Lessons from John 19: Death is Difficult

I am pretty sure that most of us here have been touched by death in one way or another. The death of a loved one, whether that be a family member, co-worker, or friend, is never easy. Death is difficult, and it grieves our hearts. Why? Because death was not what God intended for the world. God warned Adam and Eve that death would be the result or consequence for sin. So when Adam and Eve willfully chose to disobey God, people, plants, and animals all eventually died.

However, God’s plan for the world was not destroyed due to Adam and Eve’s nor our choice to disobey God. God already knew before the foundations of the earth that every man, woman, and child would turn away from Him in disobedience. Yet, He planned a way for sin to be accounted for, for death to be ended and for the world to be restored.

John 3:16 tells us that, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

So, we learn in tonight’s lesson that Jesus’ death on the cross completed His sacrifice for sin once and for all.

I. Christ Crucified~~~~John 19:18-24

Though I will not dwell on the crucifixion itself, for neither did John nor the other gospel writers, what we do know is that to die by way of crucifixion was one of the most awful, cruel and appalling ways to die. It was a slow and horrific process, and even the Romans themselves shuddered under the thought of it in horror.

Crucifixion was originally Persian method of execution, and it was thought to have been used by them because to them the earth was sacred, and because they wished not to defile that which was holy in their sight, they chose not to defile the earth with the body of a criminal or evildoer. So, instead they nailed such a person to a cross and left him to die there, and then later the vultures and crows would come and complete the work. It appears that the Carthaginians took over crucifixion from the Persians; which is where the Romans picked it up. Though it was never used in Italy itself, it was often used in the provinces, and then it was only used in the cases of slaves. And it was unthinkable that a Roman citizen should ever die such a death.

It was the most dreaded death in the ancient world and reserved only for of slaves and criminals, and that is the death that Jesus, the perfect and holy Son of God, and an innocent man, died on our behalves.

From what we are told after a sentenced had been passed, the victim would be subjected to scourging or what we call a cruel and inhumane beating with a whip, and not just any whip. As I mentioned last week, this whip or piece of leather would have pieces of bone, metal, and or glass attached to it and when thrust against the flesh of the recipient would immediately cut through the skin and lay open the flesh.

The limit was 39 lashes for often the 40th lash was the one that is said to have produced instant death. This punishment was so severe that most died under it. Most, that is, except for Jesus!

Jesus had already endured this, but there were two others who were to be crucified alongside Jesus that day and so after they endured their scourging, they too were brought alongside Jesus and made to carry their crosses for crucifixion on their backs through the city to the place of crucifixion. It appears that the other two men were guilty of robbery and possibly insurrection like Barabbas. In fact, they may also have been a part of the very outrage and rebellion that Barabbas had been a part of.

These men would have been accompanied by a centurion (a Roman officer in charge of a unit of men) and four other soldiers who were trained executioners. Each criminal was given a placard or sign that described his crime and reason for death that was carried before him. This was so that others might be discouraged from committing such crimes.

Terri Hamman

Faith & Fitness Coach