THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
(Chapters 19-21)
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, Ben Bailey.
“And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (Jn. 20:30-31). Here, John gives us the theme of the gospel of John, in that he has purposely chosen certain miracles, certain statements, and certain teachings of Jesus that will confirm Him to be the Son of God, and that will cause us to believe in Him as the Christ. As we study John 19-21, we will be looking at the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
In John 19, Jesus already has been questioned by Pilate, who now is going to bring Him forth to the people. The people cry out, “Away with Him! Crucify Him!” In John 19 we notice first of all in verse 5 that when Pilate brings Christ to the people, he says, “Behold the Man.” We do not even know if Pilate fully understood what he said in that context, but his statement is profound on many levels. Jesus is the perfect Man. Hebrews 4:15 tells us, “We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” In 1 Peter 2:21-22 we are told to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, “who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth.” Jesus was the perfect Man. And as a human, He did all things well. In Mark 7:37 it was said of Jesus, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.” Jesus perfectly fulfilled the will of God, which is why 2 Corinthians 5:21 says that God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” As a human, Jesus lived a perfect live while facing temptation just as we do. He overcame that temptation.
But Jesus is more than a Man. He is God in the flesh. In Matthew 1:23 we read, “You shall call His name Immanuel, meaning ‘God with us.’” In John 1:1 we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” What was that Word? Verse 14 of that chapter tells us: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus is the Word Who was in the beginning and Who was God. Colossians 1:15-18 teaches us that all things were created through Him and for Him that He may have the preeminence. When Pilate stated, “Behold the Man,” Jesus was indeed a perfect Man Who also was God in the flesh.
In John 19:11, we discover the purpose of Jesus’ suffering. Jesus said to Pilate, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” Where did Pilate get the authority to do the things to Jesus that he did? We know that God rules in the kingdoms of men because Daniel chapters 4 and 5 clearly affirm that. We learn from Romans 13 that governmental rulers are servants of God, and that God uses them for His purposes. But within Christ’s statement we can see God’s great scheme of redemption. In essence, Jesus was saying, “You would not be able to do these things unless God had already planned that things be this way.” The Bible clearly teaches that before time began, God already had planned a way to set man free from his sin through Jesus Christ. We see in 2 Timothy 1:9 that this plan was made before the world began. In 1 Peter 1:20 we see that Jesus “indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” Titus 1:2 says that we live “in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” Ephesians 3:10-11 tells us that it was the eternal purpose of God to bring Christ and the Gospel into the world. So when we see the words of Jesus, we must see the bigger picture of this being part of God’s ultimate plan. In Genesis 3:15 God made the promise to the serpent that someone would be born of the seed of woman who would crush the head of Satan. This is the beginning of that fulfillment through Jesus as He dies on the cross. Do you remember the promise made to Abraham? “In your seed, all nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). Who is the seed? According to Galatians 3:15-17, it is Jesus Christ. In Genesis 49:10 we are told that a ruler would arise out of Judah who would be a lawgiver and a peacemaker. Again, that is Jesus, the Son of God. According to Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22, all Jesus sufferings, of which we read in John 19-20, were foretold. Thus, in John 19 we see Jesus, the Son of God, coming to do God’s will through His suffering.
Consider the suffering that Jesus had to endure for each one of us. As you ponder the physical and emotional suffering that He endured, remember that He did it for you and me. John 19:1 tells us that Pilate had Jesus scourged. What was a scourging? A scourge was something like a bull whip, except that it had many different tails on the end of it (as many as nine or ten, some scholars have said). Each one of those would then have sharp pieces of glass, rock, bone, or metal imbedded in it. Jesus’ back was stretched, and He was hit repeatedly with the scourge. Surely we can envision the agony and pain that Jesus endured by going through that. Then they took a crown of thorns to put on Jesus’ head. We are not talking about rosebush thorns. Rather, we are talking about vines like you would find in the woods that had long, needle-like thorns on them. They took those vines and shaped them into a crown, which they then placed on Jesus’ head. They also took a purple robe and placed it on Christ. No doubt it adhered to the blood on His mauled back. Then they took a reed and hit Jesus on the head with it. They said to Him, “Prophesy to us!” They mocked Him as a King. One soldier took his hand and hit Jesus hard. We are not talking about a slap, but a military-type hit that caused Jesus to suffer a terrible blow. And, as Christ suffered, people even spit on Him. The Son of God had created man, left the glories of Heaven, lived on Earth as He did good, preached the Gospel, and helped people get to Heaven. But what thanks did He get? People spit in His face! Then they removed the robe from Jesus. Can you imagine the pain that would have caused? The blood on Jesus’ back would have dried and adhered to the robe. Then, someone simply yanks off that robe—and the bleeding started all over again. They mocked Jesus. They made fun of Him. He was the Son of God Who had created them, and they turned and made fun of Him.
