John 19:38-42 "In The Garden"

Hey, we're gonna be in John chapter 19 again continuing on from where we left off last week as you can remember two weeks ago. We talked about Jesus Christ dying upon the cross. He says the word to tell us die.

He gives up his spirit and he is now hung upon the cross. The soldiers are going about breaking the legs of those that are on the cross. They do not break the leg of Jesus. But instead they pierce his side and we see God's sovereignty and the fulfillment of scripture taking place all throughout that text.

And we are now at the part where Jesus's body is coming off the cross. It's coming off the cross. So let us begin with a word of prayer and then we'll go ahead and start reading today's text. Which is going to be specifically verses 38 through verse 32.

So we'll be finishing John chapter 19 today Lord willing. So let us go ahead and begin with the word of prayer. Lord God, we just are so thankful Lord for what this cross has done for us what you have done On behalf of us Lord God, you have surely saved your people and we praise you for those things Lord God as we we come to this new year 2022.

Lord, we just say come quickly Lord. But we still have that responsibility of taking that gospel message out to the entire world Lord. So I would just pray that as we look and and and make goals for ourselves.

That it might not just be a goal that we set on this New Year's time. But that we would just have the goal of always glorifying you and proclaiming your gospel to our friends and neighbors and loved ones and family.

Lord.

God, I would just pray that you might bless this fellowship Lord this family that's underneath your household Lord. That we might just have a deeper care and love towards our God and that we might be Reflecting that love that you've given to us to each other Lord.

God I would pray that you might help us take correction help us take praise let us take those things that our fellow brothers and sisters give to us Lord and let us do so in a good way a manner and in a glorifying way Lord.

Let us fall upon your word and let us be cut deep by the words that it says Lord. And so God I just pray for this text today that it would do those things and that your will would be done and God I say this in your holy name Jesus Christ, amen.

So, like I said, we're in John chapter 19 verses 38 through 42. What we're gonna do is we're gonna read from last week's text all the way to what we have selected for today's text and so we'll start in verse 31 and this is Important that we do this just to kind of help us remind ourselves that Jesus is surely dead in this text that we're reading God has not died.

But the flesh of Jesus is dead on this cross and so let us let us read in verses 31 and on it says in here the Jews therefore. Because it was the day of preparation. So that the body should not remain on the cross of the Sabbath for the Sabbath was a high day.

Asked Pilate that their legs might be broken in that they might be taken away. The soldiers therefore came and Broke the legs of the first man and of the second man who was crucified with him. But coming to Jesus when they saw that he was already dead they did not break his leg, but one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear and immediately there came out blood and water and he who was Seen who he who has seen has borne witness and his witness is true.

And he knows that he is telling the truth so that you also may believe. So this is a text that has been written for us recorded for us and it is truth in verse 36. It goes on to say for these things came to pass that the scripture might be fulfilled.

Not a bone of him shall be broken that comes from Exodus chapter 12 verses 46 and amongst other Old Testament prophecy and in verse 37 It says in another again another scripture says they shall look on him whom they have pierced and that comes from Zechariah chapter 12 verse 10.

Verse 38 now. This is our selected text for the day. It says this and after these things Joseph of Arimathea Being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one. For fear the Jews asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus and Pilate granted permission.

He came therefore and took away his body and Nicodemus came also. Who had first come to him by night? Bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes about a hundred pounds weight and so they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices as the burial customs of the Jews now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden and In the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet laid.

Therefore on account of the Jewish day of preparation because the tomb was nearby they laid.

Jesus there.

So let us go ahead and pray to that Jesus that has been laid there who is going to hear as we see soon is going to rise from there as well. Lord God, we just we praise you for the God that you are the one and only God this immutable God the supreme God that we see all throughout this text.

Lord God let us not be swayed by men and be fearful of Jews as we see Joseph was. Let us not be fearful of our fellow man Lord, but let us fear you alone. Let us take great privilege in proclaiming that gospel boldly amongst those that don't know you.

Lord.

God let us come to you By day and by night. But it's not just visit you in the dark times, but let us always Come to you Lord. And God we know that you are not bound Lord as this body of yours was bound in this text.

No one can bound the infinite and supreme Holy Holy Holy God. So Lord, let us worship you today in this text and we say these things in your holy name Jesus Christ.

