I hope you will join us for one of two identical services this
Find the Gospel of John, chapter 19, with me. We continue to trace the story of Jesus’ final steps to the cross. While Christians everywhere celebrate Palm Sunday, the day Jesus entered Jerusalem on a Sunday, we fast forward 5 days to His crucifixion. Today, we witness the events after Jesus had been crucified.
Today’s Scripture
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. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 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. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”
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. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 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. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there (John 19:31-42).
Sermon Preview
1) You Can’t Deny the Evidence
2) You Can’t Stay in the Shadows
3) You Must Honor the King
1. You Can’t Deny the Evidence
“But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water” (John 19:34).
1.1 Breaking Legs
The normal Roman practice was to leave crucified men and women on the cross until they died, and this could take days. They would leave their rotting bodies hanging there to be devoured by vultures as a deterrent to crime.1
Criminals were allowed to rot upon the cross. If there were some reasons to hasten their deaths, the soldiers would smash the legs of the victim with an iron mallet. The victim would have been shocked at this moment. But more importantly, they could not push up on their legs to catch a breath in their chest. The person’s arms would not have the continued strength, and they would asphyxiate.
1.1.1 Archeological Remains
Around the time I was born, archeologists found the remains of a body of someone crucified. One of the legs was fractured, and the other leg was smashed to pieces.2
1.1.2 Sabbath and Crucifixion
The priests of that day knew the Bible said that if you leave a person hanging overnight, it would desecrate the land (Deuteronomy 21:22, 23). So, they asked Pilate to break Jesus’ legs so death would come quickly. When the sun goes down on Friday, the Sabbath begins according to Jewish customs. So, everyone’s on the clock, so to speak.
Apparently, Pilate gives the order to the Roman soldiers to complete the gruesome task. After breaking the legs of anonymous criminals on both sides of Jesus, when the Roman soldiers came to Jesus, He was already dead. This was unusual for a man to die from crucifixion so quickly.
Jesus likely died quickly as a result of the double beating He took before He was crucified. Pilate had him beaten, seeking to evoke sympathy, and when this didn’t work, Jesus was sentenced to die. He was scourged following this sentence of death, as was the custom of the Romans. So, the Roman soldiers find Jesus dead from this severe scourging. Plus, the exhaustion and mental stress of everything He endured.
Remember, Jesus was unable to carry the horizontal cross to Golgotha earlier that day. As a man named Simon of Cyrene, nothing more than a passerby of that day, was forced to carry the horizontal beam of Jesus’ cross (Matthew 27:32).
1.2 Warning: Danger Ahead
I want to pause here to highlight something every religious person needs to marinate over: the Bible is giving every religious person a warning here. Notice: the murder of Jesus didn’t trouble these priests, but ceremonial impurity did. Religion can look clean on the outside and still be corrupt within. If it can happen to them, it can happen to you. They are worried about ceremonial impurity on the day of Passover with the bodies still being up on the cross. These guys were blind to their greatest sin but meticulous about minor rituals. A dead conscience often hides behind religious precision.3
1.3 OT Prophecies
Pause with me and notice that John mentions two Old Testament Scriptures being fulfilled in verses 36 and 37. The earliest believers were Jewish people taught in synagogues dotted all over the ancient land of Israel. They believed every word of what we call the Old Testament, or the Hebrew Bible. It wasn’t easy for them to say Jesus was equal to God the Father. One important clue for our Jewish brothers and sisters was the Old Testament Prophecy. John offers us two here, beginning in verse 36. The Bible says that not one of Jesus’ bones was broken, which was a fulfillment of a promise made in the Old Testament (Numbers 9:12). Then John adds how Jesus fulfilled a second Old Testament prediction from the prophet Zechariah in verse 37. Jesus was the perfect Passover sacrifice, and Jesus is the perfect Passover Lamb. Putting the two together, the Bible says, “Not one of his bones will be broken” and “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”
1.3.1 Puzzle Pieces
That may not mean much to us today, but think of it this way. Imagine you dump a 10,000-piece puzzle out on the table. At first, it’s just chaos—random shapes, random colors, nothing seems to fit. You start trying to piece it together, but it’s slow and confusing. Then someone hands you the picture on the box. Now everything changes.
