The Gospel of John: The King in His Death

The danger of legalism, the other great danger of course is licentiousness, but legalism is a great error and these churches had fallen or were falling to the false teaching of some that were teaching that your relationship with God is based upon not just believing in Jesus but based upon what you do and of course the scriptures don't teach that, the scriptures teach we're saved by God's grace alone, through faith alone and Christ alone.

Galatians chapter 3. Galatians chapter 3.

Oh foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.

Let me ask you only this. Did you receive the spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Did you suffer so many things in vain if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by the works of the law or by hearing with faith?

Just as Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham and the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the

Gentiles by faith preach the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying, in you shall all the nations be blessed.

So then those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

For all who rely on the works of the law are under the curse, for it is written, cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law and do them.

Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for the righteous shall live by faith.

But the law is not of faith, rather the one who does them shall live by them.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.

So that in Christ Jesus the blessings of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised spirit through faith.

To give a human example, brothers, even with a man -made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified.

Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, and to offsprings, referring to many, but referring to one, and to your offspring, who is

Christ. This is what I mean. The law which came 430 years afterwards does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.

For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise, but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.

Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise has been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.

Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. Is the law then contrary to the promises of God?

Certainly not, for if a law had been given that could not give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.

But the scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ may be given to those who believe.

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.

So then the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.

But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither

Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we recognize that in our lives many times we are like these foolish

Galatians. Even though our lives were born of the Spirit, we seek to perfect them by carrying out the flesh.

And Lord, we confess this to you. And we pray that we would indeed walk by the

Spirit, that our lives would be guided by the Spirit of God, that we would be filled with the

Spirit of God. We thank you, Lord, that you've given us the Spirit. We thank you that you've given us your

Word. And we thank you that we can be here this morning to study it, and to hear it proclaimed, and taught, and prayed, and even sung.

Lord, we rejoice at the truthfulness of your Word. And we ask that you would help us to not only understand it, but understand it so that we might live it out in our day -to -day lives.

We pray, Lord, that we would trust and that we would obey. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.

Well, let's turn in our Bibles to John chapter 19. Lord willing, we'll complete this chapter today.

And so after, what, 113 Sundays in this gospel, we've got two chapters remaining, chapters 20 and 21.

So we're moving there. I'm not sure what we're going to deal with next.

I've been trying to think about it, work it through, but we've got a little while to consider it,

I guess. All right. So last Lord's Day, we gave our attention to Christ the King as he hung upon his cross.

That's in chapter 19, 17 through 27. And today we'll consider Christ Jesus, Jesus Christ, as the

King in his death. And so we read of him dying and him being buried.

And so here's the passage, John 19, 28 through 42. And this is the

New King James Version. After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said,

I thirst. 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.

So when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, It is finished.

And bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. Therefore, because it was the preparation day that the body 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, that they might be taken away.

And then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was 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 immediately blood and water came out.

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.

For these things were done that the scripture should be fulfilled. Not one of his bones shall be broken.

And again, another scripture says, They shall look on him whom they pierced. 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. And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 100 pounds.

And they took the body of Jesus, bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the

Jews is to bury. Now in the garden, and in the garden, a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.

So there they laid Jesus because of the Jews' preparation day, for the tomb was nearby.

Just as John set forth Jesus dying as a sacrifice for sin through a number of details of his crucifixion, so John also shows that Jesus in his death and burial accomplished the work of salvation on behalf of his people.

Not only does John provide us with the historical details of our

Lord's death and burial, but John also set forth the meaning of his death through the way, through the manner in which it's recorded before us.

Of course, the Holy Scriptures set forth the crucifixion, the resurrection of Jesus Christ as both the center and the climax of history.

This is the center of the world. This is the center of redemption history. God himself, of course, superintended the events, which is evident from the prophecies declared long beforehand in the

Old Testament, which were fulfilled in our Lord's death and also his burial, as we just read.

But the death of Christ also signals a new beginning, a new creation, and we'll show how this is conveyed to the reader as we work through our passage before us.

But just as a foretaste of this emphasis, we might briefly consider the setting of the garden in our passage and how that idea, that is of the garden, encompasses the beginning of biblical history, the

Garden of Eden. Here in the middle of that history, the tomb was in a garden and, of course, will eventually signal the end and culmination of redemptive history in a glorious garden paradise,

Revelation 21 and 22. Consider these words at one once pen.

The reader is guided to see how the end of Jesus's life is also the completion of the promises foretold by scripture long before.

The death and burial of Jesus is the completion of the first half of the biblical story, but it is also the beginning of the rest of the story the

Bible tells, and it all centers around a garden. For just as the first part of the biblical story began in a garden,

Genesis 2, so also will the second part end in a garden, Revelation 21 and 22.

And at the center of this story is this garden in John 18, 20, the place of death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, whose death gives life to the world, fulfilling in his person the entire biblical story.

Beginning and ending in a garden, the death and burial of Jesus fulfills the entire biblical story.

And so I think that capsulates well how the death of Christ and his burial is right at the center of history, fulfills what went before, anticipates what will be realized in the future.