Amen.

So I think we have gotten that context already of what's going on in here that Jesus is continually filling. Fulfilling prophecy and later we're gonna see how he's continuing to even fulfill prophecy with his body.

Still fulfilling that which the Old Testament has been reflecting of this foreshadowing and typology that we've seen. But let us look into verse 38. Verse 38 it says this. And after these things. So after they have pierced the side of Jesus.

After they have passed by his body without breaking a leg. After these things. Joseph of Arimathea. Being a disciple of Jesus. But a secret one for fear of the Jews Church. This is this is Amazing text.

Because John has recorded this for us on purpose. Just as he records himself as being the disciple whom Jesus loved he has recorded that Joseph of Arimathea was a secret one of.

Jesus.

He was not wanting for him to be known amongst his fellow Jewish people. Because he was in fear of them. He feared man more than he feared God and because of that he has this title of being a secret one.

We're gonna look at a little bit more of this. But we're gonna let's actually first let's go read Matthew chapter 10 verses 32 through 33 this. This is gonna give us a little bit more context of what Jesus or what John has recorded for us with Joseph of Arimathea.

So John chapter 10 Verses 32 through 33. And then we're gonna go look at Mark 15 to help us see who this is. Joseph of Arimathea is. But Joe. Matthew chapter 10 verses 32 through 33. Matthew chapter 10 verses 32 through 33 it says this.

Everyone therefore who shall confess me before men. I will also confess him before my father who is in heaven. But whoever shall deny me before men. I shall also deny him before my father who is in heaven.

Now the question is is there such a thing as a secret? Christian somebody that is not willing to profess.

God. No, if.

You're a Christian you haven't had a change of heart and you are going to confess the God that has saved you and it is Because of this that Jesus will confess you to the father. You will be confessed to the father.

What great privilege is that that we can be before any sort of trial and tribulation today and If we confess Christ will be confessed to the father by Christ. That is wonderful. That is a great assurance that reminds me of Psalm chapter 23 that I Being this the sheep in here and having this great shepherd.

He leads me behind before the still waters and he makes me lie down in the green pastures. Yea, though. I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil because a shadow of death is to me like green pastor.

This valley of death is like the still waters because it is Christ who walks with me. That is great. That's wonderful. That's a God that I will proclaim and I hope you proclaim today as well that we have fear of no man.

Absolutely, none whatsoever, but we see that Joseph of Arimathea is called a secret one. We're gonna look a little bit more into this. Let's look into Matthew. Mark 15 43 through 46. Mark 15 verses 43 through 46.

This is the same account of what's taking place in John that we see here in Mark. Mark has expanded a little bit more of who Joseph of Arimathea is and so it says in verses 43 through 46.

And.

Immediately.

While he was still speaking Judas one of the twelve excuse me. I'm reading in Mark 14 mark 15 verses 43 through 46 say this Joseph of Arimathea not Judas. Joseph of Arimathea came a Prominent member of the council.

Who he himself so we get this a little bit more context that Joseph has this high seat on a council. He's this this well-known public figure and so now it paints the picture a little bit more of why Joseph of Arimathea would be scared to profess Christ is that He's seated in this this high place of a council and it says that he's a prominent member of it.

And it says who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. He was waiting for the kingdom of God and so he is no doubt her the seat of the teachings of Jesus. He's been secret in the sense that he's not wanting to tell people what he's thinking, but he's looking physically for Elijah to come down to help Christ on the cross just as the Jews said.

We'll see if Elijah comes down and rescues him who's being crucified. He's wanting to see this physical kingdom of God before him and Joseph of Arimathea it says in here and he he he gathered up courage.

And so he he knows who the Christ is and he's been waiting now to profess him. He's been waiting now to profess him and it says that he is now gathered the courage up and he goes before Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus and Pilate wondered if he was dead by this time.

Summoning the centurion he questioned him as to whether he was already dead. We made mention of this already that the spear that was thrust in the side of Jesus. The fact that the body has been taken down.

There is no way that Christ is not dead in this text. He said to tell us die. He is gone. He is no his spirit has been given up from his flesh. He is.

Dead.

Jesus is dead in this text. He was already dead and ascertaining in verse 45 and ascertaining this from the centurion. He granted the body to Joseph and Joseph brought a linen cloth cloth. Took him down wrapped him in the linen cloth and laid him in a tomb which hadn't been hewed out of the rock.

