Easter Series Pt 2
“The Truth about the Tomb”
John 19:31-42
John 19:33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
First: Did Jesus die? Was he really dead?
I. The Body of Jesus
A. The recognition of His death v. 33
How did the soldiers determine that Jesus was dead? Remember that these men more than likely had quite a bit of experience with this type of execution and death was no stranger to them. They would have noticed that Jesus was no longer breathing, that his body had relaxed completely, particularly the dropping of his jaw, the fixed glazed appearance of his eyes and maybe even the lack of a pulse or heartbeat.
Heart stops beating and/or lungs stop breathing. Body cells no longer receive supplies of blood and oxygen. Blood drains from capillaries in the upper surfaces and collects in the blood vessels in the lower surfaces. Upper surfaces of the body become pale and the lower surfaces become dark. Cells cease aerobic respiration, and are unable to generate the energy molecules needed to maintain normal muscle biochemistry. Calcium ions leak into muscle cells preventing muscle relaxation. Muscles stiffen and remain stiff (rigor mortis) until they begin to decompose.
Rigor mortis refers to the state of a body after death, in which the muscles become stiff. It commences after around 3 hours, reaching maximum stiffness after 12 hours, and gradually dissipates until approximately 72 hours after death. Rigor mortis occurs due to changes in the physiology of muscles when aerobic respiration ceases.
Muscles are made up of two types of fibre. These fibres have connections between them that lock and unlock during muscle contraction and relaxation. These connections are controlled by a biochemical pathway within the cell, which is partially driven by the presence of calcium ions. The concentration of calcium ions is higher in the fluid surrounding muscle cells than it is inside the cells, so calcium tends to diffuse into the cell. High calcium levels inside the cell drive the biochemical pathway in the direction that maintains muscle contraction. To relax, muscle cells must expel the calcium ions from the cell and this requires energy molecules to pump them across the cell membrane.
After a body has died, the chemical reaction producing these energy molecules is unable to proceed because of a lack of oxygen. The cells no longer have the energy to pump calcium out of the cell and so the calcium concentration rises, forcing the muscles to remain in a contracted state. This state of muscle stiffening is known as rigor mortis and it remains until the muscle proteins start to decompose. Cells eventually die and the body loses its capacity to fight off bacteria. The cells’ own enzymes and bacterial activity cause the body to decompose - muscles lose their stiffness. Brain cells can die if deprived of oxygen for more than three minutes. Muscle cells live on for several hours. Bone and skin cells can stay alive for several days. It takes around 12 hours for a human body to be cool to the touch and 24 hours to cool to the core. Rigor mortis commences after three hours and lasts until 36 hours after death. Forensic scientists use clues such as these for estimating the time of death.
B. The response to His death v. 34
Since the death of Jesus had already been confirmed by the soldiers who were in attendance there is a question as to why one soldier took it upon himself to inflict a puncture wound to the already dead body of Jesus? Scripture tells us that He would be pierced, but why his side and what is the significance of the “…blood and water…”
There is evidence from Scripture that Jesus experienced hypovolemic shock as a result of being flogged. As Jesus carried His own cross to Golgotha (John 19:17), He collapsed, and a man named Simon was forced to either carry the cross or help Jesus carry the cross the rest of way to the hill (Matthew 27:32–33; Mark 15:21–22; Luke 23:26). This collapse indicates Jesus had low blood pressure. Another indicator that Jesus suffered from hypovolemic shock was that He declared He was thirsty as He hung on the cross (John 19:28), indicating His body’s desire to replenish fluids.
Prior to death, the sustained rapid heartbeat caused by hypovolemic shock also causes fluid to gather in the sack around the heart and around the lungs. This gathering of fluid in the membrane around the heart is called pericardial effusion, and the fluid gathering around the lungs is called pleural effusion. This explains why, after Jesus died and a Roman soldier thrust a spear through Jesus’ side (probably His right side, piercing both the lungs and the heart), blood and water came from His side just as John recorded in his Gospel (John 19:34). www.gotquestions.org
Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
C. The record of His death v. 35-37
The fact that Jesus died is indisputable and John wants us to know that “…his record is true…” But we also have a secular record of the death of Jesus from the Roman historian Tacitus who lived from A.D. 14-70 and wrote about the execution of Jesus in his “Annals”
"Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judæa, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind".
ILL – FROM MY DEPARTED HUSBAND
A couple from north Oklahoma decided to go to Florida for a long weekend to thaw out during one particularly icy winter. Because they both had jobs, they had difficulty coordinating their travel schedules. It was decided that the husband would fly to Florida on Thursday, and his wife would follow the next day. Upon arriving as planned, the husband checked into the motel. He decided to open his laptop and send his wife an e-mail back home. However, he accidentally left off one letter in her address, and sent the e-mail without realizing the error. In Houston, a widow had just returned from her husband’s funeral. He was a pastor of many years who had been called home to glory. The widow checked her e-mail, expecting messages from relatives and friends. Upon reading the first message, she fainted and fell to the floor. The widow’s son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read:
TO: My loving wife
FROM: Your departed husband
SUBJECT: I’ve arrived!
