Chapter 19: Part 2 Verses 17-42

Transcription

1 The Book of JOHN Chapter 1 Chapter 19: Part 2 Verses Part 2 of this chapter details the events of Jesus walk to the cross, and His suffering, death and burial. It is a very dark (literally!) day in Jerusalem and throughout the world. The Son of God has been killed upon a cruel Roman cross, at the hands of self-pious religious men and women. The whole world, Jews and Gentiles, participated in this heinous event. But it s not over yet! The events as told by the other Gospel writers: Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink. Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots. Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left. And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, I am the Son of God. Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing. Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, This Man is calling for Elijah! Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink. The rest said, Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him. And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God! And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee s sons. Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. RockofAges.org 1 The Book of John, Chapter 19, Part 2: Verses 17-42

2 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb. On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, After three days I will rise. Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, He has risen from the dead. So the last deception will be worse than the first. Pilate said to them, You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how. So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard. (Matthew 27:27-66) And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him. Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross. And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take. Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. And the inscription of His accusation was written above: THE KING OF THE JEWS. With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, And He was numbered with the transgressors. And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross! Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him. Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is translated, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, Look, He is calling for Elijah! Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down. And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, Truly this Man was the Son of God! There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem. Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. 45 So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid. (Mark 15:20-47) RockofAges.org 2 The Book of John, Chapter 19, Part 2: Verses 17-42

3 Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus. And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. But Jesus, turning to them, said, Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed! Then they will begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us! and to the hills, Cover us! For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry? There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. And they divided His garments and cast lots. And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God. The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself. And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us. But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong. Then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom. And Jesus said to him, Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise. Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit. Having said this, He breathed His last. So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous Man! And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. 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. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 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. That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near. And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. (Luke 23:26-56) Before we look at the last part of John chapter 19, it is important to have a complete account of these events. The Gospel of John does not provide us a total picture of Jesus crucifixion. None of the accounts is complete in itself. We rely on the combined records of all the Gospels in order to get all the details. The synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) are very close in their detail, with Luke always providing just a little more information. Again, because this Gospel writer s purpose is different than the others, his account is somewhat different, providing different details while still in complete agreement. RockofAges.org 3 The Book of John, Chapter 19, Part 2: Verses 17-42

4 The Detailed Events of Betrayal, Arrest, Abuse, Trial, Crucifixion, Death and Burial From this chart we can get a better complete view and listing of the events of the crucifixion of our Lord. (the gray portions indicate that this event is not mentioned in the particular Gospel account) EVENT OR DETAIL REPORTED MATTHEW MARK LUKE JOHN PRE-CRUCIFIXION 1 Jesus betrayed and arrested 26: : : : Jesus taken to Annas 3 Before the Sanhedrin 26: : : Guards mock Jesus 26: : : Peter Denies Jesus 26: : : Judas hangs self 27: Jesus before Pilate 23:1-7 8 Jesus before Herod 23: Jesus Back to Pilate, sentenced to die by crucifixion 27: : : :12-14, :15-18, :28-40; 19:1-16 JOHN Chapter 19 MATTHEW MARK LUKE CRUCIFIXION Chapter 27 Chapter 15 Chapter Soldiers mock and abuse Jesus Simon of Cyrene carries cross to Golgotha Many people follow to Golgotha Jesus speaks to the women who follow Jesus refuses wine His garments are divided Crucified at 3 rd hour (9am)* Crucified at 6 th hour (12 pm, noon)* Soldiers keep watch The sign on His cross Two robbers crucified with Him Thieves on right and left of Jesus Jesus speaks Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do Onlookers mock, blaspheme Him Soldiers mock, offer wine, refused One thief mocks Him Other thief rebuked first thief Jesus tells believing thief, Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise Darkness from 6 th to 9 th hour Jesus cries out Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? Women at the cross Jesus says Woman, behold your son! and to disciple Behold your mother! Jesus says, I thirst Jesus given sour wine Jesus says, It is finished Jesus gives up His spirit Veil in Temple torn Earthquake, rocks split 51 RockofAges.org 4 The Book of John, Chapter 19, Part 2: Verses 17-42

