John 19:17

And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: HE WENT FORTH INTO A PLACE CALLED THE PLACE OF A SKULL - or 'unto the place called Skull-place,' WHICH IS CALLED IN THE HEBREW, GOLGOTHA, [ Gulgaaltaa' (H1538), softened into Golgotha (G1115)]. 'Roll-formed' or 'roll-shaped,' is the idea of the word. But whether this refer to the round shape of the skulls of criminals executed there, which has hitherto been the prevailing opinion, or to the shape of the ground-a round hill or knoll there-as others think, is not agreed. That a hill of that form lay to the north of the city seems true enough; but as this would place the spot outside the city, it is at least inconsistent with what is now shown...

17._He went forth to a place. _The circumstances which are here related contribute greatly, not only to show the truth of the narrative, but likewise to build up our faith. We must look for righteousness through the satisfaction made by Christ. To prove that he is the sacrifice for our sins, he wished both to be led out of the city, and to be hanged on a tree; for the custom was, in compliance with the injunction of the Law, that the sacrifices, the blood of which was shed for sin, were carried out of the camp, (Leviticus 6:30;) and the same Law declares that he who hangeth on a tree is accursed, (Deuteronomy 21:23.) Both were fulfilled in Christ, that we might be fully convinced that atonement has been made for our sins by the sacrifice of his death; that...

1-18 Little did Pilate think with what holy regard these sufferings of Christ would, in after-ages, be thought upon and spoken of by the best and greatest of men. Our Lord Jesus came forth, willing to be exposed to their scorn. It is good for every one with faith, to behold Christ Jesus in his sufferings. Behold him, and love him; be still looking unto Jesus. Did their hatred sharpen their endeavours against him? and shall not our love for him quicken our endeavours for him and his kingdom? Pilate seems to have thought that Jesus might be some person above the common order. Even natural conscience makes men afraid of being found fighting against God. As our Lord suffered for the sins both of Jews and Gentiles, it was a special part of the counsel of Divine Wisdom, that the Jews should first purpose his death, and the Gentiles carry that purpose into effect. Had not Christ been thus reje...

Verse John 19:17. _BEARING HIS CROSS_] He bore it all alone _first_; when he could no longer carry the _whole_ through weakness, occasioned by the ill usage he had received, _Simon_, a Cyrenian, _helped_ him to carry it: Matthew 27:32, Matthew 27:32. _GOLGOTHA_] Matthew 27:33, Matthew 27:33....

See the notes at Matthew 27:32. John 19:22 WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN ... - This declaration implied that he would make no change. He was impatient, and weary of their solicitations. He had yielded to them contrary to the convictions of his own conscience, and he now declared his purpose to yield no further....

EXPOSITION JOHN 19:1 (d) [Within the Praetorium.] The unjust scourging, and the crown of thorns. JOHN 19:1 Then PILATE THEREFORE TOOK JESUS, AND SCOURGED HIM. The force of the "therefore" may be seen in the foregoing observations (see especially Luke 23:23). He obviously fancied that the sight of their victim's utter humiliation, his reduction to the lowest possible position, would sate their burning rage. Scourging was the ordinary preliminary of crucifixion, and it might be regarded as Pilate's verdict, or the conclusion of the whole matter. Roman and Greek historians confirm the custom (Josephus, 'Ant.,'...

AND HE BEARING HIS CROSS,.... Which was usual for malefactors to do, as Lipsius i shows out of Artemidorus, and Plutarch; the former says, "the cross is like to death, and he that is to be fixed to it, first bears it;'' and the latter says, "and everyone of the malefactors that are punished in body, "carries out his own cross".'' So Christ, when he first went out to be crucified, carried his cross himself, until the Jews, meeting with Simon the Cyrenian, obliged him to bear it after him; that is, one part of it; for still Christ continued to bear a part himself: of this Isaac was a type, in carrying the wood on his shoulders for the burnt offering; and this showed that Christ was made sin, and a curse for us, and that our sins, and the punishment which belonged to us, were laid on him, and bore by him; and in this he has left us an example to go forth without the camp, bearing his re...

John 19:1. _Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him._ This was one of the most terrible punishments to which a man could be sentenced. The Roman scourge was no trifle. It tore off the quivering flesh of the agonized sufferer for it was constructed on purpose to do so. It was generally made of the sinews of oxen, intertwined with the knuckle bones of sheep, and small slivers of bone. This torture our blessed Saviour endured. These are the stripes with which we are healed. John 19:2. _And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,_ Mockery was blended with cruelty. They might have made him a crown, yet surely it need not have been one of thorns unless they intended to put him to the utmost torment that they could c

CHAPTER 19 _ 1. Behold the Man! (John 19:1 .)_ 2. The Last Question of Pilate and Christ's Last Word. (John 19:8 .) 3. Delivered up and Crucified. (John 19:12 .) 4. The Title upon the Cross. (John 19:19 .) 5. The Parted Garments. (John 19:23 .) 6. Behold Thy Son! Behold Thy Mother! (John 19:25 .) 7. It is Finished! (John 19:28 .) 8. His Legs not B

THE CRUCIFIXION. The statement that Jesus bears His own cross corrects, or at least supplements, the Synoptic story of Simon of Cyrene. It may have been added to show that the Johannine Christ needs no help, or to deprive the Gnostics of support for their theory that it was Simon who really suffered on the Cross. In itself it is in accordance with Roman custom (_cf._ Plutarch, Every malefactor carries his own cross). The incident of the title is certainly effective as depicting the obstinacy of a weak man who has given way on the main point, but it is difficult to see how it promotes the dogmatic aims of the author. John 19:23 f. suggests a very natural way of dealing with the clothes of the condemned malefactors, even if it suits the exact wording of the quotation from Psalms 22:18 *. It is very natural t