MESSAGE: I’ve just arrived and have been checked in. I see that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing you then! Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.
P.S. Sure is hot down here.
Second: How was Jesus buried?
II. The Burial of Jesus
A. The procurement of the body v. 38
Joseph of Arimathea was not one of the original 12 apostles, but he was a disciple of Jesus and was an important man in his own right. He is mentioned in all four gospels (Matthew: 27:57-60; Mark 15:43-46; Luke 23:50-55; John 19:38-42). He was a high counselor, a voting member of the Sanhedrin which officially wanted Jesus condemned to death. We may speculate that he had not consented to, or agreed with, the decision to push Pontius Pilate to impose the death penalty upon Jesus. In spite of his relationship with Jesus, his loyalty to Him was largely kept secret (John 19:38). Jesus was obviously unpopular with the elders of the church, and to outwardly support Him did not bring favor in their eyes (John 19:38).
Even though Joseph of Arimathaea had attempted to keep his love for Jesus a secret, he boldly went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus to be placed in his trust. This is significant in and of itself. Joseph of Arimathaea, not Mary Jesus’ mother, not Mary Magdalene, or any of the apostles were entrusted with the act of taking Jesus down from the cross. Most of the apostles had fled anyway. Joseph took the body and put it in his own tomb.
B. The preparation of the body vs. 39- 40
All four gospel accounts record that Joseph of Arimathea requested Jesus’ body from Pilate, but only John’s account reveals that Jesus was prepared for burial in the traditional manner prior to being placed in the tomb: The body of Jesus would have been thoroughly washed, then the spices (a mixture of myrrh and aloes) would have been applied and finally his body would have been wrapped tightly from head to toe. Nicodemus brought enough of these expensive embalming materials for use in a hundred or more common Jewish burials. Historical records show that the more respected an individual was, the larger the quantity of these costly materials used in the burial perpetration. Josephus records that forty pounds of spices were used at the funeral of the highly respected elder R. Gamaliel (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 17c.8, s.3).
C. The placement of the body vs. 41- 42
The body of Jesus was placed in a new tomb purchased by Joseph for his own use. It was located not far from the place of crucifixion. All of this took place in about three hours and concluded just prior to the start of the Sabbath which began at sundown on Friday. Our Lord’s body was in the tomb for parts of three days.
Finally: Where was Jesus on Friday evening through Sunday morning?
III. The Behavior of Jesus
A. The theology of His state
We believe that the Scriptures teach that we are triune creatures, that we have a body, a soul, and a spirit. We also believe that when we die that the body is separated from soul/spirit. The question is what is the state of the soul/spirit? If Jesus was separated from His body, where was He for those three days? To begin, let’s look at the important word “hell”. Nearly every unbeliever and false religion is quick to point out that “hell” in the Bible only refers to the grave. Though they are correct that the word “hell” most often comes from the Hebrew “Sheol” or the Greek “Hades”, they error in their assumption that “hell” refers to the grave alone. The Old Testament Saints only knew hell as “the realm of the dead”. “Sheol” did not mean a literal grave or a particular sepulcher but rather referred to the unseen world. The grave was simply a FIGURE OF DEATH. So the word was used in a broad sense. It sometimes implies the grave and yet at other times implies hell damnation. In Psalm 9:17 we read that “The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God”. This scripture clearly cannot refer to the grave alone because even the righteous go to the grave! Surely God is stating that judgment is awaiting those who die in their sins, never having received the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. “Hades” is the New Testament Greek word For “Sheol”. Again, the word “Hades” has different meanings. We must let the Scripture guide our thoughts. Jesus cleared up any Old Testament misunderstandings that “hell” was ONLY a grave. In Matthew 5:22, Jesus spoke of those being in danger of “HELL FIRE”. Jesus referred to hell as being a place of: damnation, fire, destruction, torments, weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. A place “Where THEIR WORM DIETH NOT, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED” (Mark 9:44). So “Hades” was not always a mere Grave. Acts 2:31 states, "He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption." In Acts 2:31, "Hell" refers to "Hades." Hell (Greek, "Hades") is often confusing to people because it seems to only imply a place of torment and fire. However, as we learn from the true account of Luke 16, Hades had TWO compartments: Paradise and Torment. Lazarus went to the Paradise side; but, the rich man went to the Torment side. The use of the word "Hell" in Acts 2:31 refers to the Paradise side of Hades. On the cross, Jesus said to the repentant thief, “...TODAY shalt thou be with me in paradise”. Jesus did not go to hell with the damned! He did not suffer after death, but went immediately to be “in paradise” (Luke 23:43). I am of the belief that there was an Old Testament place, in the earth, called Paradise; but it was a part of HADES. Luke 16 cannot be ignored, and supports the doctrine of Hades being compartmentalized.
