From Hosanna to the Cross
April 19, 2025

Scripture - John 19:16-30

16 Then he handed him over to be crucified. Then they took Jesus away. 17 Carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called Place of the Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him and two others with him, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate also had a sign made and put on the cross. It said: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The king of the Jews,’ but that he said, ‘I am the king of the Jews.’ ”
22 Pilate replied, “What I have written, I have written.”
23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier. They also took the tunic, which was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. 24 So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it, to see who gets it.” This happened that the Scripture might be fulfilled that says: They divided my clothes among themselves, and they cast lots for my clothing. This is what the soldiers did.

25 Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

28 After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now finished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, he said, “I’m thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it up to his mouth.
30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. 

Definition

Sovereignty is God’s complete authority to direct all things according to His purpose—intentionally, personally, and without obstruction—even through suffering, silence, or seeming chaos.

3 Myths about Sovereignty


1. Myth: If God is sovereign, I won’t experience suffering.

Truth: Sovereignty doesn’t exempt us from pain—it gives our pain purpose. Jesus walked headlong into the Cross, not away from it. God’s rule doesn’t always rescue us from suffering, but it always reframes it within His redemptive plan.


2. Myth: Sovereignty means everything that happens is God’s will.

Truth: Not everything that occurs is good—or God’s desire—but nothing occurs beyond His reach. Sovereignty allows for human choice without forfeiting divine control. God weaves even rebellion and brokenness into fulfillment.

3. Myth: God’s favor means my plans will work out the way I imagined.

Truth: Sovereignty doesn’t revolve around our preferences. It realigns us to God’s priorities. What we interpret as loss is often the very path God uses to lead us into deeper purpose. His favor isn’t about predictability—it’s about faithfulness.


Five Truths About Sovereignty


1. Sovereignty Doesn’t Flinch at the Cross

John 19:16–17 (CSB)
“Then he handed him over to be crucified. Then they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself…”

Commentary

John is precise with his language—Jesus carries His own cross. This is not incidental. This is theological. Jesus is not seized in weakness; He advances in purpose. At a glance, it appears He is being led. But in reality, He is leading. He is governing not just His path, but the meaning of the moment. That is sovereignty—not merely the ability to avoid suffering, but the authority to move through it without surrendering identity, mission, or resolve.

Application

There are moments in our lives when obedience requires us to walk toward pain, not around it. The goal isn’t avoidance. The goal is alignment—submission to a larger redemptive story.
If Jesus carried His cross with full awareness of what awaited Him, then so can we—knowing that purpose doesn’t disappear just because pain appears.


2. Sovereignty Is Never Threatened by Chaos

John 19:23–24 (CSB)
“They divided his clothes and cast lots… This happened that the Scripture might be fulfilled…”

Commentary

The soldiers are unaware that their actions are ancient prophecy in motion. They gamble for garments, but heaven is governing fulfillment. This is a paradox of divine sovereignty: that even the senseless actions of sinful men are not beyond the reach of divine design. Scripture isn’t simply being quoted here—it’s being lived. And in that realization, we see that chaos doesn’t disrupt God’s plan; it often reveals how deeply embedded that plan already is.

Application

When your life feels fragmented—when outcomes are unpredictable and motives are impure—remember this:
God does not need ideal conditions to fulfill His Word. Even in disorder, He maintains direction.
He is not absent in the chaos—He’s operating through it.


3. Sovereignty Sees the One While Saving the Many

John 19:26–27 (CSB)
“When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing there, he said… ‘Here is your son… Here is your mother.’”

Commentary

This moment is deeply pastoral. While securing eternal redemption, Jesus preserves relational wholeness. His attention isn’t divided. His care isn’t diminished. Sovereignty, as expressed here, is not abstract omnipotence—it is emotionally attuned leadership. Jesus dignifies Mary’s grief by ensuring she is not left alone. He reconfigures relationship out of love, not obligation. He sees her.

Application

We often imagine that God is too busy running the world to see our personal ache. But the Cross reveals otherwise.
God’s sovereignty is not detached—it is deeply present.
If Christ could form a spiritual family in the shadow of the Cross, then surely He sees you in the ache of your waiting, in the fracture of your fear.
You are not overlooked.


4. Sovereignty Fulfills, It Doesn’t Just Control

John 19:28 (CSB)
“Knowing that everything was now finished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, he said, ‘I’m thirsty.’”