5 38 Graves opened, saints raised Jesus cries out Father into Your hands I commit My spirit and breathes His last Jesus dies at 9 th hour (3 pm) Centurion says Surely, this was the Son of God (or righteous man ) Those watching beat their breasts, returned Women, followers, remained at cross Sabbath near Bodies can t remain on cross during Sabbath [that Sabbath a high (feast of Unleavened Bread) day] Legs broken on others (not Jesus) Jesus is pierced, blood and water come out Joseph of Arimathea asks for Jesus body Nicodemus with Joseph of Arimathea His body prepared for burial He is buried in new tomb Marys (women) at tomb Women prepared spices and fragrant oils Rested on Sabbath Next day Pharisees ask for guard at the tomb, Pilate posts guard *Mark s recorded time of 3 rd hour is not a discrepancy from John account. Mark s time most likely includes the time before Pilate. John s time of 6 th hour is time after Pilate s sentencing. The Last Words of Jesus What He Said Gospel/(OT) record 1 Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. Luke 23:34 2 Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise. Luke 23:43 3 Woman, behold your son!... Behold your mother! John 19: Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? ( My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? ) Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34 (Psalm 22:1) 5 I thirst. John 19:28 (Psalm 69:21) 6 It is finished! ( Paid in full ) John 19:30 7 Father, into Your hands I commit my Spirit. Luke 23:46 (Psalm 31:5) Now that we have a complete picture of Jesus journey to the cross and the grave, we can continue to study how the writer of the Book of John contributed to our record of this event, from his unique perspective and purpose. Let s now turn our attention back to the Gospel of John. RockofAges.org 5 The Book of John, Chapter 19, Part 2: Verses 17-42

6 17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, 18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. Yeshua was taken outside the city to a place called Golgotha. The Gospel writers tell us that this word means place of the skull. There has been great discussion over the ages about the exact location of this place. Many have speculated a number of sites that might have been the spot where Jesus died. Today, most have settled on a place that actually resembles a skull, just outside where the old city walls stood. The term Golgotha is the Greek transcription of an old Aramaic (possibly from Chaldean) word. In Latin the term is Calvariae Locus, which is where we get our English word Calvary to describe the place where Jesus died. It is important to note that the crucifixion took place outside the city. According to Leviticus, all of the sin offering was taken outside the camp. (Leviticus 4:12) Yeshua s death outside the city is a perfect fulfillment of the types of the Old Testament, which where prophetic of this moment of His sacrifice. Jesus is our sin offering, taken outside the city to die. The author of Hebrews tells of this prophetic fulfillment: The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. (Hebrews 13:11-14) This is also a reminder of the scapegoat required on the Day of Atonement. In Hebrew, this goat was called Azazel. This goat was one of two that were selected on this day. The first one was sacrificed. The other, the Azazel, was sent out into the wilderness after the High Priest had ceremonially transferred the sins of Israel to it. (see Leviticus 16) Tradition and history records some humorous incidents involving the scapegoat. It was intended that the scapegoat would carry the sins of the camp outside the camp, far away, never to return. It was expected he would die in the wilderness. However, often this goat was quite smart and clever and actually found his way back to the camp! It would not do to have the sins of the camp returning, so the priests eventually would lead the goat to a high cliff and lead him over the cliff so he could not return and bring back the sins of the camp! We are told that three men were crucified at the same time, with Yeshua in the middle, as the other Gospels recorded. 19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. 21 Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, Do not write, The King of the Jews, but, He said, I am the King of the Jews. 22 Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written. RockofAges.org 6 The Book of John, Chapter 19, Part 2: Verses 17-42

7 It was common to place a placard on the cross of anyone crucified by Rome. This was to bear their name and their crime, so those who passed by would be intimidated and would think twice about doing the same thing! This sign is Pilate s little joke on the Jews. He is fed up with their whining and bickering and threats to him. So he has a sign made, which is actually the truth, although Pilate doesn t know that. The sign read that the man on this cross was the King of the Jews. It clearly identified Him in three languages. Not only did it identify Him as King of the Jews, but also as Yeshua of Nazareth. There was no mistaking exactly WHO was hanging there. Herod of Galilee probably didn t like this sign much since he has ascribed the title King of Jews to himself. We know Herod was in Jerusalem at the time of the crucifixion. Latin was the language of Rome and the Empire (it was the legal language ); Greek was the common language of the people, and Hebrew was the language of the Jews. There are slight differences in wording between the four Gospel accounts, most likely due to this three-fold inscription. The Jews are infuriated with this sign. They rejected Yeshua as their king, and objected to this sign for what they thought was merely a blasphemer, not a king. They complained to Pilate and told him to clarify the sign, and just to say that this man SAID this, not that He IS the king. But Pilate was firm. He wouldn t change it. God is still in control, even in this horrible moment. 23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. 24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be, that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots. Therefore the soldiers did these things. It was standard practice for four soldiers to carry out a crucifixion sentence. Here each of them received one part of Yeshua s clothing, and then the tunic was up for grabs through a roll of the dice, so to speak. Clothing was expensive in those days, and any garment that was seamless was considered a luxury. Someone probably made that garment lovingly for Yeshua. Even the soldiers recognized the value of it and didn t want to rip it into pieces, so they cast lots for it. In this seemingly minor activity, these soldiers unwittingly fulfilled prophecy. All of Psalm 22 is a prophetic look at the crucifixion of Yeshua. The particular verse that deals with this incident is Psalm 22:18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots. If you haven t read all of Psalm 22, and Isaiah 53 yet, now is a good time to do so. At least 28 different prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus death. That, according to our mathematicians, is statistically impossible in the odds game of statistics. This fact alone is enough to verify the truth that the man hanging on that cross two thousand years ago was indeed the King of the Jews, the promised Lamb of God given for the sins of the world. RockofAges.org 7 The Book of John, Chapter 19, Part 2: Verses 17-42

