NIV Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition - Flipbook - Page 69
page 1845
19:16
wMt 27:26; Mk 15:15;
Lk 23:25
19:17
22:6; Lk 14:27;
23:26
yLk 23:33
zJn 5:2
xGe
19:18
23:32
aLk
19:19
bMk 1:24
cver 14,21
•
J ohn 1 9 : 2 0
“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.
16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. w
esus Is Led Away to Be Crucified
J
(234/Matthew 27:32–37; Mark 15:21–24; Luke 23:26–31 )
Jesus Is Placed on the Cross
(235/Matthew 27:35–44; Mark 15:24–32; Luke 23:32–43 )
So the soldiers took c harge of J esus. 17Carrying his own cross, x he went out to the p
lace
of the S
kull y (which in Aramaic z is called Golgotha). 18There they crucified him, and with
him two others a — one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the c
ross. It read: jesus of nazareth, b
the king of the jews. c 20Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was
THE ABSENCE OF WOMEN among the 12 disciples has
bothered a few people. But Jesus’ close followers clearly
included many women. Also clear is the fact that Jesus
did not treat women as others in his culture did; he treated
them with dignity, as people with worth.
Mary of Magdala was an early follower of Jesus who certainly deserves to be called a disciple. An
energetic, impulsive, and caring woman, she not only traveled with Jesus but also contributed to
meeting the needs of his group. She was present at the Crucifixion and was on her way to anoint
Jesus’ body on Sunday morning when she discovered the empty tomb. Mary was the first to see
Jesus after his resurrection.
Mary Magdalene is a heartwarming example of thankful living. She was miraculously freed by
Jesus when he drove seven demons out of her. In every glimpse we have of Mary, she was acting
out her appreciation for the freedom Jesus had given her. That freedom allowed her to stand
under Jesus’ cross when all the disciples except John were hiding in fear. After Jesus’ death, she
intended to show his body every respect. Like the rest of Jesus’ followers, she never expected his
bodily resurrection—but she was overjoyed to discover it.
Mary’s faith was not complicated; it was direct and genuine. She was more eager to believe and
obey than to understand everything. Jesus honored her childlike faith by appearing to her first and
by entrusting her as the first messenger of the Good News of his resurrection.
Mary Magdalene
Strengths and
accomplishments:
• Contributed to the needs of Jesus and his disciples
• One of the few faithful followers present at Jesus’ death on the cross
Notable facts:
• Had to have seven demons driven out of her by Jesus
• First to see Jesus after his resurrection
Lessons from
her life:
• Those who are obedient grow in understanding.
• Women are vital to Jesus’ ministry.
• Jesus relates to women as he created them—as equal to men and as bearers of God’s
image.
Vital statistics:
• Where: Magdala, Jerusalem
• Occupation: We are not told, but she seems to have been wealthy
• Contemporaries: Jesus, Jesus’ disciples, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, Mary (Jesus’ mother)
Key verse:
“When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had driven seven demons.” (Mark 16:9)
Mary Magdalene’s story is told in Matthew 27–28; Mark 15–16; Luke 23–24; John 19–20. She is also mentioned in Luke 8:2.
19:17 This place called Golgotha, “the Skull,” was probably a hill outside
Jerusalem along a main road. Tradition says that the rock formation of the
hill looked like a skull. Many were executed in this place so the Romans
could use them as an example to the people who traveled along the road.
19:18 Crucifixion was a Roman form of execution. Those who were
condemned would be forced to carry their crosses along a main road
to their execution site as a warning to the people. Types of crosses and
methods of crucifixion varied. Jesus was nailed to his cross; some people
were tied to theirs with ropes. Either way, death came by suffocation
because the weight of the victim’s body made breathing difficult as they
lost strength. Crucifixion brought a hideously slow and painful death.
19:19 This sign was meant to be ironic. A king stripped nearly naked
and executed in public view had obviously lost his kingdom forever. But
Jesus, who turns the world’s wisdom upside down, was just coming into
his kingdom. His death and resurrection would strike the death blow to
Satan’s rule and would establish Jesus’ eternal authority over the earth.
Few people reading the sign that bleak afternoon understood its real
meaning, but the sign was absolutely true. All was not lost. Jesus was King
of the Jews—as well as the Gentiles and the whole universe.
19:20 The sign was written in three languages: Aramaic for the native
Jews, Latin for the Roman occupation forces, and Greek for foreigners
and Jews visiting from other lands. Ironically, this sign, by virtue of being
written in multiple languages, declared that Jesus was Lord of all.