INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• One of my favorite innovations is the DVR. I LOVE the DVR because even when I am watching “live TV”, if there is something I want to see again or if I missed what someone said, I can rewind the program a little bit in order to see what I missed.
• I catch myself rewinding a lot during football and baseball games because there are various plays I want to see again so I can examine them more closely and so I can enjoy the play again.
• Last week on Easter Sunday we started a new series called REWIND.
• When we realize that Jesus rose from the dead, I think it is good for us to do a rewind so that we can see how He got the point where a resurrection was necessary.
• This week we will rewind our Bible DVR a bit to take a look at the fact that before there was a resurrection, there was indeed a death!
• Jesus died and our rewind will show us that fact today.
• WE are going to be in John 19:28-42 this morning, I would encourage you to open you bibles to the spot or you can follow us on your Youversion app on your i-devices or driod devices.
• Let us begin by reading John 19:28-30.
• SLIDE #2
• John 19:28–30 (ESV) 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
• The first evidence that we see that Jesus died was that…
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. Jesus gave up His spirit and died.
• This morning we will not dive into the event that lead us to this point, the crucifixion, next week REWIND our events a bit more, Jerry will lead you through the crucifixion.
• Jesus has been hanging on the cross for a few hours. He has people watching Him, He has people hanging next to Him mocking and taunting Him.
• Jesus went to the cross for a reason; He went to the cross to DIE for our sins.
• At any time Jesus could have stopped the proceeding but He knew WHY He was here!
• SLIDE #4
• John 17:4 (ESV) I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.
• Jesus knows NOW that the Father’s plan for salvation has been followed and has been a success.
• The perfect sacrifice has been offered to atone for human sins.
• Only one relatively minor item remains, a last Scripture to be fulfilled (teleioō) before his death.
• Jesus announces that He was thirsty.
• This is a fulfillment of Psalm 69:21
• SLIDE #5
• Psalm 69:21 (ESV) They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.
• This was not the same wine offered to Him before the crucifixion that was laced with myrrh to dull the pain, if in the case of Jesus was possible.
• SLIDE #6
• Mark 15:23 (ESV) 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.
• When this is done, Jesus announces to all the world, “It is finished” (tetelestai, from teleō), meaning “it is completed,” or “it is brought to an end.” Bryant, B. H., & Krause, M. S. (1998). John. The College Press NIV commentary (Jn 19:28). Joplin, Mo.: College Press Pub. Co.
• This brings up something we to realize when pertaining to salvation.
• When Jesus said IT IS FINISHED, it means that ALL has been done to open the door of salvation for all of mankind.
• I have had people tell me that they would not give their life to Jesus unless they saw Jesus (sounds like Thomas).
• The other thing I have heard is that unless God does something special for them, they will not give themselves to Jesus.
• We need to KNOW that God has done His part when it comes to salvation, now the ball is in YOUR court.
• We have to make a decision based on what we KNOW God has done for us.
• In verse 30 we are told that Jesus “GAVE UP HIS SPIRIT.”
• This is a phrase that simply means that He died. People that day believed that the humans’ spirit left the body with the last breath left the body.
• We also note that Jesus voluntarily gave up His life. He did it for you!
• Let’s continue to look at our narrative in verses 31-37.
• SLIDE #7
• John 19:31–37 (ESV) 31 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”
• As our narrative continues, we see that…
• SLIDE #8
II. The Romans soldiers verified the death of Jesus.
• Usually death by crucifixion was a LONG ordeal. If you made it through the scourging, you were in for a LONG time of suffering.
• Since it was time to prepare for the Sabbath, the Jews asked if the Romans could break the legs of the men on the cross so they would die quickly and not mess up their Sabbath.
• The way MOST people died by crucifixion was by suffocating so when the soldiers would break the legs, death would come swiftly.
• This happened because with broken legs one could not push themselves up to catch a breath. Then they would drown in their own fluids.
• Can you imagine the pain you would feel having someone break your legs with a large club? WOW!
• By the way this also fulfilled another prophecy.
• SLIDE #9
• Psalm 34:20 (ESV) He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.
• Now Jesus had been on the cross maybe less than 3 hours, the soldiers were surprised that He was already dead.
• Some folks claim that Jesus was not really dead. Well these are professional soldiers who knew their job. They knew when a person was dead.
• Now just to be sure Jesus was dead, one of the soldiers thrust his spear in Jesus side.
• This must have been a sizable hole because of what we find in John 20:3
• SLIDE #10
• John 20:27 (ESV) Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
• This spear in the side also fulfilled another prophecy concerning the mEssiah.
• SLIDE #11
• Zechariah 12:10 (ESV) “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.
• Well, once the spear was thrust into Jesus side, blood and water came out of the wound.
• Since there was not response from Jesus, the soldier KNEW Jesus was dead.
• Some will say that if Jesus was dead that nothing would come out of the wound. Generally that is true, but given that Jesus was hanging gravity would do the work.
• The Bible does not tell us the blood and water came spewing out as it would if the heart was still pumping.
• The water most likely came from the spear piercing the pericardial sac around the heart.
• The soldier knew Jesus was dead.
• When we look at Mark’s account we get some information about Joseph of Arimathea wanting the body of Jesus.
• We are told he boldly went to Pilate to ask for the body so he could bury Jesus.
• Pilate wanted to be sure Jesus was really dead because the time of the cross had been so short.
• SLIDE #12
• Mark 15:44–45 (ESV) 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph.
• The centurion confirms that Jesus is dead so Pilate grants Joseph his request!
• John gives us some gory details so that if someone were to reject the resurrection they would have to explain away the details we have been given.
• Later when Gnosticism gains popularity beginning late in the first century, they taught that spirit was good and flesh was evil so therefore Jesus only looked like a person.
• Well, John’s description of the death of Jesus does not fit that line of thinking.
• Let’s look at verses 38-42
• SLIDE #13
• John 19:38–42 (ESV) 38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
• Finally we see…
• SLIDE #14
III. Jesus was handled as one who had died.
• What do you do with someone who is dead?
• Usually the next step is to prepare them for burial.
• Once Joseph had Jesus in his possession Nicodemus brought about 75 pounds of spices to be used in the burial.
• Jesus’s dead body was handled by those who were getting Him ready for burial. They would have known if He was still alive.
• They took Jesus’s body and bound it in the linen cloths with the spices. If Jesus were alive, being wrapped with linen cloth with 75 pounds of spices would not make it feasible to breath especially given the condition of Jesus.
• The mixture of spices that Nicodemus provided was a very large quantity. Spices were generally imported and were very expensive.
• Myrrh is a gum exuded by a tree that grows in Arabia and is prized for its perfume. It was one of the gifts of the wise men to Jesus (Matt 2:11). Aloes are derived from the pulp in the leaves of a plant that belongs to the lily family.
• The spice is fragrant and bitter to the taste. Used with myrrh, it acts as a drying agent; and the fragrance would counteract the odor of decaying flesh.
• The quantity of one hundred Roman pounds (75 lbs. avdp.) revealed both Nicodemus’s wealth and his appreciation of Jesus.
• Tenney, M. C. (1981). John. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 9: John and Acts (F. E. Gaebelein, Ed.) (186). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
• Jesus was dead, His death was witnessed by many, it was verified by professional soldiers who would know if someone was dead.
• The body was handled like one that was dead.
CONCLUSION
• The issue of the death is important because without it there would be no resurrection and no resurrection means our faith is in vain.
• Next week we will rewind the narrative a little more so we can see examine the crucifixion with Jerry!
• Praise God that we do not serve a DEAD savior!