Now, as we deal with this passage today, we want to first consider the details and explain them as we work through making an application here or there.

But then secondly, we'll say a few words about several theological themes.

We just suggested the garden, but we want to also talk about the piercing of his side from which blood and water flowed and what is meant by that.

And so we'll conclude today addressing those few themes. First, let's consider the details of the passage that we just read.

We can break this down into three sections, really. We have first the death of Jesus, verses 28 through 30.

Secondly, John gives attention to Jesus's side being pierced by the Roman soldier, verses 31 through 37.

And then third and last, we read of the body of Jesus having been buried in Joseph's tomb in verses 38 through 42.

Let's work through this. First, the death of Jesus. After this,

Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said,

I thirst. Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on his hip and put it to his mouth.

So when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, it is finished. And bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.

Here we read the final words and witness, the final acts of Jesus before he died.

John presents our Lord Jesus as having full knowledge of what was transpiring and of his place and role in those events.

And so verse 28a reads, after this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished.

Again, John presents Jesus as really in control and full knowledge of all that was taking place.

The words after this sets these few verses apart from what had already taken place, his trial, for example, his crucifixion.

And so here we begin to read of the last few details of our savior's work, which the father had called and commissioned him to accomplish.

Now in John 17, four, in our Lord's prayer to his father, he declared that he had accomplished all the father's work, speaking as though it were already completed.

And here or there, Jesus has said to his father, I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do.

Of course, that was before his arrest. He had fulfilled all that had been declared of him in the scriptures.

He had accomplished all that the father had entrusted to him, but it would seem there was one last act that had yet to be done before he passed from this life.

And that's seen in the next clause of our passage. He needed to fulfill the scripture.

And so he said, I thirst. Everything's taking place according to the plan and purpose of God.

And so verse 28b, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, I thirst.

And so Christ's thirst on his cross resulted in the fulfillment of prophecy in the manner in which the soldier attempted to quench his thirst.

And so upon our Lord making this declaration, we read in verse 29, now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there and they filled a sponge with sour wine and put it on his hip and put it to his mouth.

Now, I just might interject this. This sour wine would have probably been much like vinegar.

It was alcoholic, but apparently this was a common kind of beverage that Roman soldiers had and would have had available to them.

And so they took some of this sour wine and they put it on a sponge, as it were, and gave it to him.

This is the fulfillment of prophecy. Psalm 69, verse 21, which reads, they also gave me gall for food and for my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.

Now, actually different references to this same Psalm, Psalm 69, and this is but one of them.

The sour wine that the Roman soldiers gave to Jesus is not the same as what was recorded in Mark 15, 22 through 24.

For if you know your scripture somewhat, you'll know that there was an occasion in which Jesus refused to drink something that was offered to him.

And Mark wrote of this in his gospel. They brought Jesus 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.

Here, Mark says, they offered him wine mingled with myrrh. This drink would have served to lessen his suffering.

It was that which some charitable people offered him on the way to the cross, but Jesus refused to drink this, which would have served, as one wrote, a sedative designed to dull the agony.

He would not drink it. He would not avoid his sufferings, but he would endure them.

But the drink given here by the Roman soldiers, recorded in John 19, 29, served to quench his thirst, not in any way to lessen his agony.

The soldiers may have given this drink to Jesus out of compassion and desire to relieve his thirst.

I was rather curious to read several commentators, and I think really probably the general character of the commentator affected what he thought.

One thought that these soldiers were really being compassionate and kind to Jesus, and another commentator, no, they're just trying to aggravate his sufferings.

It was rather curious the way they put the spin on it. Probably, I'm thinking, and maybe my negativity is coming out here, is that they were attempting to assuage his thirst in order to prolong his life and thereby aggravate his pain and suffering.

They didn't offer him a cup, but simply a sponge to perhaps alleviate him somewhat of his thirst.

Now, there are two Greek words, verbs, that are within this context that are from the same

Greek word group, and they're translated by three English words.

The words accomplished and fulfilled in verse 38, and the word finished in verse 30.

In other verses in John's gospel in which a fulfillment formula is given, and this was done to fulfill, this was done to complete, the

Greek word pleurothe is used, and it's translated as fulfilled. But here in John, we see him employed a different Greek word from all the other occurrences, and there were a number of fulfillment formulas in John's gospel.

He uses the Greek word telethothe. Telos means to complete or finish, it's from that same word group.

And it's translated, however, in the King James Version, also as fulfilled. And so it would seem that this change in Greek words was intentional and significant.

You wouldn't know it by reading your English translation, but in the original Greek that John wrote, it would have had some significance.

And one commented about this. The word change is almost certainly related to the occurrence of two identical words in the immediate context, which also come from the same

Greek word group, completed in verse 28a. It is completed, verse 30.

And thus, by using nearly identical terms three times in such close proximity, the narrative offers an emphatic, threefold declaration that the work assigned to Jesus by the

Father is completed on the cross. And in context of the fulfillment formula, the work of Jesus not only completes the work assigned from the

Father, but also completes Scripture. And that's the important point that we wanted to bring out.

