Exegesis On John Chapters 18 & 19

[StColette]

An entire semester's work

Analysis and Summary

There are three main themes that are found throughout Chapters 18 and 19 of John. These themes include the arrest of the Good Shepherd, the trial of the King, and the sacrifice of the paschal lamb.(1) The central theme is in fact Christ’s kingship; the word king occurs twice as often in John then it does in the Synoptic Gospels. (2)

The first theme is that of the arrest of the Good Shepherd. Christ's concern for his disciples in John 18:9 references his earlier words in Jn 10:29.(3) It is at this point that Christ is ready to act as the Good Shepherd and lay down his life for his sheep in Chapter 19. The Good Shepherd motif continues into the trial with Pilate where Christ says that those who know the truth hear his voice just as the sheep know their shepherd. The good shepherd at the crucifixion lays down his life for his flock.

The second theme found in John 18-19 is that of the trial of the king.(4) The kingly power and composure that Christ commands is seen from the very beginning. The soldiers who come to arrest him are forced to the ground by the power in Christ’s answers. The theme of Christ’s kingship is also seen heavily in the trial with Pilate. Every answer Christ gives, the majority of Pilate’s statements to the Jews, and even Christ’s own clothing proclaim him as king. The kingship of Christ continues even through to the crucifixion where the words of Christ in Jn 3:14 are fulfilled. According to Brown, “Jesus is crowned and hailed as King during his trial, and enthroned and publicly proclaimed as king on the cross.(5) The inscription on the cross also proclaims Christ's kingship.(6)

The final theme that runs through chapters 18 and 19 of John is Christ as the paschal lamb.(7) The first reference to Jesus being the paschal lamb can be seen in his arrest. He is brought to the chief priest as if he is being led to the slaughter (vv 18:12-14). The paschal lamb theme is greatly seen in the verses of 19:8-42. It is revealed in vs 19:14 that the day and hour of Christ’s punishment began on the day and at the time on which the paschal lambs would be sacrificed by the high priests. In vs. 19:16, Pilate hands Christ over to the high priests to be crucified, i.e. slaughtered. At the crucifixion the use of hyssop to give Jesus wine is a symbol of what is used by the chief priests to sprinkle the blood of the paschal lambs.(8)

Each theme comes to a headway in the section of 19:8-16. In this section, Christ is ready to act as the Good Shepherd and give his life for his flock. He is ready to be King enthroned upon the cross and lifted high. Finally he is ready to be the paschal sacrifice for the entire world.

Structural Analysis

The Evangelist John divides the trial into seven scenes.(9) The number seven often has the connotation of completion. By the seventh scene, the trial has been finished, Christ has been sentenced, and now the punishment is going to take place.
The first scene presented involves verses 18:28-32.(10) In this scene the problem is introduced. The problem that is given is that the Jews wish Christ to be put to death but they do not have the power to do so. In Jn. 18:28, there is the handing over once again of Jesus. "Handing over" comes from the Greek word paradidomi, which means to betray, and is a reference to the Passion.(11) John 18:29 begins to set up the literary tool of double staging. This is the first time that Pilate is shown coming out to the Jews. Pilate in this first section seems to want nothing to do with Jesus. The Jews persist that they can not put a man to death and this is why they have brought Jesus to Pilate. Without stating a charge against Christ, Pilate agrees to continue with a trial.(12) This summary is mentioned in order to give foundation to the last verse of this scene. In verse 18:32, the Evangelist John points out the fact that Jesus' hour had come and this was a fulfillment of his word in Jn 3:14 and Jn 12:32.

The second scene produced is verses 18:33-38a.(13) The first action that is noticed is Pilate entering into the Praetorium where Jesus is being kept. The first thing that Pilate asks Jesus regards his kingship. The Jews in the previous verses had not stated that to Pilate as the charge against Christ. Christ’s response is in the form of a question which makes the reader wonder if the Evangelist John is using the image of Christ the Judge and making it seem as if Pilate is now on trial. Pilate’s next question of “what have you done?” makes it clear that Pilate is unaware of why the Jews are asking for his death. Christ does not respond to Pilate’s question directly but rather speaks of his kingdom.

