12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. 13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! 15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. 16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. 17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: 18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
Israel’s leaders rejected Jesus and chose the Roman Emperor (Tiberias) to be their King! “The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.” Quoting John 19:15!
Yet God’s Law forbade such an action!
Deuteronomy 17:15 … “Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger (foreigner) over thee, which is not thy brother.”
***
The Crucifixion of Jesus, horrible as it must have been, could not have been described less dramatically! There is no appeal to the emotions here, just an invitation to trust Christ by Faith! Verse 18 … “They crucified Him.”
Look at the startling brevity of the Gospel Accounts (all 4 of them) concerning the actual Crucifixion …
Matthew 27:35 … “And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.”
Mark 15:25 … “And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.”
Luke 23:33 … “And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.”
John 19:18, as we have already seen … (Golgotha) … “Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.”
***
The noun “Pavement” is only found 2 times in all the Bible, both linked with rebellion and unbelief, rank apostasy …
2 Kings 16:10 … “And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.” Rebuilding the furniture of God’s House according to the pattern of a heathen temple!
Now watch 2 Kings 16:17 … “And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a PAVEMENT Of stones.”
And here in John 19:13 … “When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the PAVEMENT, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.”
***
My favorite quote of the Lesson …
JESUS WAS DELIVERED TO DEATH THAT WE MIGHT BE DELIVERED FROM DEATH!
***
Now, watch the Class …
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
.