8 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, Woman, behold your son! 27 Then He said to the disciple, Behold your mother! And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. There were at least four women standing at the base of Jesus cross. His mother, His aunt, and two more Mary s. It is fitting there were so many Mary s there. The name in Hebrew is Miryam (is variously translated Miriam, Mirjam, Maria, etc.) and its meaning is literally bitterness. But the bitterness is the result of rebellion. It is an interesting word that comes from the root marah which means to make bitter, to rebel against. Seems like a strange name for a baby girl! At any rate, we can only imagine the bitterness of these ladies at this moment. But the entire reason Jesus is hanging on this cruel cross is because of the bitterness and rebellion of mankind. God s Word is remarkable when we dig deep enough to see all the gems there. It is also interesting that the women stayed at the cross, while most of the disciples apparently were too frightened to be there. Jesus welcomed women and treated them well. He appreciated them for the people they were. In that society, which was totally patriarchal, the woman was a second class citizen. Jesus never treated them that way. They were afforded every privilege with Him that His male followers had, including sitting at His feet to learn from Him. In those days, women were not allowed to sit at the feet (a colloquialism for learning from a master) of a Rabbi. But Jesus encouraged it (remember the story of Mary and Martha). Women played a large role in Yeshua s ministry. They nurtured Him in His youth (Luke 2:51), traveled with Him and helped fund His ministry (Luke 8:1-3), listened to Him teach and learned alongside the men (Luke 10:39), were featured in His parables (Matthew 12:33; 24:41), spread the good news that He was the promised Messiah (John 4:28-30), provided shelter and hospitality to Him and His disciples (Mark 1:29-31), were healed by Yeshua (Matthew 9:20-22, Luke 13:10-17), were praised for their faith (Mark 7:24-30) and their generosity (Mark 12:41-44), prepared His body for burial even before His death (Matthew 26:6-13), stood by Him at His death (John 19:25), helped with His burial (Mark 16:1, Luke 23:55-24), the first to see Him resurrected and told the other disciples (John 20:16-18) Jesus loves His mother, Mary, and here in His last moments of life makes provision for her. She is most likely with the disciple whom He loved standing there at His feet. As we discussed back in chapter 11, there is some question as to exactly WHO this disciple is. Most have assumed it is the disciple John, which most also assume wrote this Gospel, even though there is no proof of that. Tradition is what dictates this thought. However, there is plenty of interesting information to speculate the identity of this loved disciple as someone else. We will refer you to the notes on Chapter 11, where there is credible evidence to believe this might in fact be Lazarus, and not John. It would make sense that Jesus would give His mother into the care of a wealthy believer, prominent in the community, able to provide her with anything she needed. John was a poor, lowly fisherman from Galilee. However, this is speculation, just as the authorship of this Gospel is speculation. From that moment, Mary was taken into the household of that beloved disciple. We hear very little else of Mary after this, but we do know she was present in the upper room where the other disciples gathered together, including the other women who followed Jesus, and would most likely have been present when the disciples were praying at the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) and the Holy Spirit came in power. RockofAges.org 8 The Book of John, Chapter 19, Part 2: Verses 17-42