And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. So we see we're gonna go back to John chapter 19 now. This is giving us a little bit more context of what's taking place in John chapter 19 verse 38.

So we can see now the reason that Joseph owns this grave is that he's most likely a rich man. He's got this this prominent place of being on this council. He's well known in his community and it says that he's taken up courage.

He was used to be a secret one. He is no longer secret. He used to be this fearful and frightful of other men of his day but he's taken up the courage to go before Pilate and There's other Jews there.

There's other Roman soldiers there and they are now seeing Joseph of Arimathea. Asking for the body of Jesus. He is no longer a secret disciple. He is now known to the world. He has now made his his stamp.

He's made his his hill that he's going to die upon. I am taking up the courage to ask for the body of Christ. Now why there's a couple things to notice in here. We see the the mutability of.

Man.

That we are swayed left and right with every type of emotion that comes about to us. Joseph of Arimathea used to not want to profess Christ and now he is professing Christ in a text like this. I want you to think about yourself when you think of the when you see Joseph of Arimathea.

Are you denying Christ today in any sort of way? Are you laughing to share the gospel with family and friends? And the answer is no doubt. Yes in some way. I absolutely am I'm swayable. I Had this this flesh that is of encompassing me.

That is sinful and I Sometimes get taken the best of because of that. But I will profess Christ just as Joseph of Arimathea has in this type of text now I want you to now compare that kind of sway ability that we see in Joseph of Arimathea To the one and only God who is immutable if God Switched and swayed left and right as man does in a text like this.

Would we have any faith in a God like that? No, he's the rock he is the firm foundation. He will not change today tomorrow or yesterday. He is forever the same. This is an attribute that is known of God as what I have already said Immutability and it is found in all his attributes all his attributes.

His omnipotence is always the same yesterday today and tomorrow it does not change. His omniscience is always the same yesterday today and tomorrow it does not change and So we can take great confidence in a God like that.

And the reason that I'm pointing this out here is one that Joseph of Arimathea was denying or not Confessing his faith that he had he was waiting to see if this kingdom of God was going to take place and he's been a secret one.

That's following Jesus. But he's now been taking up the courage he has a change in him, which is a good thing. But he has a change because he has faith in the God that does not change. That's important to notice in this kind of a text.

So Joseph of Arimathea Being a secret disciple has gone before Pilate. It's what it says in here. He goes. He's fearful of the Jews and since that he has not wanted to profess Christ. But now since he has now gone to Pilate he is now demonstrated though.

I fear the Jews. I fear God far more. I'm going to use my own grave. I'm gonna use my own money. I'm going to use everything that I have to take care of this body of Jesus and it says in here and Pilate granted permission To expound a little bit more on that mark verse that we talked about just a little bit ago.

It was only granted permission. Because the body of Christ had died. You don't bury a living man. You bury a dead one and.

So.

Pilate grants permission to Joseph of Arimathea. And it says that he came there for and took away his body. He took away his body. It this immediately reminds me of a text that Jesus has talked about earlier in the Gospel of John that I'm going to destroy this temple and rebuild it in three days.

Jesus is our temple and here he has been he has been Crucified and his body is being pulled down this omniscient omnipotent and omnipotent God that is still those things. His body is being pulled off of a bloody cross for our behalf and.

So they take his body off this cross and then it gives us another figure who is also taking place in here. Joseph of Arimathea is not the only secret disciple of Jesus in this text. It says. And Nicodemus came also who had first come to him by night.

Bringing a mixture of mere aloes about a hundred pounds of weight. Hundred pounds of weight. Let's turn to John chapter 3 and see who this Nicodemus figure is. This should be a text that we are well acquainted with as this is the the being born from above Text and is found in here in verses 1.

We'll just read verses 1 through 3. We could read it all but we'll just read verses 1 through 3 so Nicodemus. It says here in verse 1 it says now there was a man of the Pharisees. So another person that has prominent Figure prominent position of power in Jesus's day.

He he's a Pharisee a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews this man came to him by night and Said to him rabbi. We know that you have come from God as a teacher for no one can do these signs.

That you do unless God is with him. And so Nicodemus in this text as we can see from John 19 because he records it for us again. It says Nicodemus the man who came to him by night. There's a reason that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and that's because he was a secret one.