They then took Jesus, led him to Calvary’s hill, and nailed Him to His cross. The Bible says in Psalm 22:16 and in the gospel of John that His hands and feet were nailed to the cross. Can you imagine that? Jesus was stretched out as His feet and hands were nailed to the cross. That cross then was implanted in the ground, and Jesus hung there for hours in agony on the cross as He was dying. Think about what Jesus suffered for each one of us. The Bible says that God “demonstrates His love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Think about what Jesus did for you. He went through all that so that you could have the hope of Heaven. Look at how much God loves you and me. God wants us all men “to be saved, and come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4-6). He wants that so badly that “He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16). We know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ—“that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor that we, through His poverty, might be made rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Do you remember the words of 1 Peter 2:24? Peter spoke of Christ, “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” According to Isaiah 53:4-5, it was Jesus’ stripes that providing healing for us through the sacrifice He made and through our obedience to the Gospel. We must not take for granted all that Jesus did as He suffered and died on Calvary for us. In John 19 we see the death of Jesus and the suffering that He endured.
In verse 34 the Bible tells us that after Jesus’ death, a soldier took a spear and pierced the side of Jesus so that blood and water came out. That is significant because in Zechariah 13:1 the prophet wrote, “In that day [the Christian Age] a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.” What was that fountain? When the soldier pierced the side of Jesus and blood and water came forth, the fountain was opened as Christ’s blood was freely given on Calvary. This is why men and women are commanded to obey the Gospel plan of salvation. Blood and water are significant in God’s plan of salvation. Without the shedding of blood, there could be no salvation. In Matthew 26:28, as Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He said of the fruit of the vine, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Hebrews 9:22 clearly says that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. From the time that Jesus arrived on the scene, had been “the Lamb of God who will take away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29). The blood represented Jesus’ sacrifice. The waters of baptism are where we come in contact with the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. Romans 6:1-4 tells us, “As many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” It is at baptism that we contact Christ’s death. If it is the blood of Christ that saves, when do we come in contact with that blood? When are our sins removed? In Acts 22:16 Ananias told Saul, “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” We are “washed in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 1:5) when we come in contact with Christ’s blood as we submit to God’s will in baptism. Both blood and water (which came forth from Christ’s side at His death) are essential in salvation.
After Jesus’ death, the good news is that He did not stay in the grave. The grave could not hold Him. He arose from the grave. In John 20:19-20 we read,
“Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”
Jesus had risen from the dead, and was making Himself known to His disciples. But look at the hope that the resurrection of Christ gives us. In John 11:25-26 Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.” Jesus is the firstborn from the dead (Col. 1:18). If there was no resurrection, then our faith and all that we do is in vain (1 Cor. 15). But the fact that Jesus arose from the grave shows that He conquered death (1 Cor. 15: 55-57). Jesus rose from the grave, and every person who has ever lived will one day arise from the grave as well. Jesus said, “All who are in the grave will come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (Jn. 5:29). We have the hope that the grave is not the end. We will live beyond the grave.
As Jesus showed Himself to His disciples, He gave them proof of His resurrection. Thomas said, “I will not believe unless I can put my hand in the nail prints, or see the hole in His side.” Jesus showed Himself to Thomas, who saw the nail prints and saw the proof. He then said, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn. 20:28). Thomas realized that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. Jesus was God in the flesh. He truly had risen from the grave. And because of that, Jesus made it possible for men and women to overcome sin and death. All of this was done to provide for us belief in Jesus as God’s Son and Savior of the world. Listen to the thematic statement of the book as found in John 20:30-31—“And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”
The gospel of John has as its goal to convince men and women that Jesus truly is God’s Son. Think about all the signs that Jesus provided—from walking on water, to the feeding of the multitudes, to the raising of Lazarus—to prove that He was the Son of God. Look at the witnesses to His statements. God’s voice boomed down from Heaven. Moses and the Scriptures witnessed to Him. Jesus had been seen by John, who was himself a witness. The miracles were witnesses. There is undeniable proof. The empty tomb itself is a witness to the fact that Jesus is God’s Son. We can know for sure that Christ is the Son of God.
In John 18 we learn that after Judas betrayed Jesus, there also was someone else who denied the Lord. Jesus had said to Peter, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times” (Jn. 13:38). Peter did not believe Jesus, and said, “Lord, I will lay down my life for Your sake” (Jn. 13:37). Yet we see in Matthew 26:69-74 that Peter denied the Lord three times. He was asked by servants and by others, “Weren’t you with Him? Your speech betrays you. You must have been with Him.” Matthew and Luke tell us that Peter began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” Jesus knew Peter better than Peter knew himself. I mention this because in John 21 Jesus restored Peter to the place he once had, and offered him encouragement to remain faithful. Look at John 21:15-17.
“So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Feed My lambs.’ He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep.’”
Just as Peter had denied the Lord three times, so here Jesus gives the opportunity to reaffirm his love for Him three times. And with each came the encouragement, “Feed My sheep, tend My sheep, be faithful in the kingdom, and help others grow and mature just as you realize that you needed to do.” Very likely Peter had some of these things in mind when he wrote under the direction of the Holy Spirit that we should “grow.” This was not just a one-time concept, but instead is a continuing thing. We are to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). Peter had to learn the hard way. His trials and afflictions helped him see where he was so that he could grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
In John 21:25, as sort of a summary statement, John says, “There are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” John’s point is that if we wrote down everything Jesus said, the world wouldn’t be able to contain the books it would require to do such a thing. Jesus did that much good, and taught that much Gospel from God while He was here. Fortunately, God has given us everything we need to get to Heaven. Jesus is the only way that a person can be saved and be right with God.
For a person to be saved, he must understand that he is outside of Christ and is lost in sin. All of us have sinned, and have fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned. In Romans 3:10 we are told, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Ecclesiastes 7:20 says that even the people whom we might consider the most righteous still sin. “There is not a righteous man on the face of the earth who does good and does not sin.” All people everywhere have to deal with the sin problem, as Romans 5:12 makes clear. This is not because we have inherited our sin, but because each of us as an individual has chosen to sin and fall short of God’s glory.
The bad news is that sin separates us from a holy and loving God. Isaiah 59:1-2 says,
“The Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”
Sin severs the relationship we have with God. Why? As Habakkuk 1:13 says, “God is of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness.” God is the epitome of holiness. When we sin, we separate ourselves from God. There is a sin problem with which each person must deal.
But the good news is that Jesus is the way to deal with the sin problem. Jesus Himself said in Luke 19:10, “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” By giving Himself as a sacrifice, Jesus “tasted death for every man” (Heb. 2:9). Therefore, He is the propitiation for our sins, “and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 Jn. 2:2). As the sacrifice for sin, Jesus has stated that all people who will accept His will and obey Him can be saved. In Revelation 21:6 Jesus said, “I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.”
Have you submitted your will to God’s will? Have you obeyed the Gospel? Think again about what Jesus did for you. Have you shown your appreciation to Him for that by obeying His commands? The Scriptures teach that to become a Christian and be a part of the Lord’s church of which we read in the New Testament, a person must take five initial steps.