9 Mary was not divine. She was as human as everyone else, and as such, she was blemished by sin and in need of a Savior. She had to come to Yeshua with faith that He is the Messiah and Savior of mankind, just as everyone else must. It would not have been so difficult for her, however, since of all people on earth, Mary probably knew more than anyone else that He was born of a virgin, and is indeed God Himself. As she stood at the cross, she was filled with sorrow because this was her son. But she also knew at that moment He was also the sacrifice that was given for her sins. Shortly after Yeshua was born, Joseph and Mary presented Him at the Temple, where they had a divine appointment with old Simeon. Simeon had been told by God that he would not die until he had seen the Savior. Simeon prophesied about Yeshua, and also gave Mary a chilling word: And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. (Luke 2:33-35) In this moment at the cross, a sword certainly pierced Mary s soul, and Simeon s words from God were fulfilled. 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, I thirst! 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, It is finished! And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished... Jesus is referring to the completion of the redemptive plan of God. He knew His last breath was near, and the plan for the salvation of all people, formed before the foundation of the world, was done....that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, I thirst! This is the sixth recorded statement of Yeshua from the cross. Jesus, and this Gospel writer, make sure we understand that even this statement fulfilled ancient prophecies. This is from Psalm 69:21 They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. Psalm 22: 15 also relates to this: My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. He said, It is finished! And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. When Jesus spoke this last word, He was referring to the completion of His work on earth, completion of the redemptive plan. The word used here is tetelestai which does mean it is finished, but has a greater implication. This phrase was found stamped on ancient receipts for taxes and debts at this time. This literally means paid in full. In that moment of completion of the plan of God, the Lamb of God gave His life to pay our debt for sin. It is now PAID IN FULL. RockofAges.org 9 The Book of John, Chapter 19, Part 2: Verses 17-42

10 31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, 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. Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath... Jewish law would not permit a body to remain on the cross until the next day (Deut 21:22 23). Not only that, the day Jesus died was a Sabbath since it was the feast of Passover, and the very next day (the day began at sundown for Jews) was another Sabbath (day before a Sabbath is a preparation day ), the feast of Unleavened bread. So Passover, the day Yeshua died, was both a Sabbath (a high holy day) AND a day of preparation for another Sabbath, another high holy day, the following day. This is why they hurried to take him down before evening....the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. The cause of death from crucifixion was usually suffocation. Although extremely painful, the actual nailing to a wooden cross was not usually lethal. But as time went by, hanging like that made it very difficult to breathe. The person being crucified would put his weight on his legs to try to push up and lift the weight off his chest enough to breathe. If his legs were broken, however, he would not be able to do this, and it would quicken his death. This is why the religious Jews asked Pilate to break their legs, so they would die faster and they could get the bodies down. Jesus was already dead, so there was no need to break his bones. This is also a fulfillment of scripture, from Psalm 34:20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. Since it appeared that Jesus was dead, instead of breaking His legs, a soldier thrust his spear into his side. This was also a test of death. If the prisoner didn t jump, he was dead. So what about the reference to blood and water coming out? There is speculation about whether or not this has any spiritual meaning. COMMENTARY: What are we to make of the reference to the blood and water that came forth from Jesus side? It seems probable to connect them with the statements in 1 John 5:6-8. In both passages water, blood, and testimony are mentioned. The Spirit is also mentioned in 1 John 5:7 as the source of the testimony, while here it is one of the disciples (v. 35).... It seems most probable to understand the reference to the water which flowed out of Jesus side as a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit who can now be given because Jesus is now glorified (cf. 7:39); he has now departed and returned to that glory which he had with the Father before the creation of the world (cf. 17:5). The mention of blood recalls the motif of the passover lamb as a sacrificial victim... Later references to sacrificial procedures in the Mishnah appear to support this: m. Pesahim 5.3 and 5.5 state that the blood of the sacrificial animal should not be allowed to congeal but should flow forth freely at the instant of death so that it could be used for sprinkling, and m. Tamid 4.2 actually specifies that the priest is to pierce the heart of the sacrificial victim and cause the blood to come forth. (W. Hall Harris III) RockofAges.org 10 The Book of John, Chapter 19, Part 2: Verses 17-42

