John 19

Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.

And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,

And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.

Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.

Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.

The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;

And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.

Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?

Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

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.

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.

And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priest answered, We have no king but Caesar.

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

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

Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.

And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.

Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.

Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.

Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.

But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:

But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.

For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.

There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

What does John 19:2 mean?

Explanation

John 19:2 describes an event during the Passion of Jesus Christ, which is the period of his suffering and crucifixion.

In this verse, Roman soldiers mockingly fashion a crown made out of thorns and forcefully place it on Jesus' head.

They also clothe him in a purple robe, which is traditionally a color associated with royalty.

The actions of the soldiers are loaded with irony and cruelty, as the crowning and robing are meant to both mock and torture Jesus, who was being ridiculed for claims of kingship.

This mockery is layered with symbolism.

While the soldiers intended to ridicule Jesus' claim to be king, Christians believe this episode prophetically signifies Jesus as the King of the Jews and, by extension, the spiritual king.

The crown of thorns also has a deeper meaning; it is seen as a fulfillment of prophecies and as a representation of the sin and suffering that Jesus bore for humanity.

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Historical Context

The Gospel of John was written at a time when early Christians were clarifying their beliefs and traditions.

It is generally dated to the late 1st century A.D.

The Roman practice of crucifixion was a brutal method of execution reserved for non-Roman citizens, slaves, and those considered the worst of criminals.

Purple was a color of luxury, dyed from expensive Tyrian snails, and was associated with nobility and royalty.

The act of placing a crown of thorns on Jesus' head and a purple robe on his shoulders was meant to be a parody of a coronation. The soldiers, representing Roman power, are seen as trying to demean and belittle Jesus' claim to any form of kingship in a painful and humiliating way.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, this verse has elicited different interpretations.

A traditional Christian interpretation views the crown of thorns as representing the curse of sin Jesus is taking upon himself, alluding to Genesis 3:18 where thorns and thistles represent the curse of mankind's labor following the Fall.

Some theologians ponder the sharp contrast between the kingdom of God, which Jesus preached, and the earthly power represented by the Romans.

Jesus' kingdom is not of this world, and it inverts standard values of power and glory.

These symbolic actions foreshadow Jesus' ultimate victory over sin and death.

Practical Applications

In terms of practical applications, John 19:2 can serve as a reminder of humility and the inversion of worldly values.

It can encourage believers to reflect on Christ's suffering for the sake of humanity and to find strength in moments of trial.

The passage can also encourage Christians to resist the temptation to seek earthly acknowledgment and to focus on inner spiritual truth and divine acknowledgment instead.

Cross-References

Matthew 27:29: "And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!"
Mark 15:17-18: "And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!"
Isaiah 53:3: "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

Language Study

The word "platted" refers to the act of braiding or twisting the thorns into a crown.

The Greek word for crown here is "στέφανος" (stephanos), which can signify a victor's crown, contrasting with the mockingly intended crown of thorns.

The term "πορφυροῦν" (porphura) used for "purple" denotes the royal color of the robe, emphasizing the soldiers' sarcastic treatment of Jesus as a "king."

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The use of thorns in crowns is not widespread in ancient culture.

However, mock crowns could be found in Roman triumphs and Hellenistic ruler cults where kings were treated as gods.

In contrast, the Hebrew tradition did not have such practices, and the idea of a suffering servant king would have been countercultural and shocking.

The theme of a deity or hero being mocked before achieving victory is common in various myths.

However, Jesus' suffering and the symbolism of the crown of thorns are unique in their association with atonement and the establishment of a spiritual kingdom that challenges worldly power.

Scientific Perspectives

There is no specific scientific perspective on the crowning with thorns other than the medical understanding of the pain and injury such an act would inflict.

The crown of thorns would have likely caused significant bleeding and pain, contributing to the physical suffering of Jesus during his crucifixion.

Commentaries

Biblical scholars and theologians often reflect on this passage as symbolic of the suffering messianic figure that Jesus embodied.

William Barclay notes that the Roman soldiers' actions were infused with cruel mockery but unintentionally affirmed Jesus' messianic status.

Matthew Henry comments on the enduring patience of Jesus, who did not retaliate against the abuse.

Commentators like Leon Morris see the episode as fulfilling the Old Testament scriptures of the suffering servant and as being a stark revelation of the world's hostility towards divine truth.

John 19

John 19

What does John 19:2 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does John 19:2 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?