1 Then Pilate therfore tooke Iesus, and scourged him.
2 And the souldiers platted a crowne of thornes, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
3 And said, Haile king of the Iewes: and they smote him with their hands.
4 Pilate therefore went foorth againe, and saith vnto them, Behold, I bring him foorth to you, that yee may know that I find no fault in him.
5 Then came Iesus forth, wearing the crowne of thornes, and the purple robe: and Pilate saith vnto them, Behold the man.
6 When the chiefe Priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucifie him, crucifie him. Pilate saith vnto them, Take ye him, and crucifie him: for I find no fault in him.
7 The Iewes answered him, We haue a law, and by our law he ought to die, because hee made himselfe the Son of God.
8 ¶ When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid,
9 And went againe into the iudgement hall, & saith vnto Iesus, Whence art thou? But Iesus gaue him no answere.
10 Then saith Pilate vnto him, Speakest thou not vnto me? Knowest thou not, that I haue power to crucifie thee, and haue power to release thee?
11 Iesus answered, Thou couldest haue no power at all against me, except it were giuen thee from aboue: therfore he that deliuered me vnto thee, hath the greater sinne.
12 And from thencefore Pilate sought to release him: but the Iewes cried out, saying, If thou let this man goe, thou art not Cesars friend: whosoeuer maketh himselfe a king, speaketh against Cesar.
13 ¶ When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Iesus foorth, and sate downe in the iudgement seate, in a place that is called the pauement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
14 And it was the preparation of the Passeouer, and about the sixt houre: and he saith vnto the Iewes, Beholde your King.
15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucifie him. Pilate saith vnto them, Shall I crucifie your King? The chiefe Priests answered, Wee haue no king but Cesar.
16 Then deliuered he him therfore vnto them to be crucified: and they took Iesus, and led him away.
17 And he bearing his crosse, went foorth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrewe, Golgotha:
18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Iesus in the middest.
19 ¶ And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the crosse. And the writing was, IESVS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE IEWES.
20 This title then read many of the Iewes: for the place where Iesus was crucified, was nigh to the citie, and it was written in Hebrewe, and Greeke, and Latine.
21 Then said the chiefe Priests of the Iewes to Pilate, Write not, The king of the Iewes: but that he said, I am King of the Iewes.
22 Pilate answered, What I haue written, I haue written.
23 ¶ Then the souldiers, when they had crucified Iesus, tooke his garments, (and made foure parts, to euery souldier a part) and also his coat: Now the coate was without seame, wouen from the top thorowout.
24 They said therefore among themselues, Let not vs rent it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall bee: that the Scripture might bee fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the souldiers did.
25 ¶ Now there stood by the crosse of Iesus, his mother, and his mothers sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
26 When Iesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loued, he saith vnto his mother, Woman, behold thy sonne.
27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother. And from that houre that disciple tooke her vnto his owne home.
28 ¶ After this, Iesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
29 Now there was set a vessell, full of vineger: And they filled a spunge with vineger, and put it vpon hyssope, and put it to his mouth.
30 When Iesus therefore had receiued the vineger, he said, It is finished, and he bowed his head, and gaue vp the ghost.
31 The Iewes therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remaine vpon the Crosse on the Sabbath day (for that Sabbath day was an high day) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32 Then came the souldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other, which was crucified with him.
33 But when they came to Iesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs.
34 But one of the souldiers with a speare pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it, bare record, and his record is true, and he knoweth that hee saith true, that yee might beleeue.
36 For these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
37 And againe another Scripture saith, They shall looke on him whom they piersed.
38 ¶ And after this, Ioseph of Arimathea (being a disciple of Iesus, but secretly for feare of the Iewes) besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Iesus, and Pilate gaue him leaue: he came therefore, and tooke the body of Iesus.
39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Iesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrhe and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.
40 Then tooke they the body of Iesus, & wound it in linnen clothes, with the spices, as the maner of the Iewes is to burie:
41 Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new Sepulchre, wherein was neuer man yet layd.
