From The Pavement To The Skull (John 19:13)

Introduction

In the Hebrew, it was from Gabbatha to Galgotha. Translated in John 19. From the pavement to the skull. In reading John 19 recently, I was drawn to the only time the word pavement is used. It is where Pilate would ultimately give the sentence for Jesus to be put to death. Only the John narrative draws reference to the pavement, which might suggest that the author, the beloved disciple, knew something about this part of the world, as he does in several places in the John narrative. Pilate was desirous of releasing Jesus. The people opposed his desire. They cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Shall I crucify your king? The chief priest answered, We have no king but Caesar. So they delivered him to them to be crucified.

They took Jesus, therefore, and he went out bearing his own cross to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew. Galgotha. We read this text a lot. And the other three narratives that present the death of Jesus, we read them a lot around the partaking of the Lord’s Supper. I want to talk about this event. What it means to everyone here today. I think about, as a gospel preacher, something that Paul said in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, which I was thinking, what figure of speech is this? I think it’s probably hyperbole. You can correct me on this if you have a better word for it. Because he did talk about other things among believers, but he said, I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ.

1. A Portrait of Jesus and His Excruciating Suffering

And him crucified. That ought to at least say to us something about the focal point of our religious service. The focal point of our worship, our motivation for coming here today, the work that I do in preaching and teaching this message that we should not stray too far or too long from the suffering of Jesus at Calvary, the Greek term. Galgotha. And all that happens from the pavement to the skull as Jesus is sentenced to death for our sins. Four things, four observations about this event in Scripture. So much could be said. Obviously, it is a portrait of Jesus and his excruciating suffering. Now, I chose the word excruciating for a reason. That comes from a Latin word excruciatus, meaning to torment, torture, or crucify, is from where we get our word crux or the crux of the matter.

The very heart and central nature of a thing is its crust, its crux. The crux of Jesus is at the very heart of human history. And the purpose of your being and your reason for being here today. And while we justifiably give a lot of time and attention to his six hours of suffering upon the cross. And are aghast at the horrors of crucifixion. The incredible suffering and torment to die in this fashion. This was not the full extent of his suffering.

Earlier in John 19, perhaps to evoke some sympathy among the people, perhaps this would be enough. Pilate has Jesus scourged. Nearly forty blows with a leather cord. Sometimes the ends of which were wrapped in knots to make it more painful. Or tiny pieces of bone or metal to rip the flesh off of the back of the one being scourged. Whether that was the case or not in Jesus’ scourging, I want to suggest to you that it took everything out of a man.

The forty blows being the limit. Beyond that, life would be imperative. That preceded the horror of his crucifixion. But that’s not all of his suffering. Here at this time, there were very few who stood by who understood. Who sympathized, who got it. He suffered rejection from his closest friends and followers, the deniance of Peter, the betrayal of Judas. And here people were calling for his death. Who owe their very existence to him. Their lives are sustained by the power of him.

2. The Goal of All History Was Accomplished

But there is a hopeful tone in Jesus’ horrible death. The goal of all history was accomplished. Later in John 19, as he’s about to say some of his final words, it says, Jesus in verse 28, Jesus knowing that all things had already been accomplished. I have that underlined in my Bible, knowing that all things had already been accomplished. All things, all things, everything that had pertained to him, and everything that pertained to the salvation of souls, everything that pertained to the scheme of redemption from eternity. And thus he says, I thirst to fulfill the scripture. So much attention is being given right now in the world to that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, whom I’ve mentioned and mispronounced his name at least a couple of times already.

Even if he reigns back his seemingly declared desire to launch a missile at the territory of the United States and somehow strap a nuclear warhead on top of it, even if he somehow doesn’t go that far and he only sends the missile to Guam, an island in the Pacific that has some of our troops on it, and that we’ve controlled for a good number of years since World War II. What’s going to be the result if that happens? I’ll tell you, it’s not going to be a pretty event in the world. And if he does throw that nuclear warhead to somewhere in the continental United States, even Alaska or Hawaii. Hawaii might be a tough target for him to hit. But wherever that lands, life in that place.

Or any territory of the United States, it will affect our lives dramatically. There have been epic moments in the history of nations. Great massacres. Great military triumphs. The Holocaust.

I was looking at a list of the greatest, 25 greatest massacres of all time. At 25 was the massacre of Thessalonica. I’d never heard of that one. But the Emperor Theodosius was disgruntled over things that were taking place in Thessalonica, and he sent his troops to wreak havoc, and then later has a change of heart and sends a messenger, but the messenger doesn’t get there in time. 7,000. Men, women, and children were massacred in that city. Think about the fact that in the writings of the New Testament, there was a local church there. Great wars. 25 battles that changed the world. Lexington and Concord was up there. In 1775, ranking 13th. I knew Waterloo had to be in the list. In 1815, ranking 9th Napoleon’s water blue.

Gettysburg. In 1863 was the seventh. The atomic bombings of Japan was the third. But can you guess number one? I was surprised. The Tet Offensive. The communist North Vietnamese was ranked as the number one military conquest of all time. But after all the posturing of men, and all the nations that have come and gone, and all the epic wars that have been fought. Momentous occasions in all history. The most significant event.

The events from the paper to the skull.

According to Isaiah chapter 40. He reduces rulers to nothing. They’ve scarcely been planted, and he blows on them and they go away. That’s what God says in Isaiah chapter 40. And rulers have come and gone, and nations have come and gone. But this event continues to affect history. And eternity. This is the most compelling event that has ever happened in the world. It is still affecting men and women today. And of all the things that are memorialized throughout the world, his people are commemorating his death. And they do that every first day of the week. Every year. And will do so perpetually. As long as his people are upon this globe. History should always be viewed in relation to God’s activities.

