John 19:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus,

NIV: Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

NASB: So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified.

CSB: Then he handed him over to be crucified. Then they took Jesus away.

NLT: Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away.

KJV: Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.

NKJV: Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.

This death sentence results from a series of political maneuvers. It was clear Jesus was innocent (John 18:36–38) and His enemies were pursuing a vendetta (Matthew 27:18). For both reasons—and out of distaste for Jewish religious leaders—the Roman governor, Pilate, resisted doing their dirty work for them. However, his political situation was fragile. History suggests Pilate was under intense scrutiny from Rome for his overly violent, outrage-inducing rule of Judea. So, he tried to barter for a prisoner release, which failed (John 18:38–40). He had Jesus brutally whipped and shamed, but that was not enough (John 19:1–7). The threat of riots (Matthew 27:24) and hollow claims of the mob's imperial loyalty (John 19: 12–15) strongarmed him into signing Jesus' death warrant, despite knowing full well the sentence was unjust.

Much of Pilate's posturing here (John 19:13–15, 19–22) is an attempt to "save face": to deflect embarrassment. By pretending Jesus is being executed for insurrection, he can recast this sentence as an act of Roman superiority. Labeling Jesus "King of the Jews" as He's being brutalized and humiliated is meant as a gesture of disrespect towards the Jewish people.

What the crowd demands, and Pilate commands, is a process designed to be cruel and offensive. In that era, crucifixion was so horrific it was only spoken of indirectly. The purpose of crucifixion was not merely to end a life: it sought to destroy a person's reputation, their image, and their legacy. Victims were subjected to intense domination, shame, exposure, and then given a death that could last days, while maximizing their physical pain. Both body and dignity were deliberately violated with maximum cruelty.

John's concise explanation of the verdict and its completion (John 19:18) masks the brutality involved. Jesus' crushing anxiety in the garden of Gethsemane, as He anticipated this moment, speaks to the horror entailed (Matthew 26:38–42; Luke 22:44).

John 19:1–16 continues Jesus' interrogation by the Roman governor, Pilate. Pilate has already recognized Jesus' innocence and continues to look for ways to release Him without an execution. Religious leaders refuse this, using the threat of a riot to coerce the governor. Eventually, Pilate gives in and orders Jesus to be crucified. Parallel accounts are found in Matthew 27:24–30, Mark 15:12–15, and Luke 23:20–25.

Pilate recognizes Jesus' innocence, but fears the mob assembled by Jewish religious leaders. He attempts to satisfy them by having Jesus viciously whipped and mocked. This only results in more cries for Jesus' death. The governor then shifts to protect his own reputation, ordering Jesus to be crucified on a charge of being "King of the Jews." John is directly present as Jesus is executed. He notes the fulfillment of several prophecies as Jesus dies. Once He is confirmed to be dead, Jesus' body is taken by two friendly members of the ruling council. They hastily bury Him in the borrowed crypt of a rich man.

When Jesus was first brought to Pilate, His innocence was obvious (John 18:36–38). However, the mob refuses to be satisfied with anything less than crucifixion. Pilate gives in to these demands. John, who is present for the entire gory spectacle, notes several instances of fulfilled prophecy (Psalm 22:18; Psalm 69:21; Exodus 12:46; Zechariah 12:10). Jesus is then buried in the borrowed tomb of a rich man (Isaiah 53:9) to complete yet another Old Testament prediction. A guard will be posted to ensure no one steals the body (Matthew 27:62–68), which will only serve to confirm that Jesus' eventual resurrection was a true miracle (John 20:1–8).

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.