What John is saying that Jesus not only fulfilled all the Scripture or not only fulfilled his task that the

Father gave him, but he also fulfilled all of Scripture in doing so. Everything was fulfilled.

But we read that this sponge soaked in sour wine did not prolong his life for as soon as he drank it, we see his death occurring.

Verse 30a states, so when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, it is finished.

The expression, it is finished, in Greek is just one Greek word, tetehlestet is how they would pronounce that.

It is a perfect tense verb, which might be translated, it has been finished.

It's finished and it continues in a finished state, we might paraphrase. He was speaking of all they had done to fulfill his father's will.

It could be translated, it is accomplished. It's a done deal. It is completed.

Now what is meant more specifically by our Lord's last word? Perhaps it's best understood as encompassing a number of matters that saw their fullness and finality in his death.

And I appreciated Matthew Henry's commentary, where he expanded on the implications and the applications of this last saying of Jesus upon his cross.

He wrote, observe what he said, and we may suppose him to say, it would triumph in exaltation, tetehlestetai, it is finished, a comprehensive word and a comfortable one.

In other words, it gives us comfort. And then he listed a number of ways that something was completed or something was finished.

First, it is finished. That is the malice and enmity of his persecutors had now done their worst.

When he had received that last indignity in the vinegar they gave him, he said, this is the last

I'm now going out of their reach where the wicked cease from troubling. It is finished.

Second, it is finished. That is the counsel and commandment of his father concerning his sufferings were now fulfilled.

It was a determinant counsel. In other words, a decree of God. And he took care to see every iota and tittle of it exactly answered.

It is finished. Third, it is finished. That is all the types and prophecies of the

Old Testament, which pointed at the sufferings of the Messiah were accomplished and answered.

Fourth, it is finished. That is a ceremonial law is abolished and a period put to the obligation of it.

The substances now come and all the shadows are done away. Just now the veil is rent or torn.

The wall of partition is taken down. Even the law of commandments contained in the ordinances, the mosaic economy is dissolved to make a way for a better hope.

Fifth, it is finished. That is sin is finished and an end made of transgression by the bringing of an everlasting righteousness.

It seems to refer to Daniel 24, 924. The lamb of God was sacrificed to take away the sin of the world and it's done.

Hebrews 926. And for those of you who have ears to hear, I might just add that Matthew Henry puts a spin on the 70 weeks of Daniel.

This is not a prophecy of the antichrist. He sees it as a prophecy of Christ being cut off in the middle of the 70th week.

Number six, it is finished. That is his sufferings were now finished. Both those of his soul and those of his body.

The storm is over. The worst has passed. All his pains and agonies are at an end and he's just going to paradise, entering upon the joy set before him.

Let all that suffer for Christ and with Christ comfort themselves with this that yet a little while and they also shall say it is finished.

Look forward to that day. And then seventh, it is finished. That is his life was now finished.

He was just ready to breathe his last and now he's no more in this world. This is like that blessed

Paul. I have finished my course. My race is run. My glass is out.

Many, many words taken over from Daniel when he saw the writing on the wall or when the king of Babylon saw the writing of the wall.

Many, many numbered and finished. This we must all come to shortly, thankfully.

And then last eight, it is finished. That is the work of man's redemption and salvation is now completed.

At least the hardest part of the undertaking is over. A full satisfaction is made to the justice of God.

A fatal blow given to the power of Satan. A fountain of grace open that shall ever flow.

A foundation of peace and happiness laid that shall never fail. Christ had now gone through with his work and finished it.

For as for God, his work is perfect. When I begin, saith he, I will also make an end.

And it is in the purchase. So in the application of the redemption, he that has begun a good work will perform it.

The mystery of God shall be finished with reference to your salvation. Amen.

It is finished. We then read in verse 30 B and bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.

The manner in which the gospel writers described our Lord's death suggests it was Jesus himself that surrendered his life.

Rather than having it taken from him. Of course, he had declared earlier.

Therefore, my father loves me because I laid down my life that I may take it again. No one takes it from me.

Those Roman soldiers didn't take his life from him. But I lay it down myself. I have power to lay it down.

I have power to take it again. This command I received from my father. And this is what is described by John.

When the Lord declared it is finished, he bowed his head and it's as though he were going to sleep in death.

Once again, Matthew Henry, forgive me for quoting him so much, but I really appreciate him. He bowed his head.

Those that were crucified and died stretched up their heads to gasp for breath. In other words, they didn't bow their heads.

They lifted up their heads trying to breathe. They did not drop their heads till they had breathed their last.

But Christ, to show himself active in dying, that he was in charge, bowed his head first, composing himself as it were to fall asleep.

God had laid upon him the iniquity of us all, putting it upon the head of this great sacrifice.

And some think that by bowing his head, he would intimate his sense of the weight upon him.

See Psalm 38 and 40. The bowing of his head shows his submission to his father's will and his obedience to death.

He accommodated himself to his dying work as Jacob who gathered up his feet into the bed and yielded up the ghost.

It was voluntary on the part of our Lord at his determination. And the fact that everybody was surprised he was so soon dead testifies to that.

And so it was not a resignation of Jesus to yield to death either. It was rather that he declared it is finished.

And this declaration was really the cry of a victor having won the battle.

Not a surrendering and resignation to somebody taking his life from him, but rather he had vanquished the enemy.

It is done. It's finished. It's a done deal. Again, as F .F.

Brooks, a wonderful commentator of the 20th century wrote, Jesus died with the cry of the victor on his lips.

This is not the moan of the defeated nor the sigh of the patient resignation. It is a triumphant recognition that he has now fully accomplished the work that he came to do.

Then he bowed his head. A detail only mentioned by John and possibly the touch of an eyewitness.

John saw it. You know, this is what Bruce is saying. It is perhaps worth noting that the same expression is used for going to bed.

The son of man hath not where to lay his head. There is the thought of a peaceful death, the death of one who trusts his father.

We read in verse 30, he gave up his spirit, his human soul or spirit separated from his body.

His body became lifeless, even as a living soul went to paradise.

And I'm thinking maybe next time we address this passage, we'll talk about the state of the dead before the resurrection and the state of the dead in which

Jesus was for three days before he came forth from the dead.

Well, we next arrive to the second division of our passage. And here we read of Jesus's side being pierced.

Again, these verses, therefore, because it was the preparation day. Notice it's capitalized in English because it was a particular day that the body 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, that they might be taken away.

And then the soldiers came, broke the legs of the first and the other who was 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 immediately blood and water came out.

And he who has seen, John's talking about himself now, he who has seen has testified, his testimony is true and he knows that he is telling the truth so that you may believe.

For these things were done that the scripture should be fulfilled, not one of his bones should be broken. And again, another scripture says, they shall look on him whom they pierced.

In verse 31, we read of another reference to time, which was the immediate occasion of the events recorded in this paragraph.

It was a preparation day, which was the day before the Sabbath, which was a high day.

The preparation day was a day in which preparation was made in advance of the Saturday Sabbath, the following day.

And so here are the words of Donald Carson. He uses the Greek word for preparation, parakese.

If parakese here refers to the same day as does its use in verse 14, and the reasoning in the notes, that is his notes on the verses are correct, then this sentence tells us that Jesus was crucified on Friday.

Now this is Carson's opinion. The day before, that is the preparation of Sabbath.

The next day Sabbath, that is Saturday, would by Jewish reckoning begin at sundown

Friday evening. It was a special Sabbath, not only because it fell during the Passover feast, but because the second

Paschal day in this case falling on the Sabbath was devoted to the very important sheaf offering.

It was a high day, a high Sabbath. Now Carson gave some qualification in his assertions because there's debate among commentators whether this day of preparation was on Friday to prepare for the

Saturday Sabbath, or if it was Thursday in preparation of the Passover meal.

I think Carson argues quite convincingly for his understanding it was Friday. But there is debate regarding this.

The Romans generally left the bodies of those crucified to continue to hang on their crosses for many days.

Sometimes it would take several days for the victim to die. But then their bodies would remain to be consumed by the vultures.

Sounds very graphic, but again it was a public display of their crime and the consequences of it.

It would have been an incentive against others. But because the

Jews regarded those crucified ones as cursed of God, they believed that if their bodies continued onto the next day through the night, then the curse of the dead one would desecrate or curse the land on which this cross was standing.

Bury it, put that body under the ground. And this is based on a passage in Deuteronomy.

If a man is committed a sin deserving of death, he's put to death and you hang him on a tree, public display, shame, evidence he's cursed of God, as it were.

His body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day. And then we have a purpose clause, so that you do not defile the land.

Well, which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance for he who has hanged is cursed of God.

The curse on him would result in cursing the land on which he stood.

So the Jews wanted these bodies taken down before sundown, which may have just been a short time.

It was in the afternoon and the Sabbath would begin with sundown at evening, the evening and then the next day until sundown.

When there was a need to initiate the death of one being crucified, the Romans would break their legs with a large iron mallet, in Latin, crurifigrium.

And this would have been a cruel, painful infliction, perhaps further bloodletting. But its design was to prevent the man from using his legs to push his body upward in order to breathe.

He couldn't do that with his legs broken. And so once he was unable to do this, asphyxiation would take place quickly.

And so these Jews did not want these men to remain hanging past sundown. So they requested the

Romans break the victim's legs. A footnote in the Reformation Study Bible makes this comment, it is a starkly revealing example of their depraved insensitivity that they joined forces to commit murder at the same time were so punctilious about enforcing the ceremonial law.

Let's get these bodies down so we don't have the land cursed. And again,

Matthew Henry had written, the pretended sanctity of hypocrites is abominable. These Jews would be thought to bear a great regard for the

Sabbath and yet had not regarded justice and righteousness. They made no conscience of bringing an innocent, excellent person to the cross and yet scruple, letting a dead body hang upon the cross.

Sarcasm, irony. Then we read in verses 32 and 33 that the

Roman soldiers, what the Roman soldiers proceeded to do. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and the other who was crucified with him.

But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Only John's gospel records the

Roman soldiers breaking the legs of the two men crucified beside Jesus. And besides this, no other gospel writer other than John records what happened next, the piercing of Jesus's side.

And so this Roman soldier pierced his side and blood and water came forth.

Verse 34, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear and immediately blood and water came out.

The probable reason the soldier did this was to prove to himself the man had perished. Mark provided the detail that when

Pilate was requested to release the body to Joseph of Arimathea, he was surprised Jesus had already died.

Again, sometimes it took days. Mark 15, 44 reads,

Pilate marveled that he was already dead summoning the centurion. He asked him if he had been dead for some time.

John's record of this incident should probably be understood as his effort to prove the man Christ Jesus had actually died.

Now, what we mean by this, John wrote this gospel toward the end of the first century. And so this had particular importance and application for his readers.

Toward the end of the first century and throughout the second century, the era of Gnosticism plagued the churches.

They claimed to be Christian, but they weren't. They were mixed up in the churches. They taught a heretical understanding of the person of Christ.

They believed that everything that was spiritual is holy and right and good. Everything physical is sinful, inherently evil.

So the two could never mix. This resulted in them denying the person of Jesus Christ as both eternal

God and a man. And so there are two forms of Gnosticism. One denied his deity.

The other denied his humanity. And Docetist Gnosticism denied his humanity.

And John wrote against them in 1 John. This is a spirit of antichrist. If they deny that the

Christ has come in the flesh, the spirit of antichrist was denying his humanity. And so the

Docetist Gnostics denied the humanity. When John wrote his gospel, as well as his epistles, he was refuting this heresy.

And so it's likely that John was referring to this incident in 1 John 5, 6, and 8, where he wrote, this is he who came by water and blood,

Jesus Christ, not only by water, but by water and blood. And it's the spirit who bears witness because the spirit is truth.

And there are three that bear witness on the earth, the spirit, the water, and the blood. These three agree as one. He was a man who died and he really died is what

John is saying. He's repudiating Gnostic heresy. He was declaring a true man had died upon his cross, not merely an apparition, a son of God who only looks like a man, no.

But not only did the spirit thrust in our Lord's side prove he had died, later, of course, it would also prove that he had risen from the dead.

And so we'll study in detail John 20. After the resurrection, the same day at evening, in the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, disciples were assembled for fear of the

Jews, Jesus came, stood in the midst, said to them, peace be with you. He came in, locked doors and everything, but suddenly appeared.

They must've thought maybe he's just a ghost, a spirit, but he wanted to show them, no, no, I've got a physical body here.

It's me. When he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. And then the disciples were glad when they saw the

Lord. They realized it was him. So Jesus said to them again, peace to you. As the father sent me,

I send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they're forgiven.

If you retain the sins of any, they're retained. And now Thomas, the twin, doubting

Thomas, one of the 12 was not with them that first Sunday night when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, we've seen the

Lord. And so Thomas said to them, unless I see his hands, in his hands, the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and put my hand into his side, there's the spear,

I will not believe. And then of course, after eight days, the following Lord's day evening, they were again inside Thomas with them.

Jesus came, the door was being shut. And again, stood in the midst, said peace to you. Then he said to Thomas, reach your finger here.

Look at my hands, reach your hand here. Put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.

And Thomas answered and said to him, my Lord and my God. And so the soldier piercing the side of Jesus not only proved he died, but also served to prove he was resurrected.

Convinced Thomas. Now there is arisen repeatedly through the centuries the claim of infidels that Jesus did not really die upon the cross, but that he fell into unconsciousness due to his pain and loss of blood, but later revived leading to the rumor he had risen from the dead.

I recall in seminary having to read about the swoon theory of the death and resurrection of Jesus proposed by the

German higher critic of the Bible, H .E .G. Paulus in 1828.

This was back in the day, the German higher critics attempting to explain all the miraculous events by natural things.

They didn't believe in the resurrection. Well, how could you explain what happened? He argued

Jesus had not really died, but he fainted on the cross from pain, shock, loss of blood. Jesus was then mistakenly buried alive.

And when they came to anoint his body, he revived before them, resulting in the legend of his resurrection from the dead.

And there are numbers of unbelievers will throw that at you today because they can't believe in the resurrection.

Well, this fanciful tale, again, it's arisen over the centuries, arose in another form.

And some of you might remember this in 1965 through a book entitled the Passover Plot. It's quite popular.

And it was made into a movie in the 70s. And the author claimed that Jesus actually arranged this plot.

He knew that he would not be on the cross for but a few hours for the Jews would want to take the bodies down.

And so one of his own men would give him water to quench his thirst, but contained a drug to make him unconscious.

But it would appear that he died. His supporter, Joseph of Arimathea, would arrange to get him off the cross, revive him, then he could stand for claim to be a

Jewish earthly political Messiah. Well, the soldier's spear makes nonsense of this fictional account and all the others that attempt to negate the testimony of the gospel writers.