That’s how the Bible is presented. And the history that it records. It presents history from the standpoint of what God was doing and what God was accomplishing and what that meant in the lives of all men and women. History should be viewed from the standpoint of God’s doings. Now let me tell you, young people. As the whole canvas of your history may yet be before you, we don’t know. But let’s just suggest you’ve got six decades to make your splash, to make your dent in the world. And if the Lord doesn’t return, I hope you do. That dent. And I use the word dent for a reason. I’m not talking about the total smash of the car, I’m talking about that little bitty dent in your new car that drives you absolutely nuts.

My car’s not new, it’s a couple of years old, but I came out of the parking lot in Walmart the other day and I saw this lady fiddling with the car, trying to get it to stand still when I look over at my car. And she had allowed that car to hit my car.

Dent. It’s a school thing. It sure did. In all the canvas of history, you’ve got a little debt. Make that dent count for something. However, if it’s not about God’s purposes for you. If it’s not about your fitting in to the meaning of all this. If you somehow remove God from the equation, I don’t need him, I don’t need this. You are turning your back on the most epic event that has ever happened in the world.

This is history. From God’s perspective.

3. Darkness Was Conquered

It’s the significance of this event is that darkness was conquered. Darkness shrouded the event. As if creation could not even bear to look as Jesus bore the curse of sin for us. Darkness was judged. There’s so much said about the darkness. As I was preparing this lesson, I started thinking through the scriptures of how many things are said about the darkness. Moral darkness. Moral decay. That which is opposed to holiness and God’s light. And this contrast between darkness and light is all throughout the New Testament. Jesus’ death conquers the darkness. But I want to tell you, darkness hasn’t surrendered the fight. And will not until the end. When all that is associated with darkness will be vanquished forever from existence and from the presence of God.

But darkness still influences our world. Darkness wants to influence you. And darkness can sometimes feel so strong. So powerful.

Darkness will lose. And you don’t need to be associated with the darkness. Just a few passages. Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 11. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness. But instead even expose them. Put on the full armor of God. And our struggle is against, he says in verse 12, the world forces of this darkness. But those who come to the cross for healing. We have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred into the spiritual kingdom, into the kingdom of God’s dear son. By heaven’s reckoning, we have escaped the darkness that shrouds behavior and most of the people in our world. The broad gate and the broadway that leads to destruction, we find ourselves in the kingdom of God instead. Having walked through the narrow gate and walking the narrow path that leads to salvation.

This is what we need to give our attention and hearts to.

But if we walk in the light, as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his son, cleanses us from this tyranny of darkness. And finally, in 1 John chapter 2 and verse 8, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in him and in you. Because the darkness is passing away. And the true light is already shining. Darkness loses.

Darkness is going to be removed. And the light continues to shine.

Are you associated with the light? If so, the darkness that has been in us will be cleansed. I thought of Acts 26, 18 as I’ve been standing here. Some of my favorite things that Paul or Jesus says to Paul about his intentions for Paul when he says, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God in order that they may receive the forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in me.

Not my ability as an orator, you may think I don’t have much. Or that others have more. But it’s not about one’s ability as an orator, the ability to persuade. The issue is this event in history, it is powerful enough, it is designed to compel you to turn from the darkness. This dude.

4. Feed the Need of Your Soul

Sometimes I watch morning TV to see what’s going on in the world. That’s how I know so much about Kim Jong-un. They talk about him every day. But every now and then there’s a humanitarian segment of someone who has gone to great lengths to sacrifice, to expend of themselves, to make some monetary gesture or service that benefits the life of another. I’m glad as a culture we still appreciate that. That we still praise and applaud those acts of sacrifice and giving and help. And while those things are important.

And as we try to lighten the load of others as we go through life, all of that kind of assistance is only temporary. It’s not permanent. And it does not address the greatest need that any individual has. And that is a soul that is tainted by sin. That needs to be liberated by the work of Jesus and the message of the gospel.

And while we should expend of ourselves to feed the hungry, there is a greater act of service that only the Lord’s people will do. And that is to feed the soul.

And so the point of this sermon this morning is let us feed the need of your soul. Because it is the greatest need that you have.

As Peter is before the council, and they want this whole business of Jesus and his message to stop, and people still want it to stop. They don’t want to hear it. They love the darkness. That’s why. The stone which the builders rejected, Peter says, has become the very cornerstone. And I affirm to you this morning, young people. I affirm to everyone that is here that Jesus is indeed that cornerstone. This is not fabrication. This is not fiction. This is reality. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone upon which we must build our lives. And then this. And there is salvation in no one else. How exclusive is that.

There is no other name. There is no one wielding authority. There is no important figure anywhere. There is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.

Conclusion

What an irony. As they said in Matthew’s narrative of Jesus’ death on the cross. Look at this. He who claimed to save others. He saved others. He cannot save himself. What they meant is ridicule and mocking. And all the ugliness in their hearts that uttered these words. The words themselves were actually true. He did save others. But from this hour. He chose not to save himself. Because to surrender his life, he could in turn save countless thousands. Anyone who would call upon the name of the Lord. He did not save himself from the hour at the school. He endured the torment from the pavement to the skull so that you might be saved. What are you waiting for? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins.

Calling upon the name of the Lord. Let’s stand and say.