John 19:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.

NIV: Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).

NASB: They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, carrying His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which in Hebrew is called, Golgotha.

CSB: Carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called Place of the Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.

NLT: Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha).

KJV: And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:

NKJV: And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha,

Artwork commonly depicts Jesus carrying a complete, lower-case-t-shaped cross to the execution site. Roman efficiency, however, meant the vertical post was usually fixed permanently in the ground. This made it much faster and easier to place the victim. Most victims were forced to transport the horizontal beam, which could still be the size of a modern railroad tie. In Jesus' ragged condition (John 19:1), this would have been especially difficult. At one point the executioners will become impatient and force a bystander to carry it (Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26). The other men who will be executed today (John 19:18) don't need such assistance.

Forcing the condemned to walk along a public road, bringing their own execution tool, seems cruel. This is a deliberate component of Roman crucifixion: to be as shameful, embarrassing, and humiliating as possible.

The location of Jesus' death is named Golgotha, clarified by John to mean "skull." Latin translations of the Bible used the corresponding term calvaria, leading to the site being called Calvary in English. The location of the crucifixion site has been subject to centuries of debate. All we know for sure is that it was outside the ancient borders of Jerusalem. It was probably located very close to a main road, and elevated, so victims could be easily seen (John 19:19–20). While a few landforms near Jerusalem today resemble skulls, the name of this place probably has more to do with its use for executions than its shape.

It's likely deliberate that Scripture only provides general locations, such as cities and towns, for Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection. The natural human temptation to idolatry (2 Kings 18:4) would have made these inappropriate objects of reverence; sites so identified by tradition have that exact problem today. In and of themselves these physical locations are irrelevant to the meaning of the gospel.

John 19:17–30 describes Jesus' unjust execution by crucifixion. The Roman governor, Pilate, ironically puts a sign on Jesus' cross proclaiming Him "King of the Jews." This angers Jewish religious leaders, but the governor refuses to take the sign down or change the wording. As Jesus calls out to John to care for His mother, Mary, soldiers gamble for what's left of His clothes. Jesus pronounces the completion of His atoning sacrifice and dies. Matthew 27:31–56, Mark 15:22–41, and Luke 23:32–49 cover this same series of events.

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.