Commentary

Jesus is aware. Not reactive. Not resigned. He is tethered to the will of the Father with unwavering clarity. He speaks not out of desperation, but out of fulfillment. “I’m thirsty” is not the cry of a man undone—it is the final thread in a divine tapestry of fulfillment. Psalm 69:21 is not being referenced—it is being realized. This is the nuance of divine sovereignty: it is not only control over circumstances; it is the power to accomplish divine purpose through them.

Application

You don’t have to control everything to see God’s promises come to pass. You have to walk in alignment with the One who already does.
Sovereignty invites us to trust that God is not just monitoring the situation—He is completing what He started.
Even when it looks unfinished.


5. Sovereignty Secures the Victory—Even in Death

John 19:30 (CSB)
“He bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

Commentary

This is the crescendo of sovereignty: Christ does not succumb—He surrenders. He does not gasp—He governs. He does not expire—He completes. “It is finished” is not the sigh of a man overtaken. It is the decree of a King enthroned upon a cross. In His death, Jesus is not diminished. He is victorious. This is where sovereignty and victory meet—not in avoidance, but in completion. He doesn’t just survive the Cross. He secures our salvation through it.

Application

Victory, for the believer, is not always loud. Sometimes it looks like silence after surrender. But make no mistake:
when God finishes a thing, it is finished indeed.
You don’t need to fear what looks like the end.
In Christ, even endings are entry points into victory.


Personal Notes

Devotionals


Monday – The Willing King

John 19:16–17 (CSB)
“Then he handed him over to be crucified. Then they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called Place of the Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.”

Commentary:
Jesus isn’t being dragged; He’s walking. John makes it clear: He carried His own cross. This is not a helpless victim, but a sovereign Savior fulfilling His mission. From the garden to Golgotha, He remained in control.

Practical Application:
Obedience doesn’t always look like triumph. Sometimes, it looks like carrying a cross no one understands. But don’t confuse pain with powerlessness. If God called you to it, He’ll work through it.

Reflection Question:
Where in your life do you feel burdened—and how might Christ’s sovereignty give you strength to keep walking?


Tuesday – Fulfilled in the Details

John 19:23–24 (CSB)
“This is what the soldiers did. They took his clothes and divided them into four parts, a part for each soldier. They also took the tunic, which was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, ‘Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it, to see who gets it.’ This happened that the Scripture might be fulfilled…”

Commentary:
Even the gambling of Roman soldiers fulfilled prophecy (Psalm 22:18). God wasn’t just in charge of the big picture—He was sovereign over the smallest actions. The cross was not chaos; it was choreography.

Practical Application:
What seems random in your life may still be ruled by God. His fulfillment doesn’t always feel like success—but He wastes nothing.

Reflection Question:
Can you identify a small, painful detail in your life that God might be using for a greater purpose?


Wednesday – Sovereign Care in Suffering

John 19:26–27 (CSB)
“When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing there, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.”

Commentary:
Even as He hung dying, Jesus didn’t neglect those He loved. He made provision. He reassigned responsibility. He cared—with clarity and control. Sovereignty doesn’t exclude tenderness. It makes room for it.

Practical Application:
You can be in pain and still be purposeful. You can be overwhelmed and still be thoughtful. Sovereignty empowers—not erases—compassion.

Reflection Question:
Who might God be calling you to care for—even as you face your own struggles?


Thursday – It Is Finished

John 19:28, 30 (CSB)
“After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now finished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, he said, ‘I’m thirsty.’… When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.”

Commentary:
This was not a cry of defeat but a declaration of completion. The Greek word tetelestai means paid in full. Every prophecy met. Every debt covered. Every sin atoned. He chose the moment He would die—and finished the work.

Practical Application:
You don’t have to earn what Christ already finished. When you live from a place of completed grace, you stop performing and start trusting.

Reflection Question:
What are you still trying to finish or fix that Christ has already completed?


Friday – Truth Still Stands

John 19:19–22 (CSB)
“Pilate also had a sign made and put on the cross. It said: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS… ‘Don’t write: The King of the Jews,’ but that he said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’ Pilate replied, ‘What I have written, I have written.’”

Commentary:
The religious leaders tried to edit the truth. But God used Pilate—a pagan governor—to declare it: Jesus is King. Sovereignty means no one can erase what God has decreed, even if they deny it.

Practical Application:
Your identity in Christ is not up for negotiation. It may be challenged, mocked, or minimized—but it is sealed by God’s authority, not human approval.

Reflection Question:
What truth about God—or yourself—do you need to stop editing and start believing?