The question Pilate asks next is “So you are a king?” which is phrased as such in both the RSV-CE2 and the NAB. (14) There is strong evidence that this is a statement rather than a question. The phrase "so you are a king" in Latin is translated as "ergo rex es tu" which is translated either as "Therefore you are a King" or "Are you therefore a King?" which seems to be ambiguous.(15) The editor of the Old Vulgate places a question mark, but St. Jerome did not indicate that this was in fact a question. Searching further, the Greek the phrase "so you are a king" is "ουκουν βασιλευς ει συ." The UBS places an interrogative punctuation but Greek does not have such punctuation and therefore this can be considered their interpretation upon this verse. Thayer's Lexicon commentary says that Pilate is speaking affirmatively and saying "Then thou art a king".(16) Upon searching through a Greek Concordance the word "ουκουν" is only used once and it is found in Jn 18:37.(17) There may also be a hint found in Christ's response to Pilate. In vs. 38, Christ says to Pilate "you say that I am a king" and in Latin this translates as "tu dicis quia rex sum ego".(18) Literally translated the Latin renders "You say [so] because I am a King". Christ is saying that Pilate believes that he (Christ) is king and that Pilate has affirmed this in his previous statement.
In the same verse Christ speaks of why he was born and the purpose is to “bear witness to the truth.” This bearing witness to the truth can be conferred with Jn 3:32. Christ says that those who voice know the truth. This could be a type of reference to the motif of the Good Shepherd and his flock's knowing his voice.

The third scene consists of verses 18:38b-40.(19) Once again he exits the Praetorium and goes out to the Jews. Pilate exclaims to the Jews that he finds no crime in Jesus. This is the first of three exclamations of Christ’s innocence.(20) The next action of Pilate is quite confusing. If Pilate finds no guilt in Christ then why does he give the Jews the option to choose between releasing Christ or Barab’bas? It is interesting how the Jews called for the release of Barab'bas when Pilate never mentions his name in these verses. The only person that Pilate asks if they wish him to release is Jesus.

The fourth scene is comprised of verses 19:1-3. This scene is considered the central scene for the passage of 18:28-19:16.(21) It can be considered as a sub-climax. The scourging builds up the events within the passage and seems at first glance to be the climax of the story. However, the scourging is not the climax because there is no resolution to the problem and the trial continues. In the Gospel of John, Pilate is shown as the one who scourges Christ, but in the Synoptic Gospels the scourging is carried out by the soldiers at Pilate's command.(22) It is interesting to note where the scourging takes place in the Gospel of John. The Synoptic Gospels place the scourging after Christ has been condemned but in John the scourging takes place in the middle of the trial. According to Jennifer A. Glancy the possible reason for the scourging's placement within the trial is to extract the truth from Christ. Flogging "was used in judicial interrogation, most commonly in interrogation of slaves and other low status persons."(23) It is suggested that the scourging of Christ was a means of Roman torture to have Jesus confess what he is being accused of(24). The next verse shows the soldiers dressing Christ as a king. He is adorned in a purple robe, which is the color of royalty. Again it is shown that the Evangelist John is emphasizing the kingship of Christ.

