The passage
      v16b-20. Taken into custody, Jesus picks up the horizontal member of the cross and proceeds to carry it to the place of execution, the place called "The Skull." By telling us that Jesus carries the cross alone (no mention of Simon), that he is crucified in the middle of two failed freedom fighters ("deliverers") and that he is publicly proclaimed (indited) as "King of the Jews" by the Roman governor, John paints the scene as a coronation; Jesus' "lifting up" is his glorification.
      v21-22. The Jewish authorities naturally react to Pilate's provocative charge which is inscribed on a placard above Jesus, but Pilate has been pushed too far and he has no intention of removing this pointed barb.
      v23-24. As was their right, the soldiers get the spoil from the executions. John describes the scene in more detail than the synoptic gospels. In the gambling over Jesus' undergarment, John is again taken by how God's intentions for the messiah, revealed in scripture, are fulfilled in these final moments. "So it's what the soldiers did."
      v25. Having described the soldiers dividing the spoil, John now describes the opposite side of the coin, namely, the devotion of Jesus' friends. Although the synoptic gospels have Jesus' friends standing off at a distance, John has them standing close beside the cross. John describes a scene of devotion, whereas the synoptics describe a scene of abandonment, both by his friends and by God, Ps.88:8.
      v26-27. Luke agrees with John that there were male friends present with the females and most agree that the "disciple whom he loved" was John the apostle. Jesus performs a kind of "testamentary disposition" where he uses formula-like language to transfer his responsibilities of care for his mother to John. The phrase, "this disciple took her into his home" simply means he accepts this responsibility. Some commentators argue that Jesus entrusted John, and therefore, all disciples and so all believers, to the care of Mary, but this is unlikely.
      v28-29. The end draws near and Jesus, faced with death, utters the words of the righteous son who is faced with desolation, Ps.22:11. John notes that this cry fulfills scripture. Jesus obviously understands how his crucifixion fulfills scripture, but the words do not imply that Jesus just said the words to play out prophecy. Jesus is then offered some vinegar-wine by a soldier, an interesting touch, which is again part of the testimony concerning the righteous suffering son, Ps.69:22. The use of a sponge on a stick or staff (even possibly a javelin), serves to get the drink to Jesus' mouth (better than lips).
      v30. Jesus calls out "it is accomplished" (better than "finished"). Jesus is speaking of his life's work completed rather than just ended, and since it is completed, he hands over his person to the care of the Father (far better than "gave up his life").

The sign of the cross
      The gospel of John is a bit of an enigma and it probably wasn't until the English theologian C.H. Dodd published his work "The Interpretation of the Fourth Gospel" that we started to get an insight into it. Dodd argued that the gospel is made up of a collection of signs with associated discourses, which are independently complete gospel presentations. This "book of signs" is rounded up with the final sign, namely the "book of the passion." The final sign displays to us the Word made flesh, a light shining in the darkness, rejected by his own people, but believed on by some who have found life in him. This suffering-one obediently proceeds under the will of God, a will already revealed in scripture. Continually John reminds us how Jesus' suffering fulfills scripture. So Jesus processes, as if a king to his coronation, processes to the place called "The Scull", and does so under the divine will of God.
      The big question is why, why this given up to darkness? John, of course, has told us the "why" already. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." He was "lifted up that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."
      So there it is. We have this scene of light shining in darkness. The King of the Jews lifted up within view of the city wall. "Alone" he has carried the top member of the cross to the place of execution, for only he can take this divine path, this way of the cross, of glory in suffering. Beside the cross we see both darkness and light. We see the soldiers dividing the spoil and gambling over his undergarment, but we also see the little band of disciples beside him during his final moments. We see Jesus considering his mother's welfare; we even see a soldier sharing his drink with Jesus. There is human depravity and human kindness. And in it all there is the divine will; the fulfilling of intentions revealed long ago.
      On this final sign all signs rely, yet as with all the signs there is but one central message. In the determined purpose of God, Jesus is lifted up to glory through suffering so that through Jesus we too might be lifted up to glory, to eternal life. This kindness of God in Jesus is for all who believe.