Just like Joseph of Arimathea. He saw the Christ he saw the miracles and he could not deny who he was and. So he goes before Jesus in this text in John chapter 3 and he says no. Look, we all realize that you are doing things that cannot be explained.

And we are all trying to have to rationalize these in our own minds in one way or another and he says in here. That you have done this unless God is with him and Jesus responds to him. Jesus answered and said to him truly truly I say to you unless one is born again He cannot see the kingdom of God.

He cannot enter into the kingdom of God is what it would say again in verse 5 of that same chapter. So Joseph of Arimathea who has been waiting and seeking for this physical kingdom. Jesus says you must be born again and to enter into my kingdom and Nicodemus in this text no doubt is Thinking something very similar with this Jewish mindset of his and that's why he goes on to say Well, how can I be born again in my mother's womb?

How does that take place and this is speaking of the our spiritual birth from above the first one is a flesh. The second one is from above from the spirit. We are born again. This third person of the Trinity turn back now with me to John chapter 19.

John chapter 19 verse 39 and Nicodemus came also and had come First or hadn't had first who had come first to him by night. Are the Jews still at the cross of Christ or the Roman soldiers still there as Jesus's body is pulled off this cross?

Is Nicodemus a secret disciple of Christ anymore?

No.

He's bringing with him that which is to prepare for his burial. Nicodemus is making it clear that he too with Joseph of Arimathea believes Jesus to be the Christ and He brings it with the way he brings those things with him.

They are no longer secret Church. I would exhort us that even if we in our.

Conversion.

Even today and let's say you've been a Christian for 20 years. If you are finding times where you're being timid or weak or fearful and sharing who Christ is. Don't do that anymore. Do not be a secret one of Christ.

We look back throughout history and I know you can think of any historical context that you want if it's a church history or if it's The United States or some figure in the in this Empire or whatever it is.

Who are the figures that you talk and think about? Are the ones that did the greatest work in their day or the ones that you think and you you say that that is a Giant of the faith or so on and so forth.

It's the people who died on the right side of history that you talk about. You don't talk about the one that was not willing to profess Christ. You talk about the one that professed him day and night.

I'm not saying to profess Christ so that you can have praises like these men and women that we talk about. But there's a reason that we talk about these kind of men and women throughout the history. It is because they professed Christ.

They were not a secret one. Let us not die and have our children say they were a secret follower of Jesus. I want my family to say about me hundreds of years after I'm long gone and and Decomposed in my grave or wherever I am at.

I want my family to say I have a relative who preached Christ Crucified every single day and there was no excuse for any of his family members to not know who Jesus was. I want my neighbors to say that about me.

Not because I want them to know about me. But because I want them to know about my God that I have and so we see in here Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea because of the way that they have first approached Christ.

They are known as the disciple who first came to Christ by the night and a secret one. But praise be to God because they're rewarded. Heaven is the same as the person that has professed Christ boldly from the very first day their reward is eternal life and How great of a day?

Did the angels sing in heaven for these two disciples whenever their conversion took place whenever they've actually had faith in Jesus Christ? Absolutely wonderful. These men who fear God actually have been born from above and profess Christ.

This is miraculous. This is the same miracle that you and I have today. Let us continue on in verse 40. You know, let's make mention real fast here in verse 39 it says that Nicodemus has brought this mixture of myrrh and aloes with a hundred pounds weight and.

So they took the body of Jesus and bound them in linen wrappings with the spices as the burial custom of the Jews back in those days they did not have the types of Burial means that we have today where we are able to stop the body from decomposing and smelling bad right away.

We today can preserve a body for for a very long time without these kind of gross things that take place. And as we see with with this it was the the custom was to bring these very strong Scents to the body so that when it was wrapped and buried you would not have to smell these kind of things.

And so once again This assures me that when I see this kind of text that Jesus Christ is surely dead. These types of mirror mirrors and and aloes these would not have been a cheap product as we can see Mary Who anointed the feet of Jesus?

With the same type of thing that was done in a burial that she has Associated her death with the death of Christ. She anoints his feet and it's expensive and Judah says well we could have sold that Nicodemus would not have put a single aloe upon the body of Christ if Christ was not dead.