The fifth scene consists of verses 19:4-8. For the second time, Pilate tells the Jews that he has found no guilt in Christ.(25) Pilate says that he is going to bring Christ out to them but looking at the verse it is clear that Jesus comes out on his own accord.(26) The proclamation of Pilate when presenting Jesus to the Jews is “Behold, the man!” which possibly points toward his humanity rather than to his divinity. In verse 19:6, Pilate tells the Jews to take Christ themselves and crucify him, knowing quite well that the Jews are not capable of doing so. The suggestion by Pilate is a way in which Pilate is trying to release Jesus. Pilate also proclaims for a third time that he still finds no guilt in Jesus.(27) The Jews respond in an unsuspected way. The Jews claim that Christ is guilty of making himself the Son of God but later the Jews will accuse him of being a political criminal. Verse 19:8 shows Pilate’s response to the phrase “Son of God” which means that there must have been some fear of Christ somewhere earlier in the trial.

The next scene includes verses 19:9-11.(28) Pilate enters back into the Praetorium to speak to Jesus. Pilate poses another question to Christ, this time regarding his origin. Christ refuses to answer. This is the only time in this passage 18:28-19:16 that Christ does not answer Pilate in some manner. The reference to “release” before “crucifixion” (vs 10) in the question of Pilate sheds possible hope on the situation Christ’s last words are in regard to sin. He is clear to point out that the greater sin lies with the one who handed him over, i.e. betrayed him. The “he” could mean Judas, Cai’phas, the Jews, and/or Satan. After this response from Jesus, he keeps silent until right before he gives up his spirit.

The seventh and final scene consists of verses 19:12-16.(29) In this scene the climax is found for this section of verses. Pilate passes judgment upon Christ and the resolution is Jesus being handed over to the Jews. The first words are those of the Jews. They have responded to Pilate without him even having made any conclusion about Christ. The Jews are accusing Christ now of making himself a king, when they just accused him of making himself the Son of God. They are grasping at straws to get the conviction that they want. Pilate’s next movement shows that the Jews have frightened him. Verse 19:13 is under much debate as to who sits upon the judgment seat. The Greek rendering of the verse allows for either Pilate or Jesus to be seated upon the judgment seat, the distinction is never made clear.(30) John is sure to point out the hour and the day in which the trial is taking place in order to give us a movement through time since we are given the time in which Christ is brought before Pilate. The time and day also make reference to the sacrifice of the paschal lambs. Pilate presents Christ to the Jews as their king in verse 14 and is ready to hand him over to them. Pilate has made his judgment even though it is not recorded here in John. When Pilate asks “shall I crucify your King?” the Jews respond with a blasphemous phrase that is a forfeit of faith.(31)

Each of these scenes in some manner reminds the reader of the Kingship of Christ. The questions of Pilate, the responses of Christ, and the clothing we wears indicate his kingship . The double staging effect used by John helps the reader to see the two different conversations that are taking place. Christ is explaining to Pilate the truth of why he is there and the Jews are falsely accusing him. These things are all brought to a culmination in the structure of verses 19:8-16a.

The verses before 19:8 prepare the way for the Jews to completely abandon their faith. The entire section deals with the denial of Christ’s kingship as well as God the Father’s. The first response of the Jews indicates that anyone who sets himself up as king is against Caesar. It is with this statement that the Jews begin their blasphemy. By the end of the passage the Jews come right out and say that they have “no King but Caesar”. This is the clearest statement of blasphemy in this section. They have denied the kingship of God. They have forfeited their faith for the purpose of sacrificing an innocent victim who is their true king.

Commentary

19:8 The fear that Pilate is experiencing is from the claim of the Jews that Jesus has made himself the Son of God. According to Raymond Brown, in Hellenistic culture the saying "God's Son" would be linked to the terms theios anthropos, which means "a divine man with magical occult origin". The verse tells us that Pilate became "more afraid" meaning that even before the Jews brought up the idea of "Son of God," Pilate feared something about Jesus.