v17
      eJautw/ ref. pro. dat. "[carrying] his own" - by/for himself. Carry "for himself", dative of advantage, or "by himself", instrumental dative. Bultmann suggests "alone." John is most likely emphasizing the fact that Jesus caries his own cross to the crucifixion; he does it alone. This idea possibly draws on the imagery of Isaac. Jesus is the king and master of his own destiny. There is possibly also some discipleship imagery here. To draw out any or all of these images, the evangelist does not mention Simon.
      ton stauron "cross" - The top member only, as the central upright was some 3 metres long and was usually a permanent fixture.
      exhlqen (exercomai) aor. "he went out" - he went out. He went out of the city, outside the city walls. Both Luke and Mark say that Simon was coming in from the country when he was ordered to carry the cross, so the procession was on one of the roads leading into the city. "He carried his cross to a place called 'The Scull'", CEV.
      Golgoqa "Golgotha" - skull, cranium. Jesus went out to "the place that is called 'The Scull'", Jeremias.

v18
      estaurwsan (staurow) aor. "they crucified". Note how the actual execution is downplayed. A "most cruel and terrible penalty", Cicero.
      allouV duo "two others" - Mark and Matthew call them bandits (the same term used for Barabbas, revolutionaries, freedom fighters) and Luke calls them criminals.

v19
      egrayen (grafw) aor. "[Pilate] had a [notice] prepared" - [Pilate] wrote [also a title / notice]. "Pilate also had a notice written." Taken literally, Pilate writes the notice, but it is more likely that the grammar is causative, Pilate caused others to prepare the notice. "Pilate ordered the charge against Jesus to be written on a bord", CEV.
      titlon "notice" - A technical Latin term for the charge against a condemned criminal written on a board for public viewing.
      eqhken (tiqhmi) epi tou staurou "fastened to the cross" - placed on the cross. Matthew and Luke have the notice placed over Jesus' head. Interestingly, the actual words of the notice are different in all four gospels. John possibly means "Jesus from Nazareth, King of the Jews." This would suit the heading of a statement of criminal charges.
      gegrammenon (grafw) perf. pas. part. "it read" - it had been written, having been written. "The writing ran", Barclay.

v20
      anegnwsan (anaginwskw) aor. "read" - read. The site is noted close ("near", a spacial term) to the city, and therefore, probably in the sense of close to the road that led into the city. The notice was in three languages for all to read - this was a common practice. "Many of the Jewish people read the charge against him", CEV.

v21
      oiJ arciereiV twn Ioudaiwn "the chief priests of the Jews" - Why the tautology? Brown suggests John is rubbing it in since Jesus was king of the Jews.
      elegon (ercomai) imperf. "protested" - were saying. Given that they got nowhere, "tried to tell Pilate", NEB.
      mh grafe (grafw) "do not write" - do not leave it written, alter what you have written.
      ekeinoV "this man" - this one. Probably derogatory. "This person."
      eipen (erdon) aor. "claimed" - said.

v22
      oJ gegrafa, gegrafa (grafw) perf. "what I have written, I have written" - The first perfect takes a punctiliar sense, the second a continuous (perfective) sense. "What I have written stays written", TH.

v23
      oJte estaurwsan (staurow) aor. "when [the soldiers] crucified [Jesus]" - when they crucified. English translations usually take liberty with "had crucified" to give the meaning "when the soldiers had finished crucifying Jesus."
      ton citwna "the undergarment" - the tunic .... The garment worn closest to the skin. This probably means that Jesus was stripped naked for crucifixion since either a tunic or a loin cloth was worn as the undergarment. Stripping was normal for Roman crucifixions.
      epoihsan tessera merh "divided them into four shares" - made four parts. The presence of four soldiers is only recorded in John. The synoptics have "they divided his cloths."
      arrafoV "seamless" - without a seam. Jewish law required that two different materials should not be joined together and so a seamless woven garment removes this possibility.
      uJfantoV adj. "woven" - woven, as against sown together.

