and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, Do not write, The King of the Jews, but, He said, I am the King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, 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 them, And for My clothing they cast lots. Therefore the soldiers did these things. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, Woman, behold your son! Then He said to the disciple, Behold your mother! And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home" (John 19:18-27). Dr. Davis' comments:[In the first of the seven sentences, Jesus says,] looking down at the Roman soldiers throwing dice for His seamless garment, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." The second, to the penitent thief, "Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise."The third, looking down at the terrified, grief-stricken adolescent John -- the beloved Apostle he said, "Behold thy mother." Then, looking to His mother Mary, "Woman behold thy son."The fourth cry is from the beginning of the 22nd Psalm, "My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?"Hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending ...