19:9 Pilate enters into the Praetorium once again while possibly bringing Jesus with him. There is no indication evidence of who brings in whom.(33) Pilate's question to Jesus has two possible meanings. Truthfully, Christ has two origins; he is both from Nazareth and from above.(34) According to Raymond Brown, "in the Synoptic Gospels Jesus remains silent except to answer the question regarding his being king but with John he only keeps silent when questioned about his origins."(35) In addition, Christ's silence here could be cross referenced to the motif of the Suffering Servant. As in Is. 53 ("just as a sheep is mute before its shearers, he did not open his mouth”(36) ), here Pilate and the Jews are Christ’s shearers.(37)

19:10 Pilate is becoming desperate to find a way to have Jesus answer him. Barrett will agree with the idea that the silence of Jesus makes him want the answer even more.(38) He boasts to Jesus of his power over Jesus' fate, either release him or to crucify him, in order to force an answer from Jesus. According to Westcott, “the placement of release before crucifixion shows possible sign of hope before that of death."(39) The verse produces the image of Pilate trying to release Christ.

19:11 In this verse, Christ breaks his silence and responds to Pilate’s boast of his power. Jesus speaks with authority saying that Pilate would have no power unless it had been given to him from above. The words “from above” have two possible meanings; they could refer to Rome or to the authority of God. Knowing the Johannine way of writing, it is likely that John is focusing on the latter meaning. According to Westcott, “human government is only valid as the expression of the divine will;” therefore, above all Pilate’s decision is the will of the Father.(40) In the second part of this verse Christ speaks of who has the greater sin. Jesus's reference to “he” can become quite a dispute. It is possible that “he” referring to Cai’aphas, Judas, the Jews, and/or Satan.

19:12 In this verse, where Pilate is standing in relation to the Jews is not addressed. The action in this verse seems to show that either Pilate went back out to the Jews or either the Jews are calling in to him. The Jews will not stand for his release. It seems that before Pilate can even utter a word the Jews respond with an attack on his loyalty to the Roman government. The question that must be asked is what caused the Jews to cry out their statement. Pilate did not speak to them in this verse but the Jews respond to him as if he had. According to the them, anyone who makes himself a king sets himself against Caesar. Are the Jews including God? If the Jews are including God then they are guilty of blasphemy (1 Sam 8).(41)

19:13 The Evangelist John uses “when Pilate heard these words” in order to draw attention to an important event that is going to take place.(42) Pilate now lost his conviction to release Christ and is submitting to the will of the Jews. Pilate no longer has any power over the situation; he is helpless at the will of the Jews. The statement about sitting down in the judgment seat is often disputed among scholars. Some scholars say that the original language can mean that either Pilate sat in the judgment seat or that Christ sat in the judgment seat. Considering that Pilate is the one judging in this scene it is highly unlikely that Pilate would place Jesus in the judgment seat. However, according to Barrett the New Testament emphasizes the judgment seat as the seat of God or the seat of Christ.(43) The often questioning of Pilate by Christ makes one think that Pilate is on trial as well. The reference to the Pavement or Gab’batha does not necessarily have any symbolic meaning but rather may be mentioned for historical or dramatic purposes.(44)

19:14 There is a break from the trial in the first part of the verse. The Evangelist gives detailed information as to what day the trial of Christ took place and even more specifically at what time the sentence was going to be given. Unlike the Synoptic Gospels, John refers to the day of Christ’s trial not as the eve of the Sabbath but rather the “eve of the Passover”.(45) It is at the sixth hour that the sacrifice of the paschal lambs began on the day of Preparation. It is the idea of Christ as the paschal lamb to which John is trying to draw attention. In the time of Jesus each family would bring a Passover lamb to be slaughtered by the chief priests, but according to the law the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed by the head family member.(46) Here the chief priests are sacrificing the Paschal Lamb, Christ on the eve of the Passover. With Pilate’s statement “Here is your King”, he is presenting to the chief priests their sacrificial lamb.

19:15 The key to understanding this verse lies in the last statement of the Jews “we have no king but Caesar”. These are the final words of the Jews in of the Passion narrative. With the statement “we have no king but Caesar,” they blaspheme God. They proclaim that they only have one king and that king is Caesar, however the Jews' only true king should be God himself, according to 1 Sam 8.(47) By crucifying Christ they are killing their God and their King.

19:16 This point in the narrative there should be a verbal sentencing, but the Evangelist John does not record any sentence. Pilate hands Christ over to them, the Jews, to be crucified. It is possible to consider the “them” here to mean the Jews because they are the only people mentioned as being present before Pilate. The Jews have now become the real executioners, though they cannot carry out the crucifixion themselves. There is no speech in this final sentence of the trial. There is no more defense for Christ, no more “ifs” for his release. He has been handed over to his hour.

Theological Summary

The theological points that John is emphasizing in verses 19:8-16 are faithfulness to God and fortitude in the face of opposition.

The first point is regarding faithfulness to God. In these verses, the reader sees Christ as the faithful servant. He does not beg for mercy, flee, or try to defend himself. He has completely surrendered himself to the will of the Father. The Jews, on the other hand, have completely abandoned their faith with their proclamation that they do not have any other king but Caesar.(48) A great pastoral application can be made by comparing the two. On one hand we are given Christ who shows perfection at following the will of the Father and on the other we are given the Jews who have completely turn their back upon the Father. We must be like Christ offering ourselves over to the Father despite the outcome.

The second theological point is that of fortitude in the face of opposition. Again with this point there are two examples: Christ and Pilate. Christ is met with great opposition at this trial. He could have fled and escaped before being arrested but he willed to face those who were against him. Christ has stood strong and commanding throughout the entire trial; even after the scourging he is still completely in control of himself and will not falter. Pilate does not portray the same strength. He has weakly gone back and forth on releasing Christ. He boasts of having the power to do so but lacks the conviction to see it through. When met with opposition by the Jews he completely loses every shred of courage that he had. When he is confronted with being unfaithful to Rome he gives in. Pilate no longer has the strength to oppose the Jews. He hands Christ over to them because he was not strong enough to oppose them despite his boasts of power. When deciding which one the Christian should imitate, it is quite easy to see. The Christian should be like Christ in that they should be confident and strong in their faith and not waiver at the first instance of opposition. Christians should be courageous and steadfast in all that life lays at their feet.

God Bless,
Jennie



Endnotes:

1 Stibbe X
2 Rensberger 396
3 Stibbe 100
4 Stibbe X
5 Stibbe 116
6 Mlakuzhyil 233
7 Stibbe X
8 Stibbe 115
9 Duke 127
10 Duke 127
11 Duke 128
12 Rensberger 402
13 Duke 129
14 NAB, RSV-CE2 Jn 18:37
15 Latin Vulgate Jn 18:37
16 Thayer’s commentary
17 Online Greek Concordance
18 Old Latin Vulgate Jn 18:38
19 Duke 131
20 Duke 131
21 Duke 131
22 Brown 874
23 Glacy 108
24 Glancy 108
25 Duke 132
26 Duke 132
27 Duke 133
28 Duke 133
29 Duke 134
30 Duke 134-135
31 Duke 135
32 Brown 877-878
33 Barrett 451
34 Barrett 451
35 Brown 878
36 RSV-CE2 Is. 53:7
37 Brown 878
38 Barrett 451
39 Westcott 270
40 Westcott 270
41 Barrett 454
42 RSV-CE2 Jn 19:13
43 Barrett 482
44 Brown 881
45 Barrett 454
46 Brown 882-883
47 Barrett 454
48 NAB Jn 19:15

Works Cited

Barrett, C.K.. The Gospel according to St. John ; an introduction with commentary and notes on the Greek text.. New York: Macmillan, 1955.

Brown, Raymond. The Gospel according to John. Introd., translation, and notes by Raymond E. Brown. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1966.

Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America,The Revised Standard Version, Catholic Second Edition. Two ed. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006.

Duke, Paul D.. Irony in the Fourth Gospel . Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1985.