The Roman soldiers were convinced Jesus was dead. Pilate was convinced. They proved it to themselves and they testified to the fact

Jesus died. John asserted in very strong terms he had personally witnessed the

Roman thrusting his spear into the side of Jesus and he saw the blood and water flow forth from his wound.

Verse 35. He who has seen has testified his testimony is true. He knows that he's telling the truth so that you may believe.

He died. But then John also stated that the death of Jesus occurred in this manner without his legs having been broken, having been stabbed with a spear in order to fulfill two other

Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. Verse 36. These things were done that the scripture should be fulfilled.

Not one of his bones should be broken. They didn't break his legs. And then in verse 37 reads and again another scripture that says they shall look on him whom they pierced.

Verse 36 is a quotation from Psalm 3420. Here's a portion of that Psalm.

The righteous cry out the Lord hears delivers him out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart save such as have a contrite spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all. And here it is. He guards all his bones.

God guards all his bones and not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked.

Those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of his servants and none of those who trust in him shall be condemned.

The heading of the Psalm reads a Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech who drove him away and he departed a thousand years before the crucifixion.

God had caused David to flee from his people in order to save his life. He lost all courage and dignity when he feigned madness before a pagan king in order to prove he was no threat to that king.

And later David wrote of the providence of God and sparing him. He declared that God watches over and protects his people delivering them out of all their troubles.

Little did David know that the words he penned were inspired by the Holy Spirit to foretell the death of our

Savior on his cross that he would die without having his legs broken in his crucifixion. But that's clearly what the apostle

John is declaring in John 19. And then in verse 37 we read and again another scripture.

They shall look on him whom they pierced. This second Old Testament prophecy that John referenced is from Zechariah 12 verse 10.

Here is the larger context. God promises I'll pour on the house of David 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.

Grieve for him as one grieves for a firstborn. And that day there shall be a great morning in Jerusalem like the morning of at Hadad Riman in the plain of Megiddo.

And then he talks about the land mourning and there's an individualism. Family here, family there.

Persons here, persons there. I remember Spurgeon talking about that's the way the gospel is. It saves individuals one at a time.

Well, this is a prophecy of the Lord's work of grace in saving people from their sins. They receive salvation by looking to their

Messiah whom they themselves had pierced. They will have very cruelly pierced him but then they begin to look upon him with humility, shame, remorse, and repentance.

In short, it's a look of faith in their crucified Messiah for salvation. And John declared that when the soldier pierced the side of Jesus causing blood and water to flow forth that God was setting forth the

Messiah to whom his people could look in faith for the forgiveness and cleansing of their sins.

Incredible. Then we come to the third division.

Jesus is buried in Joseph's tomb. Verses 38 through 42. 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. Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus and Nicodemus who at first came to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes about a hundred pounds.

Then they took the body of Jesus bound it in strips of linen with the spices as the custom of the

Jews is to bury. 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 there they laid Jesus because of the Jews preparation day for the tomb was nearby.

Verse 38, we first read of Joseph. After this,

Joseph of Arimathea being a disciple of Jesus but secretly for fear of the Jews. This Joseph is mentioned in all four gospels but only in connection with the crucifixion and the burial of Christ, of course.

The record does not indicate how long this man had been a secret disciple. Luke gave a little more information about him.

Now there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council.

In other words, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin. And a good and righteous man who had not consented to their decision and action.

It wasn't unanimous. So Joseph was a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, the body of 70 men that led

Israel. The governing body of the Jews who plotted to arrest and murder Jesus.

Can you imagine the turmoil this man must have sensed as his friends and comrades, not all of them, some of them were

Sadducees and he would have differed with them greatly, but you can imagine as he witnessed the proceedings of them plotting to murder

Jesus. Matthew described Joseph as a rich man. When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named

Joseph who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.

Both Mark and Luke declared that Joseph was looking for the kingdom of God. Mark 1543,

Joseph of Arimathea, prominent council member Sanhedrin, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming, taking courage, went into Pilate, asked for the body of Jesus.

And Luke wrote similarly, there is a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathea.

He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man who had not consented to their decision action.

He was looking for the kingdom of God. He believed Jesus was the king, the Messiah.

And it was in the tomb of Joseph they placed the body of Jesus after they prepared

Jesus for burial. Again, it was Matthew who wrote. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, laid it in his own tomb, which he had cut in the rock and he rolled a great stone in the entrance of the tomb and went away.

And so Joseph showed great courage and concern. And what he did with the body of Jesus.

However, it's a sad matter that until this time, Joseph had been governed more by the fear of Jews than by his faith in Jesus or so it would seem.

He had not agreed to what the Sanhedrin had done in condemning Jesus, but it does not say verbally or vehemently objected.

Perhaps he did so. But the fact is that both the possession of riches and the fear of man are two great threats to one's faith and testimony.

And he was afraid of the Jews. Riches are a danger.