• You recognize patterns
• You can see where pieces belong
The Old Testament is the picture on the box for the ancient Jewish believers. Once you see it, every piece of Jesus’ life falls perfectly into place. Without the Old Testament prophecies, Jesus’ life might seem like a series of disconnected events:
Born in Bethlehem
Betrayed for silver
Crucified, but no bones broken
Pierced for all to see
And finally, raised to life
But with the “picture on the box”—the prophecies — you start to see:
👉 This isn’t random.
👉 This was planned.
👉 All this fits perfectly.
1.3.2 Passover
John’s gospel also has this layer running along underneath the narrative, if you will. John keeps referring to the Jewish holiday of Passover, and any Jewish person who reads John’s Gospel would pick up on it quickly. You can see it when John mentions “it was the day of Preparation” in verse 31 and in verse 42. This was preparation for a special Sabbath, as it fell during Passover week. And likely the mention of blood in verse 34 is a reference to the Passover.
You can think of Passover like this: In the Old Testament, God told His people that judgment was coming. But He gave them a way to be saved. Against the backdrop of the Jewish people’s slavery in Egypt, God was going to sort out whose side He was on. Each family would take a lamb, sacrifice it, and put its blood on the doorposts of their home. When judgment came, if the blood was there, that household was spared. Not because they were better. Not because they were perfect. But because a lamb had died in their place.
Now here’s the connection: Jesus came at Passover… and He died at Passover. Why? Because He is the better Passover Lamb. Just like the lamb, He was innocent. Just like the lamb, He was sacrificed. And just like the lamb, His blood covers those who trust Him. So, when God sees us, He doesn’t see our sin— He sees the sacrifice of Jesus.
1.4 He’s Really Dead
Pick up the story in verse 33 with me. Evidently, Roman soldiers had a way to confirm death, or at least this one did. He took a 3.5-foot spear with an iron point that was joined to a wooden shaft, and pierced Jesus’ side.4 Probably one of the soldiers gave an exploratory stab to see if Jesus’ body would jerk. If not, He was really dead. The soldier may have pierced the pericardial sac around Jesus’ heart, though some medical experts disagree.5 Others think Jesus’ lower torso was pierced where water and blood would emerge.6 Either way, when the blood and water flow out, Jesus is medically confirmed dead for all of time and eternity.
1.5 I Witnessed It
In light of the fact that believers would shortly say Jesus rose again, it’s important to have medical and eyewitness testimony of Jesus death. John offers evidence of this in abundance. John adds, “I witnessed it, and I testify to this,” in verse 35. We notarize important documents in our day. Or, an attorney might say to you, “Are you willing to testify to this in open court?”
John says, “Go ahead, and notarize my testimony. Yes, I’m willing to testify in open court.” John says, “I tell you I saw Jesus die. I was there, and I’m telling you the truth.” In a courtroom, everything can hinge on one thing—an eyewitness. You can have theories, arguments, opinions… but when someone takes the stand and says, “I was there. I saw it. I’m telling you the truth’—everything changes.” Again, John says, “Put me on the stand. You can believe me.”
There’s no denying Jesus died, which makes this interesting when He’s seen alive.
1. You Can’t Deny the Evidence
2. You Can’t Stay in the Shadows
“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” (John 19:38).
2.1 Joseph of Arimathea
All four gospels tell us about a rich man who played a crucial role in Jesus’ burial. There’s a lot to like about Joseph from Arimathea. At great risk to himself and his reputation, Joseph asks Pilate for the body of Jesus. John tells us that Joseph was a secret disciple in fear of the Jews. The Gospel of Mark tells us that Joseph was actually a part of the Sanhedrin, Israel’s version of the Supreme Court. Remember, the Sanhedrin voted to send Jesus to His death. But Joseph voted against executing Jesus (Luke 23:50-51). Luke calls Joseph “a good and righteous man” and adds that “he was looking for the kingdom of God” (Luke 23:50). Since Joseph is a member of the Sanhedrin, he would have access to Pilate like few others would.
