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Please choose a passage in John 19
The Scourging and Mocking of Jesus: Pilate’s Third Attempt to Release Jesus: Pilate takes Jesus and has Him scourged—a severely painful form of whipping that cut into the victim’s body and turned them into a bloody mess. As Jesus "recovers" from the painful shock of this punishment, He is ruthlessly mocked by the Roman soldiers and dressed as a king with a crown of thorns. This event is part of the third phase of Jesus’s Civil Trial. This phase is called: "Pilate’s Judgment."
"Behold the Man!" Following Jesus’s flogging, Pilate reminds the crowds of Jesus’s innocence before dramatically bringing the bloodied Prisoner out of the Praetorium for the crowds to see. He tells them "Behold the Man!" Pilate apparently hopes that the severity with which Jesus has been punished will appease the crowd and let the governor release Jesus without further incident. Additionally, Pilate’s statement: "Behold the Man!" also has multiple significant spiritual meanings.This event is part of the third phase of Jesus’s Civil Trial. This phase is called: "Pilate’s Judgment."
The Charge of Blasphemy: After Pilate brought the scourged and bloodied Jesus for the Jews to behold, the chief priests and temple officers lead the crowd to erupt in cries to crucify Him. Pilate is frustrated and tells them that he wants nothing to do with killing this innocent Man. The Jews counter by accusing Jesus of the religious crime of blasphemy and ask the Roman governor to execute Him according to their law. This event is part of the third phase of Jesus’s Civil Trial. This phase is called "Pilate’s Judgment."
Pilate’s Second Interview with Jesus: Having just received the Jews’ new charge against Jesus on the religious crime of blasphemy, Pilate becomes even more afraid and agrees to investigate this new charge with a second interview of Jesus inside the Praetorium. He asks Jesus where He is from; but he is given no answer. Pilate challenges Jesus to speak by reminding Him that as the governor, he has the authority to release or condemn Him to crucifixion. Jesus acknowledges Pilate’s authority over His life in this moment, but He informs Pilate that he would have no authority if it were not given to Him from above. This event is part of the third phase of Jesus’s Civil Trial. This phase is called: "Pilate’s Judgment."
The Jews’ Blasphemy: "We Have No King but Caesar." Pilate made efforts to release Jesus, but the Jews put him in a diabolical bind by framing his choose as to either support Caesar or betray him. Pilate ends the trial from his Judgment Seat. He gives the Jews a diabolical dilemma of their own when He presents Jesus and says: "Behold Your King." This forces the Jews to either accept Jesus as their King (in order to crucify Him) or deny that He is their King and admit that He is innocent of their charges. Rather than do either, the chief priests choose to blaspheme, saying "We have no King but Caesar." Their blasphemy all but seals Jesus’s conviction. This event is part of the third phase of Jesus’s Civil Trial. This phase is called: "Pilate’s Judgment."
Pilate’s Verdict: According to the demands of the crowd, Pilate hands Jesus over to be crucified. This passage concludes John’s narration of the third phase of Jesus’s Civil Trial. This phase is called: "Pilate’s Judgment."
John Chapter 19 portrays one of the most climactic moments in the Gospel narrative, as Jesus stands before Pilate, who served as the Roman prefect of Judea from AD 26 to 36. Though Pilate repeatedly seeks a reason to release Jesus, the religious authorities insist that He must be crucified, claiming “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15). Outside the city walls of Jerusalem, Jesus is handed over to be crucified. Pilate, acknowledging the accusations brought against Him, places the inscription “JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS” (John 19:19) above the cross, signifying the charge. This declaration ultimately underscores the broader theme of the Gospel: Jesus’s identity as King and Savior.
The site of the crucifixion, Golgotha—translated “Place of a Skull”—lay just outside Jerusalem’s city gates, where many travelers would pass by. There, the soldiers nail Jesus to the cross, divide His garments, and fulfill prophetic Scriptures, such as the words of the psalmist: “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots” (John 19:24; Psalm 22:18). At the cross, Jesus tenderly ensures care for His mother by entrusting her to the disciple He loved (John 19:26-27). Finally, as Jesus nears the end of His suffering, He utters the momentous declaration, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), signifying the completion of His redemptive work.
After His death, two notable figures step forward to care for His body. Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy member of the council, gains permission from Pilate to take Jesus’s body, and Nicodemus—who first approached Jesus under the cover of night (John 3:1-2)—joins him. They wrap His body with spices and place it in a new tomb, fulfilling prophetic imagery of the Suffering Servant who is “with a rich man in His death” (Isaiah 53:9). This solemn and reverent act concludes John 19, setting the stage for the remarkable resurrection account that follows.
Taken as a whole, John Chapter 19 fits into a larger biblical story that affirms Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Through the trial, crucifixion, and burial, the Gospel sheds light on how God’s redemptive plan, foretold throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, converges at the cross. This chapter emphatically finds its ultimate fulfillment in the resurrection (John 20), echoing the core message of the entire Book: that those who believe in Jesus, the sacrificial Son of God, receive eternal life (John 3:16).
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