7 17 2016 “Jesus, Dead and Buried” John 19:30 -42
We ended our last study with John 19:30: “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”
When Jesus died He not only completed all of the work on earth which the Father had prepared for Him to do, but Jesus completed the vicarious (that is, substitutionary) work on the cross on behalf of sinners. John does not supply the last works of Jesus, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit,” but he explains them in the words, “HE GAVE UP HIS SPIRIT.” The death of Jesus was a conscious act, a self-offering to the Father. Jesus voluntarily gave up His spirit, explaining that Jesus had control over His situation and had exercised His supreme authority over His life and now His death; now He gave up that control. Jesus had given up His life for sinners who would believe into Him for forgiveness.
Fulfilled Prophecies Continue
We continue to 31: Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, (this would be Friday before the Sabbath on Saturday) that the bodies should 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 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was 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 immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." 37 And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."
Prophecies continued to be fulfilled after Jesus gave up His spirit. God intricately weaves the drama of Redemption throughout the pages of Scripture. How wonderful to see all these little details fulfilled by the one Savior who would redeem. Some of the details seem insignificant, but the fact that ALL of the prophecies predicted in the Old Testament concerning the Promised Messiah are ALL fulfilled in Christ, makes the case for Jesus’ Person and Purpose; All of the details make the case for the Gospel!
Here we see that Jesus’ legs were not broken. Back in Psalm 34:20 (look at verse 19 too), John applies this verse to the Lord Jesus: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. 20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.” Jesus truly was the only One who is righteous yet all of our sins and afflictions were placed upon Him. We know that the Lord delivered Jesus “out of them all” because the grave of Jesus would be empty on the first day of the week.
Not breaking one of Jesus’ bones goes back to the celebration of the Passover Lamb. Remember that the Lamb was to be without blemish, and in Exodus 12:46b, God had instructed: “Nor shall you break one of its bones.” And so Jesus, as the Passover Lamb, did not have one of His bones broken in order to fulfill the law perfectly. Numbers 9:12 mentioned the same: They shall not “break one of its bones.”
You cannot miss the depraved insensitivity of the Jewish leaders in going to Pilate and requesting that Jesus’ legs be broken in order to hasten the death of the accused. They had joined forces, persuading Pilate to commit the murder of an innocent man (Jesus), and now they approach him about helping them to fastidiously enforce the ceremonial law. They were extremely concerned that the bodies would be down before the Preparation Day began: that would ceremonially defile the land. (Deut. 21:22-23 had said: "If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.”) So is the mind of unbelief and legalism.
Secondly, seeing that Jesus was already dead, the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side. This was actually unnecessary because according to John’s eyewitness account, the soldiers could see that Jesus was already dead; that is why they did not pulverize his legs with a mallet, but this was done according to the providence and plan of God in order to fulfill scripture…and so it was done according to the will of God. As the soldier thrust a spear up through the underside of Jesus’ ribs, blood and water poured out, later proving beyond a doubt that Jesus was dead and not merely comatose.
How clearly this was prophesied in Zechariah 12:10 over 500 years before Christ: "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”
Later, Thomas was invited by the Resurrected Jesus to place his hand in Jesus’ pierced side in order to believe. This again is a testimony and witness to the very fact that Jesus indeed died in the flesh and was risen from the dead bodily.
Take a look again at John’s personal words in verse 35: “And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.” John uses language here which puts his seal on his eyewitness testimony. His language is the same as Josephus in his historical account and others of the day, emphasizing the fact that he is not manufacturing information but describing a concrete past event in history. The account which John is presenting is not theological fiction or wishful thinking; it is fact.
The facts which John is presenting have a specific purpose and that is “SO THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE.” This is the characteristic theme of the book of John, centering around faith and belief in the Word who became flesh. John is swearing that he is telling the truth concerning the ONE WHO IS THE TRUTH and the only way to the Father.
Two Jewish leaders and Jesus’ Burial
There is more clear testimony to the death of Jesus beginning in verse 38: “After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being 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 the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 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 there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews' Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.”
John relays another unlikely and unusual scenario in the death of Jesus: It would be very peculiar for Pilate to give permission to a person other than a family member to take possession of the body of a crucified person. If a family member did not ask for the body of the deceased, the person was normally buried in a common field for criminals and those who were destitute.
Yet Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the Sanhedrin. Evidently he was not present when the leaders unanimously voted to have Jesus executed by the hand of Pilate. He asked for the body of Jesus and placed Him in a new grave, a resting place of HONOR. This took a tremendous amount of courage since Jesus had been found guilty and crucified.
Luke gives this account in Luke 23: 50-53: Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. 51 He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before.”
Secondly we hear that Nicodemus, who was a Pharisee, brings 100 pounds of embalming spices, enough to bury 100 bodies. Nicodemus is the one who had met with Jesus at night in John 3. Did Nicodemus do this, believing Jesus would stay in the grave? Did he do this because he had had a change of heart concerning Jesus? We don’t know, but in John 3 we had seen Nicodemus questioning Jesus, but going away not believing.
The extravagant amount of spices he brings reminds us of Mary of Bethany’s earlier extravagant gesture, by pouring costly nard on Jesus’ feet, and wiping them with her hair. There is a difference, however; Nicodemus misunderstands what’s going on. He had come to Jesus in John 3 seeking to learn more, but went away unsatisfied. He comes again now, also by night, to help bury Jesus, but maybe the amount of spices is a sign of his respect of Jesus. It seemed that before he wanted to know and understand Jesus on his terms and all those embalming spices were intended to keep Jesus safely in the tomb. I like to think that Nicodemus DID come to saving faith, even though we do not hear any more about him in the Gospels.
It would seem that these two Jewish leaders are mentioned on account of their courage to support the Lord Jesus in His death and burial, risking their own lives and reputation and showing their love and respect for Jesus when all of the other leaders sided and planned together to have Him killed.
It is curious, isn’t it, that Jesus is buried in a tomb in a garden. The story of creation began in a garden. The sinful fall of man occurred in a garden, causing God to expel man from his beautiful existence and relationship with the God who had made him. Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane if there was any other way than the cross to bring Redemption. Now the battle had been waged and won; Jesus drank deeply from the cup of God’s Holy Wrath until the cup was empty and now He was buried in a Garden.
We look forward to the appearing of our Lord again. The Drama of Redemption will end when we are restored to that Heavenly garden mentioned in Revelation. In the meantime, we are called to follow our Lord by faith. Suffering for righteousness sake is part of the call to discipleship. May we have courage like Joseph of Arimathea and like Nicodemus, risking our earthly reputations in following our Savior because of His Heavenly Love for us.
I. Prophecies continued to be fulfilled after Jesus gave up His spirit. (31-37)
A. Jesus’ legs were not broken. (Ps.34:19-20)
B. Jesus’ side was pierced; blood and water proved Jesus was dead.(Zech. 12:10, 13:6)
C. John’s eyewitness is crucial testimony to the fulfilled prophecies: John is swearing that he is telling the truth concerning the ONE WHO IS THE TRUTH and the only way to the Father.
II. Two Jewish leaders assisted in Jesus’ burial. (38-42)
A. Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the Sanhedrin: He asked for the body of Jesus and placed Him in a grave of HONOR. Luke 23: 50-53
B. Nicodemus was a Pharisee who had met with Jesus in John 3; He brings 100 pounds of embalming spices.
C. These two Jewish leaders are mentioned on account of their courage to support the Lord Jesus in His death and burial.
