Since they considered touching the wood of the cross a dishonorable thing, they laid the accursed wood upon Him as one already condemned and cursed. Note also that this takes place in accordance with the Old Testament prefiguration. Just as there Isaac, carrying the wood, went to the slaughter, so here the Lord goes carrying the Cross, and, like some warrior, bears the weapon by which He overthrows His adversary. That Isaac served as a type of the Lord is clear. Isaac means laughter or joy. And who else became our joy, if not He Who through the Angel at the very conception granted joy to human nature? For the glad tidings which the Virgin heard were received by all of human nature. Isaac's father Abraham means father of many nations and is a type of the God of all, Who is the Father of Jews and Gentiles, by Whose good pleasure and decree His Son bears the cross. Only in the Old Testament the matter was limited to the intention of the father, since that was a prefiguration, but here it was fulfilled in actual deed, because this was the truth. There may be yet another similarity. Just as there Isaac was released and a ram was slain, so here the divine nature remained free from suffering, while the human nature was slain, which is also called the Lamb, as the offspring of the lost sheep — Adam.
How then does the other Evangelist (Mark 15:21) say that "they compelled Simon to carry the Cross"? Both things happened. At first the Lord went out carrying the Cross Himself, since everyone abhorred this wood and would not allow themselves even to touch it. But when they went out, they met Simon coming from the field, and then they laid this wood upon him.
Jn. 19:17. to the place called the Skull, in Hebrew Golgotha;
This place was called "The Place of the Skull," for there was a tradition preserved that Adam was buried here, so that where death had its beginning, there also its abolition would be accomplished. For there is a church tradition that after man's expulsion from paradise, his first dwelling place was Judea, given to him as consolation after the bliss of paradise, as a land better and more abundant than all others. It was also the first to receive the dead man. The people of that time, marveling at the dead skull, removed the skin from it and buried it here, and from it gave this place its name. And after the flood, Noah passed down the account of this to all. Therefore the Lord also accepts death there, where the source of death was, in order to dry it up.
Jn. 19:18. There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, on either side, and Jesus in the middle.
Crucified with Him were also two others. The Jews wished by this to spread a bad rumor, as though He too were a robber. Meanwhile, they involuntarily fulfill the prophecy which says: "And He was numbered with the transgressors" (Isa. 53:12).
Observe then the Wisdom of God, how It turned to the glory of the Lord that which they did to His dishonor. For on the very Cross He saved the robber, which is no less wondrous, and even more proves His Divinity. For He alone was glorified, even though others were crucified together with Him. This would not have happened if He were guilty and a transgressor of the law, and were not Himself above the law and the Judge of the lawless.
Jn. 19:19. And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.
Pilate writes a title on the cross, that is, the charge, the inscription, the declaration. The inscription indicated whose cross it was. So Pilate makes this inscription, on the one hand, in order to take revenge on the Jews for not having listened to him, and to show their malice, by which they rose up against their own king, and on the other hand, in order to defend the glory of Christ. They crucified Him with robbers, wishing to dishonor His name.
Jn. 19:20. This inscription was read by many of the Jews, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin.
Pilate declares that He was not a robber, but their King, and he declares this not in one, but in three languages. For it was natural to suppose that because of the feast, many Gentiles had also come along with the Jews. Earlier the Evangelist (John 12:20–21) also mentions certain Greeks who came to see Jesus. Therefore, so that all might know of the madness of the Jews, Pilate proclaimed this about Him in all languages.
The inscription, made in three languages, hints at something higher as well, namely: it shows that the Lord is the King of practical, natural, and theological philosophy. The Roman letters serve as an image of practical philosophy, for the power of the Romans is the most courageous and active in military affairs; the Greek letters are an image of natural philosophy, for the Greeks occupied themselves with the study of nature; the Hebrew letters represent theological philosophy, for to the Hebrews was entrusted the knowledge of God. Thus, glory to Him Who through the Cross revealed Himself as possessing such a Kingdom, Who both conquered the world, and strengthened our activity, and grants the knowledge of nature, and through it leads into the innermost part of the veil, into the knowledge and contemplation of Himself, that is, theology.
Jn. 19:21. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but that He said, 'I am the King of the Jews.'"
The Jews envied Jesus even when He was crucified. For what do they say? Write that He Himself said it. For now the inscription appears as the common opinion of the Jews, but if it were added "He called Himself King," then the blame would be on His audacity and pride.
Jn. 19:22. Pilate answered: what I have written, I have written.
But Pilate did not agree, and remained of his former opinion. Therefore he also says: "What I have written, I have written."
However, something else important is also arranged here. Since the three crosses, buried in the earth, would lie in one and the same place, so that it would not remain unknown which of them was the Cross of the Lord, it was arranged so that it alone had the title and inscription, and by this sign could be recognized. For the crosses of the robbers did not have inscriptions.
Jn. 19:23. The soldiers, when they crucified Jesus, took His garments and divided them into four parts, a part to each soldier, and the tunic; but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top.
The words "woven from the top" are added not without significance. Some say that these words allegorically express that the Crucified One was not a mere Man, but also possessed Divinity "from above." Others say that the evangelist is describing the actual appearance of the tunic. Since in Palestine they join two pieces of fabric, that is, two cloths, to weave garments, using weaving instead of a seam, John, in order to show that such exactly was the tunic, said that it was "woven from the top throughout," that is, woven from the beginning and from top to bottom. By this remark he points to the poverty of Christ's clothing. Still others say that in Palestine they weave cloth not as we do: for us the warp and weft are on top, and the fabric is woven from below and thus proceeds upward; there, on the contrary, the warp is below, and the cloth is woven from the top. Such, they say, was the tunic of the Lord.
Without doubt, here too a mystery is revealed. The Lord's body was woven from above, for the Holy Spirit came and the power of the Most High overshadowed the Virgin (Lk. 1:35). For although He assumed the lowly and fallen human nature, the Divine Flesh was formed and woven by the heavenly grace of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Holy Body of Christ, divided and distributed in the four parts of the world, remains undivided. For, being imparted to each one individually and sanctifying each by His body, the Only-Begotten dwells wholly and undividedly in all through His flesh. For, being everywhere, He is in no way divided, as the apostle Paul also cries out (1 Cor. 1:13).
Since all things are composed of four elements, by the garment of Jesus one may understand this visible and created nature, which the demons divide when they put to death the Word of God dwelling within us; they strive to draw us to their side through attachment to worldly goods, but they cannot tear the tunic, that is, the Word existing in all that exists, by which all things exist. For no matter how many times I may be beguiled by transient goods, I still know that they are transient; I know both the quality and the substance of deceptive and passing things.
Jn. 19:24. So they said to one another: let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be — that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: "They divided My garments among themselves, and for My clothing they cast lots." This is what the soldiers did.
What the devil contrives in his cunning serves to fulfill the prophecies. And behold the truth. There were three who were crucified, and yet the words of the prophets are fulfilled in Him alone. And note the precision of the prophecy. The prophet spoke not only about what they divided, but also about what they did not divide. The other garments they divided into parts, but the tunic they did not, instead leaving its fate to the casting of lots (Ps. 22:18).
Soldiers acted according to their own folly.
Jn. 19:25. Standing by the cross of Jesus were His Mother and His Mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene.