godness, so to speak, and that was a most terrible thing.  Jesus could tolerate His disciples forsaking Him, but God Himself forsaking Him was a terrible thing to bear.

(35) And some of them who stood by, when they heard it, said, "Behold, He calls Elijah!"

Whether they truly misunderstood Jesus, or used it as another taunt, some when they heard Him cry "Eloi" said He was calling Elijah.  It looked to them as if God had apparently abandoned Him, so now He cried for a saint to help Him.  Whether or not they truly believed that, I'm sure they believed it would make Him more odious to the people to suggest that.

(36) And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar and put it on a reed and gave Him to drink, saying, "Let Him alone; let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down."

The account in John says that Jesus had actually said at that time that He was thirsty, so in response, someone lifted up on a reed a sponge full of vinegar or sour wine for Him to drink.  That actually fulfilled another prophecy in Psalms 69:21, "...in My thirst, they gave Me vinegar to drink."  The account in Matthew said that it was actually others telling the man who offered Jesus the drink to leave Him alone and they would see if Elijah would come to help Him.

(37) And Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the ghost.

Jesus then cried out loudly and gave up the ghost, His Spirit, which of course, meant He died.

(38) And the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.

The temple veil separated the most holy place from the holy place and was said to be where God's presence rested.  The tearing of the veil in two might be seen as a symbol of God's leaving the building as what could be seen as prophecy in Hosea 5:14, "...I will tear and go away..."  However, as God was indeed leaving the nation of Israel at this point, the tearing of the veil in two represented to the world that because of that sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the veil separating God from the people was torn in two, and anyone was able to approach God who was covered by the blood of Jesus's sacrifice by accepting Him as Lord of his life.

(39) And when the centurion who stood opposite Him saw that He cried out and gave up the ghost, he said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

According to this account in Mark, it seems as if only from watching Jesus cry out loudly and then immediately die, that he was able to state emphatically that Jesus was indeed the Son of God.  Perhaps, because he had witnessed many die on the cross being crucified that he knew no one could have the energy and breath to cry out in such a loud voice immediately before they died.  Perhaps he could see it just as it was, that Jesus Himself gave up His Spirit and died, as it did not seem to be plausible to him that Jesus died naturally at that moment.  However, the account in Matthew said that it was after the centurion had witnessed Jesus at that moment and also the earthquake and other things that were done at the time like the tearing of the veil, and also other things not mentioned by Mark like the aforementioned earthquake, and rocks being broken apart and graves opened, that the centurion remarked that Jesus was truly the Son of God.  The account in Matthew also stated that other soldiers with the centurion also saw all the signs and feared and stated that Jesus was truly the Son of God.

(40) There were also women looking on from afar, among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Little and of Joses, and Salome, (41) (Who also, when He was in Galilee, followed Him and ministered to Him), and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

There were many women watching Jesus on the cross from afar.  They included Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Little, so called because he might have been little in stature or because he was young, to differentiate him from other Jameses; his mother was also the mother of Joses.  Also among the women was Salome, who was most likely the wife of Zebedee and the mother of James and John, if the assumption that Matthew named the same three women is true:  "Among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children" (Matthew 27:56).  The three women specifically named had been followers of Jesus and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee.

(42) And now when the evening was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, (43) Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable counsellor, who also waited for the kingdom of God, came and went in boldly to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.

Evening had come and it was Preparation Day, the day before the Sabbath, and no bodies could be left hanging on the Sabbath.  Therefore, Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable counsellor, likely meaning of the council of the Sanhedrin, a righteous man who looked forward to the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

(44) And Pilate marveled that He was already dead, and calling the centurion, asked him whether He had been already dead.

Pilate was surprised that Jesus was already dead as it is said that often those being crucified lasted days on the cross.  The fact that He died so soon and suddenly was one of the reasons the centurion in verse 39 stated emphatically that Jesus was the Son of God, as He had given up His life Himself.  Pilate called the centurion to confirm that Jesus was truly dead before he would consent to Joseph taking His body.

