CCLI 1746006 JOHN 19 31 NOW IT WAS

CCLI #1746006

JOHN 19: 31 NOW IT WAS THE DAY OFPREPARATION, AND THE NEXT DAY WAS TO BE A SPECIAL SABBATH. BECAUSE THE JEWS DID NOT WANT THE BODIES LEFT ON THE CROSSES DURING THESABBATH, THEY ASKED PILATE TO HAVE THE LEGS BROKEN AND THE BODIES TAKEN DOWN. • THE “DAY OF PREPARATION” WAS THE DAY BEFORE THESABBATH, WHEN ALL THE PREPARATIONS WERE MADE FOR THESABBATH. • THIS WOULD CORRESPOND TO OURFRIDAY. • IT WAS TO BE A “SPECIALSABBATH”, MEANING THAT IT WAS THE FIRST SABBATH OF THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD, THE MOST SACRED TIME OF YEAR FOR THEJEWS.

JOHN 19: 31 NOW IT WAS THE DAY OFPREPARATION, AND THE NEXT DAY WAS TO BE A SPECIAL SABBATH. BECAUSE THE JEWS DID NOT WANT THE BODIES LEFT ON THE CROSSES DURING THESABBATH, THEY ASKED PILATE TO HAVE THE LEGS BROKEN AND THE BODIES TAKEN DOWN. • WHY DID THE JEWS WANT THE BODIES TAKEN OFF THE CROSSES DURING THE SABBATH? • DEUTERONOMY 21: 22 -23 B–ECAUSE THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT THEIR LAND WOULD BE UNDER A CURSE. • HAVING THE LEGS OF CRUCIFIXION VICTIMS BROKEN WAS CERTAINLY NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE ROMANS. BUT THEIR PREFERENCE WAS TO LET THE VICTIMS LINGER AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. • NOT JUST BECAUSE IT MADE THE DEATH MORE EXCRUCIATING, BUT BECAUSE IT SERVED AS A GREATER DETERRENT TO FURTHER REBELLION BY OTHERS. • HAVING YOUR LEGS BROKEN WITH CLUBS, WOULD BE EXTREMELY PAINFUL. BUT THE SUFFOCATION THAT FOLLOWED WOULD BE

JOHN 19: 32 -33 THE SOLDIERS THEREFORE CAME AND BROKE THE LEGS OF THE FIRST MAN WHO HAD BEEN CRUCIFIED WITHJESUS, AND THEN THOSE OF THE OTHER. BUT WHEN THEY CAME TOJESUS AND FOUND THAT HE WAS ALREADY DEAD, THEY DID NOT BREAK HIS LEGS. • THE LEGS OF THE THIEVES WERE BROKEN, AS THEY WERE BOTH STILL ALIVE. • HAD THEY NOT BROKEN THEIR LEGS, THEY COULD HAVE LIVED ON FOR SEVERAL DAYS, THUS NULLIFYINGJESUS’ PROMISE IN LUKE 23: 43. • JESUS, BEING IN CONTROL OF WHENHE CHOSE TO GIVE UPHIS SPIRIT, WAS ALREADY DEAD. • THERE WAS NO NEED TO BREAKHIS LEGS.

JOHN 19: 34 -35 INSTEAD, ONE OF THE SOLDIERS PIERCEDJESUS' SIDE WITH A SPEAR, BRINGING A SUDDEN FLOW OF BLOOD AND WATER. THE MAN WHO SAW IT HAS GIVEN TESTIMONY, AND HIS TESTIMONY IS TRUE. HE KNOWS THAT HE TELLS THE TRUTH, AND HE TESTIFIES SO THAT YOU ALSO MAY BELIEVE. • IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THATHE WAS DEAD, ONE OF THE SOLDIERS PIERCED JESUS’ SIDE WITH A SPEAR. • THE RESULT WAS A FLOW OF BLOOD AND WATER. • NUMEROUS MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, INCLUDING DOCTORS, HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THIS FLOW OF BLOOD AND WATER INDICATES THAT JESUS DIED OF A RUPTURED HEART. • THIS WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN A CLEAR INDICATION THATJESUS WAS, IN FACT, DEAD.

JOHN 19: 34 -35 INSTEAD, ONE OF THE SOLDIERS PIERCEDJESUS' SIDE WITH A SPEAR, BRINGING A SUDDEN FLOW OF BLOOD AND WATER. THE MAN WHO SAW IT HAS GIVEN TESTIMONY, AND HIS TESTIMONY IS TRUE. HE KNOWS THAT HE TELLS THE TRUTH, AND HE TESTIFIES SO THAT YOU ALSO MAY BELIEVE. • JOHN SEEMS TO EMPHASIZE THIS, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW THAT HE DID WITNESS THIS, AND HIS TESTIMONY IS TRUE. • AND HE TESTIFIES TO THIS, THAT WE MAY ALSO BELIEVE. • BELIEVE WHAT? • THAT JESUS DID IN FACT DIE ON THE CROSS.