The wise man Solomon wrote, whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.

And then the fear of man brings a snare. Joseph was a secret disciple.

However, of course, credit is to be given to him when he stepped forward to show respect and regard for the one whom he had earlier come to believe and follow.

Joseph's act of kindness toward Jesus would probably have brought him into much disfavor with his fellow

Jews. You could well imagine, as one wrote, D .A. Carson, Joseph's act doubtless made him a pariah in some quarters of the

Sanhedrin. It was doubly courageous since the charge under which Jesus had been executed was sedition.

That Pilate acceded to the request probably reflects the governor's conviction that Jesus was not really guilty and may have been a final snub against the

Jewish authorities. Yeah, I'll give the body to you. Just by word of application.

It's a sad thing in these days for one to be but a secret disciple. Perhaps like Joseph, out of fear of what others might think or say, one fails to confess

Christ openly, stand for him in baptism when he knows that he should. One like this will tend to have doubts about his salvation as he probably should.

Yes, that may be, he may be a true disciple, but how would anyone know that he is?

He's a secret disciple. How would he know himself he is?

If he doesn't stand forward, confess Christ. Our Lord spoke of this. I say to you, whoever confesses me before men, him the son of man also will confess before the angels of God.

That's on the day of judgment. He's mine. He's not going to be condemned.

He's one of mine. But he who denies me before men will be, will be denied before the angels of God.

Those are the unbelievers. No, perhaps that one has not denied Jesus with his words, but has he denied

Jesus by his silence? We read of Joseph, however, that when the occasion arose feeling and believing it was the good and right thing to do, he stepped forward and he saw to it that the body of Jesus would be cared for properly and prepared for burial.

And so in this really, he showed he was no longer a secret disciple, but that he would come forward and show through his actions.

He was a true and open disciple of Jesus Christ. Matthew mentioned

Joseph alone as the one who requested from Pilate to be given the body of Jesus. So does

Mark and Luke. Matthew, Mark, and Luke don't mention Nicodemus, Joseph alone.

But then we read of Nicodemus in John's gospel, verse 39, John recorded this.

And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and loaves about a hundred pounds.

We read of Nicodemus in some detail back in chapter three at the beginning of our Lord's ministry.

Shouldn't be Joseph. Nicodemus came to Jesus to ask and learn from him. And from him, and Jesus taught him the necessity of regeneration, the necessity of experiencing the sovereign grace of God, the sovereign work of the

Holy Spirit and the new birth, becoming born again, created anew. Otherwise Nicodemus, even though he was religious, the primary teacher in Israel would never see or enter the kingdom of God.

He needed to be born again. His action here, where he treated the body of Jesus, would suggest he had indeed become the object of God's saving grace.

He's confessing Christ through what he did, just like Joseph did. Nicodemus brought a large amount of spices to treat the body of Jesus in order to prepare for burial.

Apparently Nicodemus had no thought or belief in the immediate resurrection of Jesus. They were putting him in the grave.

They, of course, believed in a last day of the resurrection, you know, like Martha. Yeah, I know my brother will rise on the last day.

Nicodemus and Joseph didn't know that Jesus was gonna rise from the dead immediately or very soon.

Well, after identifying Joseph and then secondly, Nicodemus, we read both of them together here in verses 40 through 42, they worked together.

They took the body of Jesus, bounded in strips of linen with spices as the custom of the Jews is to bury in the place that he was crucified.

There was a garden in the garden, a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So there they laid

Jesus because of the Jews' preparation day for the tomb was nearby. So these two men carefully and respectfully washed and prepared the body.

They coated the strips of linen with spices while wrapping them about him. And the spices were for the purpose of masking the stench of decay.

I hate to be graphic in that way, but that was the purpose of the spices, as one wrote.

As used by Egyptians in embalming, myrrh was a fragrant resin. The Jews turned it into a powdered form and mixed it with a loz, a powder of aromatic sandalwood.

The mixture provided a pleasant fragrance in a variety of circumstances. You know, it would be used in times of celebration too.

Used in connection with burial, its purpose was not to embalm since the Jews did not remove internal organs and fill the spaces with spices as the

Egyptians did, but to stifle the smell of putrefaction. And the quantity of the spices is large, but not excessive.

The quantity would have been used in the burial of royalty or a king. Interestingly, one mentioned the probabilities that John is reminding us again of Jesus' kingship.

The thought may well be in mind that when he spoke with Nicodemus, Jesus talked of the kingdom. They were burying a king, suggesting the amount of spices and whatnot in preparation of his body for the grave.

And by the way, what he brought was pretty expensive. Maybe Nicodemus was rich too, like Joseph.

Two rich men now taking care of Jesus. John alone among the other gospel writers described the place of burial as in a garden and a new tomb that had not been used.

It would have been scandalous to put a crucified criminal in a plot where there were bodies of other family members.

They wouldn't have done that. Well, here is a tomb, it happened to be Joseph's tomb. And so we have this added detail near the place of crucifixion was this tomb, which would have been convenient and welcome.