(45) And when he knew from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.

When the centurion had confirmed that Jesus was indeed dead, he allowed Joseph to take His body.

(46) And he bought fine linen, and took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen, and laid Him in a sepulchre which had been hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone to the door of the sepulchre.

Joseph bought fine linen and then took Jesus's body down from the cross and wrapped Him in the linen.  He laid Him in a sepulchre that had been hewn out of a rock, his own sepulchre as the account in Matthew told us, and he then rolled a stone in front of the entrance.

(47) And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where He was laid.

Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses apparently had seen Joseph take Jesus's body and followed him to the tomb, so they saw where Jesus was buried.

Jesus's Death and Burial

Continuing a Bible study of the gospels:

(Matthew 27:33) And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,

In the last post, Jesus had begun His journey to His crucifixion site, with Simon, a man of Cyrene, carrying His cross.  They came to a place called Golgotha, which literally meant "skull."  It is believed that it was a place of unburied skulls and bones of criminals.  

(34) They gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with gall; and when He had tasted it, He would not drink.

They gave Jesus a sour wine mixed with something bitter, and He tasted it, but then would not drink it.  By tasting it, it seems He would have drunk it if it was good to ease thirst.  The account in Mark said they offered Him wine mingled with myrrh, which would have been bitter, too.  The significance of that is that wine mixed with myrrh was given to prisoners to intoxicate them to make them less sensible to pain.  Jesus apparently refused anything to dull His senses and thus the pain, preferring to drink the "cup" His Father gave Him.

(35) And they crucified Him, and parted His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, "They parted My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots."

The Roman soldiers then crucified Christ, meaning they went through the actions of nailing Him to the cross and lifting it up and fixing it into the earth.  They had stripped Him of His garments before nailing Him to the cross, and then cast lots, sort of like throwing dice, to divide His clothing among them.  This fulfilled a prophecy of David in Psalms 22:18, "They part My garments among them, and cast lots for My clothing."

(36) And sitting down, they watched Him there.

The soldiers then sat down and watched Jesus on the cross, probably making sure no one attempted to take Him down.

(37) And set over His head His accusation written, "THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS."

The soldiers set above His head a sign that labeled His crime, as was customary, "THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS."  Matthew made it known that this was the accusation against Him, not that He was guilty of that crime.

(38) Then there were two thieves crucified with Him, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

The Roman soldiers also crucified two thieves, placing one on His right side, and one on His left.  Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Bible, wrote that according to one of their canons, this was not done, "They do not judge two in one day," unless they were partners in the same crime and suffered the same death.  However, this was done to fulfill prophecy in Isaiah 53:12, "...He was numbered with the transgressors..."  This could have been done by Pilate and the soldiers to take the emphasis off Jesus, and the fact Pilate may have condemned an innocent man.  It could have been He was placed between two thieves for appearance's sake, to make Jesus look like a ringleader of malefactors.

(39) And they who passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads.

Those who passed by the cross spoke abusively about Jesus and shook their heads in contempt.

(40) And saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself.  If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."

The passersby ridiculed Jesus saying that if He could destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, then He could certainly save Himself and come down from that cross.  Jesus never actually said that He could destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days; He was talking about His body.  Additionally, He was the Son of God and could have saved Himself, but it was not in God's plan to do so.

(41) Likewise also the chief priests, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, (42) "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him."

The chief priests, scribes, and elders, also mocked Jesus, saying He had saved others, but He couldn't even save Himself!  They actually said that if He was truly the King of Israel, then He should come down off that cross, and then they would believe Him!  As if they had not seen miracles enough!  They didn't want to believe Him; He was a threat to them, and they wanted Him gone.  Even if He had, they would have said it was by Satan that He did it, as they had accused before.  Besides, once again, it was not in God's plan for Him to do so.

(43) "He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him, for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

They continued mocking, saying if He was truly the Son of God, then let God deliver Him, if He would have Him.  Such utter disdain for the One who was allowing all these things to save the likes of them, if they would have Him!