v24
      mh sciswmen (scizw) subj. "let us not tear [it]" - let us not tear, rent, divide. Hortatory subjunctive. "Instead of tearing it up, lets......."
      lacwmen (lagcanw) subj. "let's decide by lot" - let's choose, select, receive, by casting lots, by a throw of the dice. Hortatory subjunctive. "Let's toss to see who gets it."
      iJna + subj. "this happened that" - that. Introducing a final (purpose) or consecutive (consequence) clause.
      plhrwqh/ (plhrow) aor. pas. subj. "might be fulfilled" - More likely the consequence of the event that surround the crucifixion rather than their purpose. "Such that the prophecies of the scriptures came true, namely ..."
      diemerisanto (diamerizw) aor. "they divided" - they parted, divided up.
      ebalon (ballw) aor. "they cast" - they threw, cast [lots]. "They gambled for my garments", CEV.

v25
      eiJsthkeisan (iJsthmi) pluperf. "stood" - there had stood. "Standing beside the cross", Barclay.
      para "near" - by, beside, near. Note that the Synoptics have the women standing at a distance, possibly to align with Psalm 88:8. They possibly did both. Certainly Barrett is wrong in suggesting that the Romans did not allow people near an execution. Both friend and foe could attend close at hand.
      How many women are there? Some suggest two, "his mother and his mother's sister, namely, Mary of Clopas and Mary Magdalene." Four is likely.

v26
      idwn (oJraw) aor. part. "saw" - having seen. The participle possibly forms a temporal clause, as NIV. "Seeing his mother, with the disciple whom he loved", REB.
      parestwta (paristhmi) perf. part. "standing nearby" - having stood beside. The perfect expressing the fact that they had come to stand near Jesus and continued to do so. Luke agrees with John that there were males present with the women. The fact that the disciples fled when Jesus was arrested doesn't mean they all fled Jerusalem.
      ide oJ uiJoV sou "here is your son" - behold the son of yours. In antiquity the words "I leave you my mother to take care of" were commonly said by a dying son.

v27
      apo ekeinhV thV wJraV "from that hour" - An Aramaism meaning "from that very moment."
      eiV ta idia (oV) "into his home" - into the own. Rather than implying that the beloved disciple immediately took Mary away from the execution site to his home, the phrase would be better rendered, "into his care."

v28
      meta touto "later" - after this. It may be a general "after these things" meaning "later", but it is singular so it is probably saying that what is now recorded immediately follows the previous incident. "After that", Moffatt.
      eidwV (oida) perf. part. "knowing" - having known. "Aware", although some manuscripts have "seeing". "Jesus, realizing that everything was now completed", Phillips.
      tetelestai (telew) perf. pas. "completed" - has been completed, fulfilled, finished, ended. All that the Father had given the Son to do was now finished.
      iJna + subj. "so that" - that [the scripture may be fulfilled, completed...]. Most likely forming a consecutive clause expressing result. "Such that the scriptures had come true."
      teleiwqh/ (teleiow) aor. pas. part. "[so that the scripture] would be fulfilled" - completed, ...., bring to spiritual maturity (of persons). Here "fulfilled", although not the word normally used for fulfill. C.F.D. Moule argues that the word is used here to indicate the looming end of fulfilment with regard Christ. The clause, implies that the "all was now completed", including the joining of the beloved disciple with Mary, and that this served to fulfill scripture. The grammarians note that this is one of those occasions when the subordinate clause, here a consecutive clause, precedes the main clause, "I am thirsty."

v29
      skeuoV "a jar" - a vessel
      oxouV (oV) "wine vinegar" - cheap vinegar of wine. Given to quench Jesus' thirst, although some argue it was given to promote thirst. This is not to be confused with the wine and gall offered to Jesus early in the crucifixion as a relief for pain, cf. Mark and Matthew.
      uJsswpw/ (oV) "a stalk of hyssop plant" - hyssop. Barrett suggests that this is another example of the evangelist getting his details wrong because he was so far removed from the events. A hyssop is a reed and could not hold the weight of a wine-soaked sponge. The trouble is the word is used of a number of plants. Some have suggested the word was confused with a similar word meaning "lance / javelin"
      periqenteV (peirtiqhmi) "put" - place around, put around, clothe
      proshnegkan (prosferw) aor. "lifted [it]" - they brought, lifted up. They offered a drink to Jesus, but note, the "they" is not identified. Most assume it was the soldiers.
      stomati (stoma) "lips" - mouth. Possibly "lips", but "mouth" is better.