A person must hear God’s Word. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” How does a person obtain faith? Romans 10:17 tells us when it says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” We must hear the Word of God in order to have faith. That means that we have to understand that the Bible is the final authority (Mt. 28:18). Whatever it says, we must do it without adding to it or taking away from it (Rev. 22:18-19).
Then a person must believe in Jesus as the Son of God. In Acts 8, Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch were riding down the road in a chariot. Philip had been teaching him about Jesus when they came to water. The eunuch then said, “Here is water. What hinders me?” Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may” (Acts 8:34-39). The eunuch believed, confessed, and was baptized into the kingdom. A person must believe in order to be right with God and be saved.
A person also must repent. In Acts 3:19 Peter preached, “Repent and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out and that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Repenting of sin is making a 180-degree turn. We turn from sin to God. We must change our will and the way we think. Then we must change the way we act by showing fruits of repentance.
After a person has repented, he must confess Jesus as the Son of God. The eunuch was told, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” He then said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” He made the good confession. Romans 10:10 says it is essential that a person does that. “With the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Then a person must be baptized in water as the final step in God’s plan of salvation. The Scriptures make it abundantly clear that a person cannot be saved even one second before baptism. Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mk. 16:16). Galatians 3:37 says that baptism is how we get into Christ. In John 3:3-5 we are told that we must be born “of water and the Spirit” to get into the kingdom of God. In Acts 2 the Jews realized that they had killed their Messiah—their Lord and Christ. They were cut to the heart and cried out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). The answer was, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). What was baptism for, according to Peter? It was for (in order to; for the purpose of) receiving remission of sins. Are we suggesting that there is something that a person must do to “earn” his salvation? No. But just like belief, baptism is a condition that God has set that we must meet. I hear many people today say, “If you want to be saved, just call on the name of the Lord.” What does it mean, according to the Bible, to “call on the name of the Lord”? Saul’s conversion in Acts 22 helps us answer that question. Ananias came to Saul and said, “Why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). How does a person call on God’s name biblically? He does that by getting up and doing what God says. Part of that includes being baptized for the remission of sins.
The gospel of John is all about telling men and women that Jesus is God’s Son. He is the only way to Heaven. If a person believes, he must follow and trust Jesus, and obey His will. If a person does that, he can be saved. God sent His Son that you could go to Heaven. Do not pass up that opportunity. If you are not a child of God, I want to plead with you to obey the Gospel of Christ before it is too late. We love you. God loves you. Won’t you submit your will to the will of God today?
Narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
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1. In John 19:6 when Pilate presented Jesus to the Jewish mob that had assembled, what did the people who composed that mob cry out?
2. What, according to 1 Peter 2:21-22, made the Jews’ request (in John 19:6) so inappropriate?
3. According to John 1:1,14, who is Jesus?
4. According to what Jesus said to Pilate as recorded in John 19:11, how was Pilate able to have any power at all over Christ?
5. When, according to 2 Timothy 1:9, did God design His plan of salvation for mankind?
6. According to John 19:1, what happened to Jesus prior to His crucifixion?
7. What does Romans 5:8 say that Christ did for humankind?
8. What does 1 Peter 2:24 say that Christ did for humankind?
9. What does Isaiah 53:4-5 have to say about Christ?
10. In Zechariah 13:1 we find a prophecy about “a fountain” that would be opened in the future. How does John 19:34 figure into that prophecy?
11. According to John 1:29, who is Jesus Christ?
12. John 20:19-20 describes a time when Jesus presented Himself to some of His disciples. What unusual event had to have taken place before Jesus was able to do that?
13. According to John 21:25, what does the Bible not contain?
14. What important statement did Jesus make in John 11:25-26?
15. In John 21:15-17, what important question did Jesus ask Peter (three times)?
16. How does Colossians 1:18 describe Jesus?
17. In John 13:38, what prediction did Jesus make about Peter?
18. According to Matthew 26:69-74, did Jesus’ prediction about Peter (in John 13:38) come true?
19. According to Luke 19:10, why did Jesus come to Earth?
20. What does Ecclesiastes 7:20 say?
21. What must a person do to become a Christian?
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