2.2 Nicodemus
Joseph is joined by Nicodemus as the two combine to prepare Jesus’ body for burial. Nicodemus was also a member of the Sanhedrin, as John calls him a “ruler of the Jews.” Remember, he came to Jesus at night (John 3). Part of his responsibilities as a member of this elite group would have been to check out public teachers, such as Jesus. Maybe this is why he came to Jesus for that famous “born again” at night.
Recent research shows that there were only four men named Nicodemus in this part of the world. All 4 of these men belonged to one family, the Gurion family.
Think of someone from the Kennedy family or the Bush family who has produced two Presidents, and you get the idea.
If Nicodemus is really from this one family, then he was a member of one of the most prominent and wealthiest families in Jerusalem.7
He is aristocracy.
Both of these men were incredibly rich, and they had a lot invested in keeping the status quo, the status quo.
2.3 Secret Disciples
All the way back in chapter 12, John told us this: “Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God” (John 12:42-43).
John wants you to note that Joseph had the courage to come forward and ask for Jesus’ body, but nothing is said about Nicodemus having such courage. Now listen to John’s comment, Verse 43, “for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God” (John 12:43). Here’s the problem. Joseph and Nicodemus are both trying to do something that is impossible to do for any length of time, and that is, be a secret follower of Jesus. Imagine saying, “I’m a secret agent, Christian, and I’ve never blown my cover.” Friend, you can’t carry that on very long.8
Now, everyone wants to be loved and accepted. I’m afraid I’ve been ashamed of Jesus at times. There can be no such thing as secret discipleship, for either the secrecy destroys the discipleship, or the discipleship destroys the secrecy. Joseph and Nicodemus cannot remain secret disciples. Christianity is supposed to be out in the open for everyone to see. If you have a life you live at church, and another life you live at home and in the world. It can’t be done for very long. You’ll either love the praise of God or the praise of men more than the praise of God.
1. You Can’t Deny the Evidence
2. You Can’t Stay in the Shadows
3. You Must Honor the King
“So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews” (John 19:40). Still, had these two men not stepped up, it’s likely the body of Jesus would have been thrown into a mass grave. These two men come out of the shadows to take care of Jesus in His time of need. How could you have proved a resurrection when you couldn’t have pointed to the exact location of Jesus’ burial?
3.1 The Spices
Jews didn’t practice embalming, so they needed something to cover the smell. They wrapped Jesus’ body in strips of linen and mixed in myrrh and aloe. They brought spices with them that were similar to the smell of our lily. These spices would have been in powder form. In fact, they brought 75 pounds of these aromatic spices to mask the smell of a decaying corpse. A bag of mulch at Lowe’s or Home Depot would be anywhere from 30 to 50 pounds. So, this is twice that amount. Because these two men were rich, they likely had servants who carried the spices for them.
3.2 The Location of Jesus’ Tomb
Not only does Joseph prepare Jesus’ body for burial, but Joseph even lends Him his tomb. John adds, “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” (John 19:41). These location details eliminate Gordon’s Tomb for those familiar with Jerusalem and visiting the sites. John says Jesus ‘body was placed near where He was crucified, the place of the skull, as it was called. Today, many people visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is probably the very same place.9 Remains have been found where the Roman emperor Hadrian placed a temple of Aphrodite on this site in an attempt to desecrate a Christian place of honor.
3.3 Caring for Jesus’ Body
When Joseph allows Jesus to be buried in his family’s tomb, it once again fulfills a piece of the Old Testament puzzle. “And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth” (Isaiah 53:9). In your mind’s eye, watch these two men carefully prepare Jesus’ body. This would have been a tremendous honor for both men and a most solemn occasion.
3.3.1 Taking Chance
It’s been a number of years now, but I remember watching a film starring Kevin Bacon called Taking Chance. The 2009 movie has Kevin Bacon play Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, a Marine officer who volunteers for a solemn duty.