Glancy, Jennifer A.. "Torture: Flesh, Truth, and the Fourth Gospel." (2005): 107-136.

Mlakuzhyil, George. The Christocentric literary structure of the Fourth Gospel . Roma: Editrice Pontificio Istituto Biblico, 1987.

Rensberger, David. "The Politics of John: The Trial of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel." (2002): 395-411.

St. Jerome. Biblia Sacra Vulgatae . Josepho A. Cardinali Foulon. Paris: 1887.

United Bible Societies. The Greek New Testament. Third ed. Kurt Aland, Matthew Black, Carlo M. Martini, Bruce M. Metzger, and Allen Wikgren. New York: American Bible Society, 1975.

Strong, "Textus Receptus Greek Text King James Bible with Strong's Dictionary." 2001-2002 . [url="http://www.htmlbible.com/sacrednamebiblecom/kjvstrongs/CONGRK376.htm"]http://www.htmlbible.com/sacrednamebibleco...s/CONGRK376.htm[/url] (accessed 04072007).

Thayer, Joseph. "Thayer's Lexicon." [url="http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-"]http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-[/url] bin/words.pl?strongs=3766&page=1&flag_full=1 (accessed 04072007).

University of Notre Dame, "Latin Word Lookup." 2005.http://www.archives.nd.edu/cgi-bin/lookup.pl?stem=quia&ending= (accessed 04072007).

Westcott, Brooke. The Gospel according to St. John : the Authorized Version / with introduction and notes by B. F. Westcott.. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1971.

Edited July 1, 2007 by StColette

[StColette]

bump for Nick to notice since I've been telling him I would post this lol

[Apotheoun]

Very nice essay.

The passion narrative in John's Gospel ultimately involves the recapitulation ([i]anakephalaiosis[/i]) of the Genesis events by Christ in order to bring about the restoration ([i]apokatastasis[/i]) of the entire created order of existence to divine communion.

[StColette]

[quote name='Apotheoun' post='1307815' date='Jul 1 2007, 11:47 AM']Very nice essay.

The passion narrative in John's Gospel ultimately involves the recapitulation ([i]anakephalaiosis[/i]) of the Genesis events by Christ in order to bring about the restoration ([i]apokatastasis[/i]) of the entire created order of existence to divine communion.[/quote]

Thanks

I wish I didn't have to edit it before I turned it in. It could only be ten pages. I was only 1/4 done with the paper and I was at 10 pages. Sadly alot of stuff had to get thrown out

[kateri05]

was this for minto? i wrote the same paper well different obviously, but same topic! (and hated every second of it )

[StColette]

[quote name='kateri05' post='1308571' date='Jul 1 2007, 08:43 PM']was this for minto? i wrote the same paper well different obviously, but same topic! (and hated every second of it )[/quote]

Yep for Minto lol I loved every second of it hehehe I'm a Minto nerd

[Apotheoun]

I enjoyed Dr. Minto's classes too, and I especially liked his lectures on [i]Dei Verbum[/i].

[StColette]

[quote name='Apotheoun' post='1311172' date='Jul 3 2007, 01:24 PM']I enjoyed Dr. Minto's classes too, and I especially liked his lectures on [i]Dei Verbum[/i].[/quote]

Me too! lol

[Thy Geekdom Come]

I was one of Jennie's sources.

I am SUCH a nerd...

[StColette]

[quote name='Raphael' post='1314504' date='Jul 5 2007, 08:17 PM']I was one of Jennie's sources.

I am SUCH a nerd... [/quote]

Doesn't it make me an even bigger nerd when I ask you to be one of my sources lol And then spend like 3 hours on a sentence that's like 3 words long ROFL!!!!

[franciscanheart]

Lovely, Jennie!

[StColette]

[quote name='hugheyforlife' post='1315822' date='Jul 6 2007, 08:53 PM']Lovely, Jennie![/quote]

Thank you darling! lol