11 They shall look on Him whom they pierced. The first prophecy about not breaking any of His bones was fulfilled that day. But there is another here that has double meaning. Not only was Jesus pierced here, and people did indeed look on, they will look again in the future as the prophet Zechariah states: And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. (Zechariah 12:10) Yes, He has been pierced, but this states that the house of David, a specific reference to the Israelites, will not only look on Him, but grieve bitterly WHEN God pours out on these people the spirit of grace and supplication. This portion of the book of Zechariah is all about the future of Israel in the end times. It looks many years past the crucifixion to when Yeshua returns again. Israel will then look on her Messiah and will grieve because she rejected Him the first time He came. There is confirmation of this in the book of Revelation: Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. (Revelation 1:7) This will be the fulfillment of the verse in Zechariah. The writer of this testimony wants the reader to know that he has personally seen these events, witnessed them with his own eyes, and wants to underscore the fact that what he is writing is true and believable. He makes a very strong point of this. The writer is also making sure the reader understands the prophecies that were fulfilled at the death of Yeshua. He is the One. He is most certainly the promised Messiah. As mentioned before, there is controversy about the day of the week that Jesus died. When the early church was being organized under Constantine in the third century AD, there was a move to divorce the Gentile church from all things Jewish. Those who shaped the organized church were far removed from an understanding of the Feasts of God, as He gave us in Exodus and Leviticus. So, when it came time to laying down the basics of the Christian faith, these people came to these verses (and in other Gospels) and saw the word Sabbath here and immediately stated it must mean the weekly Sabbath of dusk on Friday to dusk on Saturday. They were wrong, and perhaps deliberately wrong. There are actually four Sabbaths in the span of less than a week. From previous scripture we know Jesus died on Passover. Passover is a high day, one of the seven ordained Feast days. All of these Feast days were also commanded by God to be Sabbaths, extra days of rest. Now in these verses above, we are told another Sabbath is approaching, and not only that, this Sabbath coming is also a Feast day, or high day. The first three Feast days proclaimed by God are in the spring. They are Passover (Nisan 14), followed the very next day by Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15), then Firstfruits (ordained as the first day of the week [always Sunday] following Passover). All three of these days are Sabbaths. Then there is also the weekly Sabbath. Within less than one week there are four separate Sabbath days. If Jesus died on Passover, and His body was taken down and put quickly in a tomb on the evening of another Sabbath, that had to be Unleavened Bread (day after Passover). There are two Sabbaths even before we get to the weekly Sabbath. These verses do not refer to the weekly Sabbath, but to the high day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, also a Sabbath. So Good Friday should actually be Good Wednesday or Good Thursday. Arguments can be made for either day, due to the method of Hebrew time reckoning (parts of a day can be a day, etc.), but definitely not for Friday. All of this is understood only when acknowledging the Law of Moses and the God-ordained eternal Feast Days, something that Constantine was not doing when the church was organized. Jesus death fulfilled Passover, His burial fulfilled Unleavened Bread, His resurrection fulfilled Firstfruits. (For more information on the Feast Days and Holy Week, please refer to the file found under the John studies titled Holy Week + 7 Feasts. ) RockofAges.org 11 The Book of John, Chapter 19, Part 2: Verses 17-42

12 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. Joseph and Nicodemus, who were secret ( underground ) disciples, now came into the open, and prepared the body of Yeshua for burial. Both men were wealthy, and they were members of the Sanhedrin (Luke 23:51; John 3:1). The spices they brought would have cost a fortune. They quickly prepared the body for burial, and put it in a new tomb near the place of Jesus death. They intended to finish their preparations after the Sabbath (Luke 24:1). They had to hurry because of the approaching Sabbath (Feast of Unleavened Bread, beginning that evening at sundown), and apparently they didn t get the process completely finished. This explains why the women obtained more spices and planned to come to care for the body of the Lord after the feast day. It was the custom to wrap the body like a mummy, carefully laying spices in the wrap. There was a separate face cloth used. This will all be important a little later. COMMENTARY: Because the children of Israel had lived in Egypt, some believe that they were the ones who perfected the method of embalming that the Egyptians used. The child of God in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament has always believed that the body will rise again. It is sown in corruption; it will be raised in incorruption. It is sown in weakness; it will be raised in power. It will be a glorified body. For that reason, the child of God has a reverence and a care for the body. The custom was to use about half the body weight of spices; so we can guess that the Lord Jesus weighed about two hundred pounds. They would prepare the body by rubbing it with myrrh and aloes, then wrapping it with linen strips. That would seal it and keep out the air. They would begin with a finger, then wrap all the fingers that way, then the hand, the arm, and the whole body. In other words, they wrapped the body of the Lord Jesus like a mummy. Now John mentions specifically that they wrapped the body in the linen cloth using the spices, because this is a very important detail for him. You remember that on the resurrection morning, when John saw the linen lying there and the body not in it, he understood that the Resurrection had taken place, and he believed. Remember that John s purpose in writing was to prove Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God (John 20:31) so people would believe on Him and be saved. His focus therefore here is on how Jesus fulfilled the many Old Testament prophecies about Him, and that He is indeed God Himself. RockofAges.org 12 The Book of John, Chapter 19, Part 2: Verses 17-42