(44) The thieves also who were crucified with Him reviled Him in the same way.

The thieves on the crosses with Him also reviled Him in the same way, at least in the beginning, they might both have; but the account in Luke states that one of the thieves, probably after witnessing Jesus's patient suffering, reproved the other thief and repented.  It could also be that in Mattew's usual form of brevity, he used what is called a synecdoche, a figure of speech in which a part is used for a whole; at least one of the thieves did revile Him, and Matthew just lumped both thieves together to say they also reviled Him.

(45) Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land to the ninth hour.

As the Jews began counting their day at sunrise, the sixth to the ninth hour would have been from noon to 3:00 in the afternoon.  This could not have been a natural eclipse, for it was the time of the full moon, and it continued for three straight hours.  Whether this was a sign of God's abhorrence of the wickedness taking place, or a symbol of the whole darkness of the world descending upon Christ, you would think it would have those who mocked Jesus falling on their faces before Him.  The event was recorded by even Pagan historians.  Phlegon, a Roman astronomer, said, "...the greatest eclipse of the sun that was ever known happened then, for the day was so turned into night that the stars appeared."  Dr. John Gill wrote, "It is asserted by Suidas, that Dionysius the Areopagite, then an Heathen, saw it in Egypt; and said, 'Either the, divine being suffers, or suffers with him that suffers, or the frame of the world is dissolving.'"

(46) And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" That is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

About 3:00 in the afternoon, after three hours of darkness, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"  We know that God did not completely forsake or abandon Christ, but He did for a time leave the human temple of Jesus who had taken upon Himself the whole sin of the world; He was made a curse (Galatians 3:13); He was made to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21); He was for a time a cursed thing, sin that the holy God could not bear in His presence.  The cry of Jesus was prophesied by David in Psalm 22:1, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?..."

(47) Some of them who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This Man calls for Elijah!"

It may be that some truly misunderstood Jesus's words, and thought He was calling for Elijah.  The people long expected Elijah to be a forerunner of their anticipated Messiah.  Malachi 4:5 prophesied that, and in Matthew 17:12, Jesus said that Elijah had already come in the form of John the Baptist.  It could also be that some purposely twisted the words of Jesus as a taunt to say that He was calling for Elijah because neither He Himself nor God could help Him.

(48) And immediately one of them ran, took a sponge and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave it to Him to drink.

This seems to be the action of someone who was not deriding Jesus, but actually sought to help Him.  This vinegar was a sour wine and the usual drink of the Roman soldiers.  The account in John states that Jesus Himself had said He was thirsty and someone gave Him the wine which He received.

(49) The rest said, "Let Him be; let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him."

It appears the rest of them standing before Christ would deny Him a drink in order to deride Him further, pretending to see if Elijah would indeed come and save Him.

(50) Jesus, when He had cried out again with a loud voice, yielded up His spirit.

Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, demonstrating He was still very much alive.  However, when He was ready, He Himself let His spirit go and He died.  In John 10:18, Jesus said that no man could take His life from Him, but He would lay it down Himself; He had the power to lay it down, and He had the power to take it up again.  Jesus, the Author of life, died by a voluntary act of His own.

(51) And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks split.

Immediately after Jesus died, the veil of the temple, which separated the holy place from the holiest of all, was torn in two from top to bottom.  This must have been an awesome sight!  This was no thin curtain that separated the holiest of all from the people.  It is written that, "the thickness of the vail is an hand's breadth, and it is woven of seventy two threads, and every thread has twenty four threads in it: it is forty cubits long, and twenty broad, and is made of eighty two myriads..."  As terrifying a sight as it may have been, it actually represented something very beautiful.  In Jesus's act of dying for our salvation, the veil between God and common sinful man was torn in two, and man was then allowed to come to God.  As the veil was torn in two, the earth quaked and rocks were split apart.  Apparently, rocks are still seen torn asunder at Mount Calvary today.

(52) And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints who slept arose.

That was probably the purpose of the earth shaking and rocks splitting, to open the graves of the saints, holy men who had believed in Christ.