Again, the Sabbath day was about to begin. Who knows how close it was to sundown. The tomb would have been hewn out of solid rock, carved out of rock with a large round stone that could be rolled into place to seal the body.

Matthew gave the detail, this tomb belonged to Joseph. John doesn't mention that, Matthew does.

Let's close in just a couple of minutes here with a few theological themes suggested by our passage.

First, again, the garden tomb, we mentioned this earlier. There is a subtle theological significance of the garden in this crucifixion and burial account.

It says for Jesus in this event of his death and resurrection as a center of history, sin and death entered through the first Adam in the garden of Eden.

The Lord Jesus removed sin and death from his people through his death and burial in a tomb in this garden.

And one day life will be restored fully to us and we'll dwell with our Lord and his people in an eternal garden paradise as Revelation 21 and 22 set before us.

There's a little theological note in the commentary by Edward Klink and I reproduced that for us here.

I want to give him credit. The garden motif frames a passion narrative and is used again here to develop further the full orb contrast between the first and second garden related to the first and second

Adam but is it not strange to leak a tomb, a place of death to a garden, a place of life?

Not for the gospel of John for the death of Jesus is declared by this gospel to be the means of life for the world.

The uniqueness of this tomb was not merely its newness but that it was the place where life itself was renewed where the corpse of Jesus took on a resurrected life as the first fruits of eternal life.

The tree of life in this garden is the wooden cross. Tree of life in the garden of Eden, tree of life in this garden, the cross.

It was right near the cross as it were which the church has since transformed into the symbol of new life.

The paradox of the garden tomb is the foundation of the Christian faith. Death is the source of life.

Not any death but the particular death of Jesus as Jesus himself explained unless the seed falls into the ground to die, it remains alone but if it dies, it produces much fruit.

Jesus is the gardener which is described also in the gospels.

He's in the garden. He is mistaken to be the gardener of his garden and the seed that dies to produce much fruit being the church.

There are subtle theological ideas being conveyed that you have to be spiritually in tune to and when we're not, thankfully

God has raised up some guys that have that ability and they've said it before us in pages and it's just wonderful.

Lastly, let's consider the blood and water from the side of Jesus. This could be a whole message.

I'm sorry. First, the pouring forth of blood and water from the side of Jesus was a declaration that salvation flows forth from Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for sin.

It's apparent from John's words immediately after the side of Jesus was pierced by the soldier.

One of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear immediately blood and water came out and he who has seen has testified his testimony is true.

He knows that he's telling the truth so that you may believe. Here we see what flowed forth from the heart of our savior.

Again, Matthew Henry expressed his glorious vision through this window that is the open side of Christ.

Opened in Christ's side you may look into his heart and see love flaming there. Love strong as death.

See our names written there. Some make it an allusion to the opening of Adam's side in innocency when

Christ the second Adam was fallen into a deep sleep upon the cross and then was his side open and out of it was his church taken which he espoused to himself.

That's his bride, clever. And then secondly, lastly, the poured forth of blood and water from the side of Jesus speaks of both forgiveness and the cleansing power of sin.

Justification and sanctification. This is a common theme in sermons by the

Puritans, reformed guys. In other words, the blood and water poured forth from our

Lord's side speaks of both the sinner's justification to faith which is set forth by his blood and the saint's sanctification which is set forth from the water that poured forth.

Water being an emblem of the Holy Spirit come forth from your belly, living water.

Both are essential aspects of salvation, forgiveness from sin and deliverance from sinning. Here again,

Matthew, Henry regarding the blood and water. They signify the two great benefits which all believers partake of through Christ.

Justification and sanctification. Blood for remission, water for regeneration. Blood for atonement, water for purification.

Blood and water we use very much under the law. Guilt contracted must be expiated by blood or removed.

Stains contracted must be done away by the water of our purification. These two must always go together.

You're sanctified, you're justified. You can't be justified without being sanctified. You can't be sanctified without being justified.

Christ has joined them together and we must not think to put them asunder. And yet the evangelical world does, doesn't it?

You can have Christ as your savior even though he's not your Lord. That's not biblical. If he's not your

Lord, he's not your savior. You have to be justified, yes, forgiven, declared righteous but you have to be cleansed as well.

Repentance from sin, obedience to Jesus as Lord, as King. Christ has joined them together.

We must not think to tear them asunder. They both flowed from the pure side of our redeemer to Christ crucified.

We owe both merit for our justification and spirit and grace for our sanctification. And we have as much need of the latter that is sanctification, the spirit as the former, the blood, justification and forgiveness.

And so we say amen to that, right? We do, amen. Let's pray.

Thank you, Father, for your word and for the wonderful truths that we see so wonderfully illustrated and displayed before us.

Help us, our God, to take these things to heart and help us, our God, to be ones who stand forward like Joseph and Nicodemus.

And when the opportunity arises and confess our faith by how we live, how we think and how we speak to others that Christ might be honored and glorified by us.

Help us, our God, not to be secret disciples, but ones who declare our faith and our confidence in our savior in whose name we pray.