He escorts the body of a fallen 19-year-old Marine, Chance Phelps, from Iraq back home to Wyoming. The movie was based on actual events. The film follows the journey step-by-step:
Receiving the body with dignity
Carefully preparing and transporting it
Escorting it across airports and roads
Interacting with civilians who quietly honor the fallen soldier
There’s very little action—the movie is intentionally quiet, reflective, and deeply respectful. The power of the film is this: It shows the honor, care, and reverence given to someone who has given their life. Every movement matters:
The uniform is handled with care
The casket is never left alone
People pause, salute, and show respect
3.3.2 Back to Jesus
I imagine the care for Jesus’ body was much the same for these two men. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus stepped forward. They took responsibility for Jesus’ body. They handled Him with honor, courage, and care. They weren’t just handling a body — they were honoring their King.
3.3 Jesus’ Perfect Life
The Son of God had become man.10 He has lived a life of perfect virtue and of total self-denial. He was rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. His enemies had been legion while His friends had been few, and those few friends were often faithless. He was at last delivered over into the hands of them that hated Him. He was arrested while in the act of prayer; He was arraigned before both the religious and government courts. He was robed in mockery, and then unrobed in shame. Soon, He was set upon His throne in scorn, and then tied to the stake in cruelty. He was declared innocent, and yet He was delivered up by the judge who ought to have protected Him from His persecutors. He was then dragged through the streets of that Jerusalem which had killed the prophets, and the city would now add the fresh blood of the prophets’ Master Himself. He was brought to the cross, and then He was nailed securely to the cruel wood. The sun burns Him. His cruel wounds only increase the fever. Even God, the Father, forsakes him: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” While He hung there in mortal conflict with sin and Satan, His very heart was broken, His limbs were dislocated. Heaven failed him, for the sun was veiled in darkness. And then Earth deserted Him, for “his disciples forsook him and fled.” He looked everywhere, and there was no one to help. He cast His eyes around, and there was no man that could share His toil. On, on, He goes, steadily determined to drink the last dreg of that cup which must not pass from Him if His Father’s will be done.
At last, He cried— “It is finished,” and He gave up His life. Hear it, Christians, hear this shout of triumph as it rings today with all the freshness and force which it had 2,000 years ago! Hear it from the Savior’s lips, and may the Spirit of God open our ears that you may understand what you hear! “It is finished!”
Lyrics to How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
Behold the man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life –
I know that it is finished.
Closing Prayer
Father, I cannot imagine the horror and grief it took for your Son to suffer and die on the cross. You are our forgiveness; you are our very lives. Amen
EndNotes
1 D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), 622.
2 Nicu Haas, “Anthropological Observations on the Skeletal Remains from Giv’at ha-Mivtar,” Israel Exploration Journal 20 (1970): 38–59.
3 C. H. Spurgeon, “On the Cross After Death,” The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol 33 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1887), 193.
4 Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 2nd ed (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992), 49; as quoted in Edward W. Klink III, John, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016), 813.
5 W. D. Edwards, W. J. Gabel, and F. E. Hosmer, “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ,” JAMA 255 (1986): 1455–63. I viewed the article here: https://www.creativeyouthideas.com/resources/crucifixion_of_christ.pdf; accessed March 25, 2026.
6 A. F. Sava, “The Wound in the Side of Christ,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 19 (1960): 343-346; as quoted in Darrel L. Bock, Jesus According to Scripture: Restoring the Portrait from the Gospels (Baker Academic, 2002) 539.
7 Bauckham, “Nicodemus and the Gurion Family,” in Testimony of the Beloved Disciple, 94.
8 Skip Heitzig, “Disciples on the Graveyard Shift,” Skip Heitzig Sermon Archive. (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife Corporation, 2018).
9 R. Riesner, “Archeology and Geography,” in Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, edited by Joel B. Green and Scot McKnight. (InterVarsity Press, 1992), 43.
10 I am grateful for the words of C. H. Spurgeon, “‘It Is Finished!,’” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1861), 7:585–92.
11 http://www.stuarttownend.co.uk/song/how-deep-the-fathers-love-for-us/; accessed March 2, 2016.