42 There laid they Iesus therefore, because of the Iewes preparation day, for the Sepulchre was nigh at hand.
Christ condemned and crucified. (1-18) Christ on the cross. (19-30) His side pierced. (31-37) The burial of Jesus. (38-42)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 rejected of men, we had been for ever rejected of God. Now was the Son of man delivered into the hands of wicked and unreasonable men. He was led forth for us, that we might escape. He was nailed to the cross, as a Sacrifice bound to the altar. The Scripture was fulfilled; he did not die at the altar among the sacrifices, but among criminals sacrificed to public justice. And now let us pause, and with faith look upon Jesus. Was ever sorrow like unto his sorrow? See him bleeding, see him dying, see him and love him! love him, and live to him!
19-30 Here are some remarkable circumstances of Jesus' death, more fully related than before. Pilate would not gratify the chief priests by allowing the writing to be altered; which was doubtless owing to a secret power of God upon his heart, that this statement of our Lord's character and authority might continue. Many things done by the Roman soldiers were fulfilments of the prophecies of the Old Testament. All things therein written shall be fulfilled. Christ tenderly provided for his mother at his death. Sometimes, when God removes one comfort from us, he raises up another for us, where we looked not for it. Christ's example teaches all men to honour their parents in life and death; to provide for their wants, and to promote their comfort by every means in their power. Especially observe the dying word wherewith Jesus breathed out his soul. It is finished; that is, the counsels of the Father concerning his sufferings were now fulfilled. It is finished; all the types and prophecies of the Old Testament, which pointed at the sufferings of the Messiah, were accomplished. It is finished; the ceremonial law is abolished; the substance is now come, and all the shadows are done away. It is finished; an end is made of transgression by bringing in an everlasting righteousness. His sufferings were now finished, both those of his soul, and those of his body. It is finished; the work of man's redemption and salvation is now completed. His life was not taken from him by force, but freely given up.
31-37 A trial was made whether Jesus was dead. He died in less time than persons crucified commonly did. It showed that he had laid down his life of himself. The spear broke up the very fountains of life; no human body could survive such a wound. But its being so solemnly attested, shows there was something peculiar in it. The blood and water that flowed out, signified those two great benefits which all believers partake of through Christ, justification and sanctification; blood for atonement, water for purification. They both flow from the pierced side of our Redeemer. To Christ crucified we owe merit for our justification, and Spirit and grace for our sanctification. Let this silence the fears of weak Christians, and encourage their hopes; there came both water and blood out of Jesus' pierced side, both to justify and sanctify them. The Scripture was fulfilled, in Pilate's not allowing his legs to be broken, #Ps 34:20|. There was a type of this in the paschal lamb, #Ex 12:46|. May we ever look to Him, whom, by our sins, we have ignorantly and heedlessly pierced, nay, sometimes against convictions and mercies; and who shed from his wounded side both water and blood, that we might be justified and sanctified in his name.
38-42 Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Christ in secret. Disciples should openly own themselves; yet some, who in lesser trials have been fearful, in greater have been courageous. When God has work to do, he can find out such as are proper to do it. The embalming was done by Nicodemus, a secret friend to Christ, though not his constant follower. That grace which at first is like a bruised reed, may afterward resemble a strong cedar. Hereby these two rich men showed the value they had for Christ's person and doctrine, and that it was not lessened by the reproach of the cross. We must do our duty as the present day and opportunity are, and leave it to God to fulfil his promises in his own way and his own time. The grave of Jesus was appointed with the wicked, as was the case of those who suffered as criminals; but he was with the rich in his death, as prophesied, #Isa 53:9|; these two circumstances it was very unlikely should ever be united in the same person. He was buried in a new sepulchre; therefore it could not be said that it was not he, but some other that rose. We also are here taught not to be particular as to the place of our burial. He was buried in the sepulchre next at hand. Here is the Sun of Righteousness set for a while, to rise again in greater glory, and then to set no more.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.