(53) And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared to many.

The tombs and sepulchres were opened when Jesus died, but the saints didn't come out of the graves until after His resurrection, demonstrating that Christ had conquered death and would raise all saints.  Those bodies went into Jerusalem and appeared to many in the city, proving the resurrection of bodies after death.

(54) Now when the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

When the centurion, the commander of the Roman soldiers, and those who were with him watching Jesus, witnessed the earthquake, the splitting apart of the rocks, and the opening of the graves of the saints, not to mention the darkening of the sun that had occurred prior to the earthquake, they feared greatly.  They had reason to be very afraid as they realized they had just crucified the Son of God!

(55) And many women were there looking from afar, who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him.

Jesus's very own disciples had scattered, but there were women who had been followers of Jesus and had ministered to Him, who had been at Jesus's crucifixion, watching from a distance.  As a side note, this has been used to prove the truth about Jesus Christ and the Bible.  What men, who were fabricating a story, would admit they were afraid and ran, while the weaker sex stayed and watched what happened to their Lord?

(56) Among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.

Among the women observing from a small distance was Mary Magdalene, who in Luke 8:2 was said to have been delivered by Jesus from seven devils.  There was also Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, who in John 19:25, was said to be the sister of Jesus's mother Mary.  There was also the mother of Jesus's disciples James and John, Zebedee's sons.

(57) When the evening was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea named Joseph, who himself was also Jesus's disciple.

Evening for the Jews was considered to be between 3:00 in the afternoon until 6:00, about sundown.  Sundown began a new day.  Jesus had died about 3:00 in the afternoon, so sometime after that, Joseph of Arimathaea came.  He had been one of Jesus's broader number of disciples.  He was considered a rich man, but he must have been one of the few willing to give all for Jesus, in order to have been a disciple of Jesus, for Jesus had said it was extremely difficult for a rich man to be saved (Matthew 19:24).

(58) He went to Pilate and begged for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body be delivered to him.

Joseph went to Pontius Pilate, the governor, whose consent was needed in order to take a body down after crucifixion.  He asked for the body of Christ in order to give Him a proper burial and Pilate granted his wish.

(59) And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, (60) And laid it in his own new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock, and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

Joseph took the body of Jesus, wrapped it in clean linen cloth and laid it in his own tomb that he had hewn out of rock for himself.  He then rolled a large heavy stone into the doorway of the tomb, and then left.  As He was in life, so He was in death; Jesus had said He had nowhere to lay His head (Matthew 8:20), and He also had no tomb of His own.  Jesus did not live for Himself, but only for others, and He died for all of us.

(61) And there was Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sitting opposite the sepulchre.

Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, were still there, witnessing all that had happened to Jesus's body.

(62) Now the next day which followed the day of preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together to Pilate, (63) Saying, "We remember that that deceiver said, while He was still alive, 'After three days, I will rise again.'"

The day of preparation was the day before the sabbath when everything was prepared for the sabbath, so that no work had to be done on it.  The day which followed the day of preparation would have been the sabbath day.  The chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate telling him that they remembered that Jesus had said He would rise after three days.

(64) "Command therefore that the sepulchre be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He is risen from the dead.' So the last deception shall be worse than the first."

The chief priests and Pharisees therefore asked Pilate to guard Jesus's tomb.  They speculated that His disciples might come and take His body away, and then falsely claim that He had risen from the dead.  They felt that final deception, as they called it, would be worse than any claimed while He was living.

(65) Pilate said to them, "You have a watch; go your way, make it as secure as you can."

Pilate told them to take one of the groups that guarded the temple to act as watch over the tomb, and told them to go quickly and make it as secure as possible.

(66) So they went and made the sepulchre secure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

The chief priests and Pharisees went to the tomb of Jesus and made it secure.  They sealed the stone that acted as a door, and then set a guard to watch it.  Little did they know they were acting perfectly in God's will.  All those precautions would make the resurrection of Jesus all the more miraculous and beyond reproach.