JOHN 19: 36 -37 THESE THINGS HAPPENED SO THAT THE SCRIPTURE WOULD BE FULFILLED: “NOT ONE OF HIS BONES WILL BE BROKEN, ”AND, AS ANOTHER SCRIPTURE SAYS, “THEY WILL LOOK ON THE ONE THEY HAVE PIERCED. ” • EXODUS 12: 46 – THE ISRAELITES WERE NOT PERMITTED TO BREAK ANY OF THE BONES OF THEPASSOVER LAMB. • PSALM 34: 20 ALSO PROPHESIES ABOUT JESUS’ UNBROKEN BONES. • ZECHARIAH 12: 10 IS REFERENCED AT THE END OF VERSE 27, AS THE JEWISH PEOPLE WOULD LOOK ONJESUS, THE ONE THEY HAVE PIERCED. • THIS VERSE WILL ALSO, AND MORE FULLY, HAVE FULFILLMENT WHEN JESUS RETURNS A SECOND TIME.

JOHN 19: 38 LATER, JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA ASKED PILATE FOR THE BODY OF JESUS. NOW JOSEPH WAS A DISCIPLE OFJESUS, BUT SECRETLY BECAUSE HE FEARED THE JEWS. WITH PILATE'S PERMISSION, HE CAME AND TOOK THE BODY AWAY. • JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA • MATTHEW 27: 57 – A “RICH MAN” AND A “DISCIPLE OFJESUS” • MARK 15: 43 – A “PROMINENT” MEMBER OF THESANHEDRIN WHO WAS “WAITING FOR THE KINGDOM OFGOD” • LUKE 23: 50 -52 A– “GOOD AND UPRIGHT MAN” WHO HAD NOT “CONSENTED TO THEIR DECISION AND ACTION” • JOHN TELLS US THAT HE WAS A DISCIPLE OFJESUS, BUT “SECRETLY”, BECAUSE HE “FEARED THEJEWS”.

JOHN 19: 38 LATER, JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA ASKED PILATE FOR THE BODY OF JESUS. NOW JOSEPH WAS A DISCIPLE OFJESUS, BUT SECRETLY BECAUSE HE FEARED THE JEWS. WITH PILATE'S PERMISSION, HE CAME AND TOOK THE BODY AWAY. • DESPITE THE FEAR OF HIS PEERS, HE WENT “BOLDLY”M( ARK 15: 43) TO ASK PILATE FOR JESUS’ BODY. • HAVING RECEIVED PERMISSION, HE WENT TO THE CROSS, TOOK THE BODY OF JESUS DOWN, AND CARRIEDHIM AWAY. • CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE FORJOSEPH?

JOHN 19: 39 HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY NICODEMUS, THE MAN WHO EARLIER HAD VISITED JESUS AT NIGHT. NICODEMUS BROUGHT A MIXTURE OF MYRRH AND ALOES, ABOUT SEVENTY-FIVE POUNDS. • JOSEPH WASN’T ALONE HOWEVER. HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY NICODEMUS. • JOHN 3 • HE WAS A PHARISEE AND A MEMBER OF THESANHEDRIN. • HE WAS PROBABLY AFRAID OF HIS PEERS, AS HE CAME “AT NIGHT”. • JOHN 7: 50 -51 • HE SEEMS TO HAVE DEFENDEDJESUS.

JOHN 19: 39 HE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY NICODEMUS, THE MAN WHO EARLIER HAD VISITED JESUS AT NIGHT. NICODEMUS BROUGHT A MIXTURE OF MYRRH AND ALOES, ABOUT SEVENTY-FIVE POUNDS. • ALSO A VERY WEALTHY MAN, HE BROUGHT ABOUT 100 POUNDS OF MYRRH AND ALOES. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE. • HISTORICAL RECORDS SHOW THAT THE MORE RESPECTED A PERSON WAS, THE MORE SPICES WERE USED IN THEIR BURIAL. • JOSEPHUS RECORDS THAT 40 POUNDS WERE USED IN THE BURIAL OF THE FAMOUS PHARISEE, GAMALIEL. • THE MIXTURE WAS TO PRESERVE AND PERFUME THE BODY.

JOHN 19: 40 TAKING JESUS' BODY, THE TWO OF THEM WRAPPED IT, WITH THE SPICES, IN STRIPS OF LINEN. THIS WAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH JEWISH BURIAL CUSTOMS. • THIS PROCESS WOULD HAVE BEEN MESSY, PAINSTAKING, AND LENGTHY. NOT TO MENTION FILLED WITH ANXIETY, WONDERING ABOUT YOUR PEERS. • THEY WOULD HAVE HAD TO WASHHIS DIRTY, BLOODY, MUTILATED BODY. • THEN, AFTER WASHING, THEY WOULD BEGIN WRAPPINGHIS BODY WITH THE STRIPS OF LINEN, WHILE ADDING THE SPICES.

JOHN 19: 41 -42 AT THE PLACE WHERE JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED, THERE WAS A GARDEN, AND IN THE GARDEN A NEW TOMB, IN WHICH NO ONE HAD EVER BEEN LAID. BECAUSE IT WAS THE JEWISH DAY OF PREPARATION AND SINCE THE TOMB WAS NEARBY, THEY LAID JESUS THERE. • THE TRADITIONAL SITE OF JESUS’ BURIAL IS SOMEWHERE NEAR THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE. • THE GARDEN TOMB, LOCATED NEAR THE HILL THAT LOOKS LIKE GOLGOTHA, IS ANOTHER POSSIBLE LOCATION. • ISAIAH 53: 9 WAS FULFILLED BYJESUS’ BEING BURIED IN A RICH MAN’S TOMB.