B. The triumph of His state
One of the first things we need to recognize is that at the moment that Jesus died some very important things happened. Notice that at the very moment that Jesus gave up His spirit (or in other words died) the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom. The curtain in the temple was what separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy place. The Holy of Holies was the place where the ark of the covenant was and on the ark of the covenant was the mercy seat. This is where it was said that God lived with man, He was enthroned between the Cherubim on the mercy seat. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies and he could only enter once a year to make payment for the sins of the people. They even had to tie a rope around his leg so that they could pull him out if he died in there. So this curtain separated the common man from God. That is the significance of it being torn from top to bottom. God tore it, because Jesus had made the ’once for all’ sacrifice which covered the sins which had separated man from God. We see this in this passage:
Hebrews 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Then just a couple of verses later: Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
My point is this; before Jesus made the perfect sacrifice for our sins we were still sinful and were precluded from entering into the presence of our Holy God. That included the dead Old Testament Saints. That is why they were in Paradise and not in heaven; the way had not yet been opened for them. Now if you go back to the passage which says that when He ascended He took captives with Him it will make sense. Now when a believer dies they don’t go to Paradise they go straight to heaven because Jesus opened the way for us.
Matthew 22:32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
Luke 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
For three days Jesus was with all the OT saints and those who had died up until his own death. Can you imagine the reaction of those saints when they were joined by Christ in paradise! Many theologians submit that Jesus brought the souls of those who were in the Old Testament Paradise, into Heaven with Him after he rose from the dead.
Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
"How were people saved before Jesus died for our sins?"
Answer: Since the fall of man, the basis of salvation has always been the death of Christ. No one, either prior to the cross or since the cross, would ever be saved without that one pivotal event in the history of the world. Christ’s death paid the penalty for past sins of Old Testament saints and future sins of New Testament saints. The requirement for salvation has always been faith. The object of one’s faith for salvation has always been God. The psalmist wrote, “Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:12). Genesis 15:6 tells us that Abraham believed God and that was enough for God to credit it to him for righteousness (see also Romans 4:3-8). The Old Testament sacrificial system did not take away sin, as Hebrews 10:1-10 clearly teaches. It did, however, point to the day when the Son of God would shed His blood for the sinful human race. What has changed through the ages is the content of a believer’s faith. God’s requirement of what must be believed is based on the amount of revelation He has given mankind up to that time. This is called progressive revelation. Adam believed the promise God gave in Genesis 3:15 that the Seed of the woman would conquer Satan. Adam believed Him, demonstrated by the name he gave Eve (v. 20) and the Lord indicated His acceptance immediately by covering them with coats of skin (v. 21). At that point that is all Adam knew, but he believed it. Abraham believed God according to the promises and new revelation God gave him in Genesis 12 and 15. Prior to Moses, no Scripture was written, but mankind was responsible for what God had revealed. Throughout the Old Testament, believers came to salvation because they believed that God would someday take care of their sin problem. Today, we look back, believing that He has already taken care of our sins on the cross (John 3:16; Hebrews 9:28).
What about believers in Christ’s day, prior to the cross and resurrection? What did they believe? Did they understand the full picture of Christ dying on a cross for their sins? Late in His ministry, Matthew 16:21 “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” What was the reaction of His disciples to this message? “Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!’ Peter and the other disciples did not know the full truth, yet they were saved because they believed that God would take care of their sin problem. They didn’t exactly know how He would accomplish that, any more than Adam, Abraham, Moses, or David knew how, but they believed God.
Today, we have more revelation than the people living before the resurrection of Christ; we know the full picture. Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;. Our salvation is still based on the death of Christ, our faith is still the requirement for salvation, and the object of our faith is still God. Today, for us, the content of our faith is that Jesus Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose the third day 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. www.gotquestions.org
I want to close this message by asking you a series of questions. How many of you think you are a good person? How many of you think that all things considered you are not too bad? How many of you have ever told a lie? How many of you have ever coveted something? How many of you have ever looked upon a man or women with lust in your heart? How many of you have ever taken God’s name in vain? How many of you have ever had hate in your heart for someone? If you have done these things then you are a lying, covetous, adulterous, blasphemous, murderous sinner and you deserve Hell! If you have done any or all of these things then your righteousness is like “…filthy rags…” This was true of the very first sinner, and it is true of all of us! Adam, believed God and that was “…counted to him for righteousness…” and as a sign of that God gave Him animal skins to cover himself. God will give you the “…righteousness of Christ…” to cover you guilt and sin if you are willing to believe on Him.
