Jesus' Love has the Power to Save us from our Sins

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” -John 3:16

John 19:16-20:22 tells us about how Jesus willingly died on the cross for our sins. He rose again after three days, appeared to the disciples and commissioned them to be witnesses. Jesus’ love has the power to save us from our sins

Once Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified, the soldiers took charge of Him. He was taken to the place of the Skull known as Golgotha. Here He was crucified between two others. Jesus being crucified with two others fulfilled Isaiah 53:12 which said He would be numbered with the transgressors.[1] This type of punishment was set aside for the lowest of criminals. It was a symbol of “the basest kind of rejection, shame, and suffering.”[2] “Jesus was made. . . sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) and the wrath of God we deserved was poured out on Him. This is a type and degree of suffering that is simply incomprehensible.”[3] Pilate placed a sign over Jesus’ head stating, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” The chief priests protested this, but Pilate would not change it. Likely, Pilate understood the Jewish religion and knew that they envied Jesus. By placing this sign, he knew it would insult and embarrass the religious leaders.[4] Without realizing it, however, Pilate actually wrote a “gospel tract” when he wrote this title. One of the thieves came to accept Jesus as King of his life.[5] The soldiers gambled for Jesus’ clothing which fulfilled the prophecy from Psalm 22:18. While Jesus was on the cross, He entrusted His mother into John’s care. Even while He was suffering on the cross, redeeming us from sin, Jesus remained faithful to His mother.[6]

As Jesus’ time to die drew near, He said that He was thirsty. A sponge soaked in wine vinegar, which the soldiers drank,[7] was lifted to Jesus’ lips. This too fulfilled a prophecy from Psalm 69:21.[8] After this, Jesus said, “It is finished.” In Greek, the phrase “It is finished” means “It is finished, it stands finished, and it always will be finished!”[9] An amazing spiritual transaction took place. “God the Father laid upon God the Son all the guilt and wrath our sin deserved, and He bore it in Himself perfectly, totally satisfying the wrath of God for us.” On the cross, Jesus became an enemy of God who was judged and forced to receive God’s fury. He did it so that we would not have to.[10] Following this, Jesus bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

Because it was the day before the Sabbath, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross. They asked Pilate to have the legs of the men broken so they could be removed from the cross. The legs of the two men with Jesus were broken, but when the soldiers came to Jesus, they found He had already died. To be sure, they pierced His side. This also fulfilled a prophecy from Psalm 34:20 and Zechariah 12:10.

Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple of Jesus, asked Pilate if he could have the body of Jesus. Pilate agreed and Joseph, along with Nicodemus, a man who had visited Jesus one night, took the body of Jesus to a garden tomb. The men wrapped Jesus’ body with myrrh and aloes in linen strips and left Him there. By touching Jesus’ dead body, they defiled themselves and would not be able to participate in the Passover celebration. “But, what difference did it make? They had found the Lamb of God!”[11]

Early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to visit the tomb. She saw that the stone had been rolled away. Before she arrived, an earthquake had occurred and the stone had been rolled back by an angel.[12] She ran back to tell Peter and John that Jesus was not in the tomb. The two disciples arrived at the tomb and found the strips of linen lying there and the burial cloth folded up by itself. The fact that the cloth was folded showed that things were left in an orderly manner and not in disarray as they would have been if the grave had been robbed.[13] When John saw this, he believed; although he still did not understand from the Scriptures that Jesus had to be resurrected. The disciples first came to know about the resurrection from visiting the tomb. It was only later that they saw in the Scripture that this was to take place. This helps prove that they did not make up the story of the resurrection “to fit a preconceived understanding” of prophecy.[14] The disciples’ faith was based on evidence, but “as good as evidence is to convince the mind, it can never change the life.” Today we do not have material evidence to examine for ourselves, but we have the Word of God (John 20:9) which is true (John 19:35; 21:24). Faith in the Word is what Jesus desired to cultivate in the disciples (John 2:22; 12:16; 14:26). “Peter made it clear that the Word of God, not personal experiences, should be the basis for our faith (1 Peter 1:12-21).”[15]

The disciples returned to their homes, but Mary remained behind at the tomb, weeping. She looked into the tomb and saw two angels in white seated in the tomb. They asked her why she was crying. She responded that the Lord had been taken away and she didn’t know where He was. When she turned around, Jesus was standing there. He asked her why she was crying and who she was looking for. She did not recognize Him at first. She thought He was the gardener. Jesus may have chosen to conceal Himself from her or she just may not have been able to see in the dark through her tears.[16] When Jesus said her name, she turned to Him and called Him “Rabboni,” which meant “my teacher”.[17] Jesus told her not to touch Him because He had not yet returned to the Father. Jesus knew that Mary would see Him again for he remained on earth for forty days after His resurrection meeting with believers. There was no need for Mary to panic; this was not the last time she would see Jesus. Also, He had a job for her to do.[18] He told her to go to the disciples and to tell them that He would be returning to the Father. Mary went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord.

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On the evening of the first day of the week, the disciples were together behind locked doors because they feared the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them saying, “Peace be with you!” Jesus showed them His hands and side. By coming to them with a greeting of peace and reassuring them by showing His wounds, Jesus was able to turn the disciples’ fear into courage.[19] The disciples were overjoyed and Jesus was now able to commission them. Jesus said that as He had been sent by the Father, so He was sending them. It is humbling and a great responsibility to carry the message of the Gospel to the world. Just as Jesus reminded the disciples of their commission, we too are reminded that we are to carry this message to the whole world (Matthew 28:18-20).[20] 

Not only did Jesus come to the disciples and reassure them, but He also equipped them through the Holy Spirit. Jesus breathed on the disciples and told them to receive the Holy Spirit. As new creations, the breath of Christ means spiritual life. Apart from the filling of the Holy Spirit, we cannot witness effectively.[21] (WW p. 314)

 In order to be saved, we must believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again three days later. Once we receive Jesus as our Savior, we are to share His Gospel message with others.

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[1] Warren Wiersbe, “John 19:17-42”, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, The Complete New Testament, (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2007), pg. 306.

[2] Wiersbe, p. 305.

[3] David Guzik, “Study notes on John 19”, Blue Letter Bible (2001).

[4] Wiersbe, p. 305.

[5] Wiersbe, p. 306.

[6] IBID

[7] Wiersbe, p. 307.

[8] Zondervan, The NIV Study Bible, study note on John 19:28.

[9] Wiersbe, p. 307.

[10] Guzik

[11] Wiersbe, p. 308.

[12] Wiersbe, “John 20:1-18”, p. 310.

[13] Zondervan, John 20:7.

[14] Zondervan, John 20:9.

[15] Wiersbe, p. 311.

[16] Wiersbe, p. 311.

[17] Zondervan, John 20:16.

[18] Wiersbe, p. 312.

[19] Wiersbe, “John 20:19-31”, p. 313.

[20] Wiersbe, p. 314.

[21] IBID