There they crucified Him
The act of crucifixion was a Roman method of execution reserved for the most heinous criminals and slaves, highlighting the humiliation and suffering Jesus endured. This fulfills the prophecy in Psalm 22:16, "They pierced my hands and my feet." The location, Golgotha, was outside the city walls, aligning with the requirement for sin offerings to be burned outside the camp (Hebrews 13:11-12), symbolizing Jesus as the ultimate sin offering.

and with Him two others
The presence of two others, identified in other Gospels as criminals, fulfills Isaiah 53:12, which states, "He was numbered with the transgressors." This emphasizes Jesus' association with sinners, despite His innocence, and His role as the Savior for all humanity.

one on each side
The positioning of the two criminals, one on each side of Jesus, underscores the centrality of Christ in the narrative of salvation. It also reflects the choice every person faces regarding Jesus, as one criminal mocked Him while the other sought mercy (Luke 23:39-43).

with Jesus in the middle
Jesus being in the middle signifies His role as the mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5). This central position also symbolizes His pivotal role in history and the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. The scene foreshadows the ultimate reconciliation of humanity with God through Christ's sacrifice.

1. Jesus Christ
The central figure of the Christian faith, crucified for the sins of humanity. His crucifixion is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and the pivotal event in the New Testament.

2. Two Others
These are the two criminals crucified alongside Jesus. Their presence fulfills the prophecy that Jesus would be "numbered with the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:12).

3. Golgotha
The place where Jesus was crucified, also known as "The Place of the Skull." It is a significant location in the account of Jesus' passion and death.

4. Roman Soldiers
They carried out the crucifixion, representing the Roman authority and the fulfillment of Jesus' prediction about His death.

5. Crucifixion
A Roman method of execution that was both torturous and humiliating. It symbolizes the depth of Jesus' sacrifice and the extent of His love for humanity.The Centrality of the Cross
The crucifixion is the focal point of the Christian faith, representing the ultimate sacrifice for sin. Believers are called to reflect on the significance of the cross in their daily lives.

Fulfillment of Prophecy
Jesus' crucifixion fulfills numerous Old Testament prophecies, affirming the reliability and divine inspiration of Scripture.

Jesus' Identification with Sinners
By being crucified between two criminals, Jesus identifies with sinners, offering redemption and hope to all who believe.

The Cost of Redemption
The crucifixion underscores the immense cost of human redemption, calling believers to live lives of gratitude and obedience.

The Power of Forgiveness
Jesus' interaction with the criminals highlights the power of forgiveness and the promise of eternal life for those who repent.(18) Comp. Notes on Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27; Luke 23:33-34.

Verse 18. - Where they crucified him. As John barely mentions this awful climax of his Gospel, it is not needful here to enlarge upon the heartrending details of this hideous process, one which Cicero described as "crudelissimum,teterrimum,summum supplicium," one from which no Roman citizen could suffer, and which was reserved for the most ignominious and degraded of mankind - for traitors, brigands, and condemned slaves. It is sufficient to say that, from the mention of the ἐπιγραφὴ ἐπ αὐτῷ (Luke 23:38), the cross was not simply of the T shape called crux commissa, but rather (Luthardt and Zockler) of the familiar shape + and termed crux immissa, upon the upper arm of which the title or accusation, which had been placed round his neck, was affixed. The victim of this punishment was stripped, laid on the central bar, and the arms attached by ropes to the transverse beam, the hands and feet fastened with huge iron nails to the wood. A sedile was arranged to bear a portion of the weight of the body, which would never have been sustained by the gaping wounds. The cross was then raised by the executioners, and thrust with a fierce jerk into the hole or socket prepared for it. There was nothing in this inhuman torture necessarily to occasion death. The sufferers often lingered for twelve hours, and sometimes for several days, dying at last of thirst, starvation, and utterly intolerable agony. The Romans generally left the bodies to be devoured by birds of prey; the Jews buried the corpses. Constantine I., after his conversion, out of reverence for the Lord whom he had chosen, abolished the punishment, which, far more terrible than one by wild beasts or fire, has never been renewed, and rarely practiced in Europe since that day. There, then, these Jews, by the hands of lawless men, by Roman executioners, "crucified the Lord of glory," and by their hideous insensibility to goodness, by judicial blindness, bigotry, envy, and pride, not knowing the infinite crime they were committing, offered up a sacrifice, slew the Lamb of God, killed a Passover of transcendent price. That torture-tree has become his throne, and the very symbol of all that is most sacred and awe-inspiring in the entire region of human thought. They did not by this gross and inconceivable wickedness bring their rage to its full satisfaction; for they crucified two other with men with him either side one (ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν, an expression only found in this passage and Revelation 22:2), and Jesus in the midst, most prominent in this tragedy, and exalted to what they believed was the very pinnacle of shame. The synoptic narrative has told us these two men were "robbers" (λῃσταί, not κλεπταί) or (κακοῦργοι) "malefactors," who, according to their own confession, were "suffering the due reward of their deeds." For a while both these dying ruffians tried to add torment to their quiet and patient fellow-Sufferer. Luke's account of the change that came over one of them as the awful hours rolled on is one of the sublimest portents that attended the Crucifixion. John passes this well-known incident by, most obviously supplementing the synoptists' narrative with matter which they had omitted. It is strange that John, if he had simply a theological purpose in his selection of facts, should have omitted the sublime prayer, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34), a revelation of compassion, power, inward agony, blended with Divine prerogative and unspeakable tranquility, which has done so much to reveal "the heart of Christ," the essence and character of the living God.

Parallel Commentaries ...


[There]
ὅπου (hopou)
Adverb
Strong's 3699: Where, whither, in what place. From hos and pou; what(-ever) where, i.e. At whichever spot.

they crucified
ἐσταύρωσαν (estaurōsan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 4717: From stauros; to impale on the cross; figuratively, to extinguish passion or selfishness.

Him,
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

with
μετ’ (met’)
Preposition
Strong's 3326: (a) gen: with, in company with, (b) acc: (1) behind, beyond, after, of place, (2) after, of time, with nouns, neut. of adjectives.

Him
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

two
δύο (dyo)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1417: Two. A primary numeral; 'two'.

others,
ἄλλους (allous)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 243: Other, another (of more than two), different. A primary word; 'else, ' i.e. Different.

[one] on each side,
ἐντεῦθεν (enteuthen)
Adverb
Strong's 1782: Hence, from this place, on this side and on that. From the same as enthade; hence; on both sides.

[with]
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

Jesus
Ἰησοῦν (Iēsoun)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

in the middle.
μέσον (meson)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3319: Middle, in the middle, between, in the midst of. From meta; middle (neuter) noun).


John 19:18 NIV
John 19:18 NLT
John 19:18 ESV
John 19:18 NASB
John 19:18 KJV

John 19:18 BibleApps.com
John 19:18 Biblia Paralela
John 19:18 Chinese Bible
John 19:18 French Bible
John 19:18 Catholic Bible

NT Gospels: John 19:18 Where they crucified him and with him (Jhn Jo Jn)