But he has a hundred pounds of weight with him that is an expensive lot. I don't know how much that would be but that would have been Expensive and so they put it with the body of Christ. They wrap and bound him in linens now Jesus though he be physically bound just as he was physically bound when they led him to the cross.

Does not mean that man has the authority over God to bound him to do our pleasure. What do I mean by that? If God has a plan for us tomorrow, there is not a single thing that we can do to thwart the plan of God.

There's not a single thing that I can do to bound Jesus God from doing that which is his good pleasure. If I could do something today that would change the mind and plan of God that he is predestined for me next week.

Who is more powerful now? Man is more powerful if we can thwart the plan of God and. So Jesus's body here being bound is still according to the predetermined predestined plan of God to be bound in such a way and so they bind his body with these linen wrappings.

They completely do this and it's that that realization that he is absolutely dead in this text. And this was according to the customs of the Jews and in verse 41 It goes on to continue to say 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 and as we read from Mark This tomb belonged to Joseph of Arimathea of him having this high position on the council. Having a seat at this council and and so since this is his tomb.

It's a it's when a place where no one else had laid. We're gonna read verse 42 here and finish this chapter and then I want to go somewhere to help us put this all together. Why does it mention in here that it's a garden in which no one else had laid?

There's a significance reason for why this has been mentioned. It says in verse 42. Therefore on account of the Jewish day of preparation because the tomb was nearby they laid Jesus there. So this tomb is near the cross.

Jesus as we saw in Mark chapter 15 this this this grave has been stone has been hewed out of a wall and This this grade Jesus is placed in and a stone is covered in front of it. Jesus is 100 dead in this text.

Don't ever let anybody try to say that he was not really dead. Jesus is Assuredly dead and he's buried in this wall and this this this cut out from this this rock and a boulder. This other rock has been ruled to be the door for it in this kind of a text.

But it's in a garden where no one else had yet been previously laid. We're gonna turn to Genesis chapter 2 and we're gonna read a couple different texts. We could read the entire chapters here to really paint the picture.

But since I don't think we have time allowed for us today to do this such a thing. We'll hit the highlighted verses in here that reflect foreshadow and Have a typology of what's taking place here in this garden that is nearby the cross.

So we're gonna read in Genesis chapter 2 and this is we're gonna be jumping around a little bit. So I would encourage you to try to follow along but in John chapter 2 will first mark I will first take note of verses 8 and 9.

In Verse 8 of Genesis 2 it says this and the Yahweh Elohim and the Lord God planted a garden toward the east in Eden and There he placed the man Whom he had formed so who has created Adam this Yahweh figure the very figure Jesus himself claims to be.

He says unless you believe I am you shall die in your sins unless you believe I'm ego Me you shall die in your sins. He has proclaimed this so Jesus has formed the Word God the full Trinity has formed and placed man in This place in this garden in Eden this garden and in verse 9 it says and out of the ground the Lord caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food the tree of life and also in the midst of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and.

So we see in here that God has made this Eden place this garden and he has caused every tree to come about in it including a tree that will ultimately lead to the demise and falling of all mankind. Verse 16 through 17 follow me there, please.

Verse 16 and 17 it says in the Lord God this Yahweh Elohim. God in this text Commanded the man saying from any tree of the garden you may eat freely. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the that day in the day That you eat from it.

You shall surely Die and so we see in here that there's this covenant this commandment. That's made between God and man. Do not eat of this single tree. You can eat of every other one, but do not eat of this.

And.

He tells of a curse that will come about if they eat of it. Okay, so the tree is in the garden. Let's now go on to read chapter 3 verses 6 7. And then we'll make note of the verses about the prophecy of the seed.

But let us read verse 6 7 of chapter 3 in here. It says when the woman saw that the tree was good for food. This is after she's tempted by the devil the serpent of old here. She's tempted and the when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes.

Wow to the light, sorry, excuse me a delight to the eyes and that the tree was desirable to make one wise. She took from it fruit and ate and She gave also to her husband with her and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were open and they knew that they were naked and sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin.

Coverings.

Let us continue on.

In.

Just to make mention of verses 14. Just some some context here in this text. It says that the Lord God is walking around in the cool of the day. He's walking and they hear him coming and they hide themselves and God calls out to them.

They come before him and he sees that they have covered themselves in the works of their hands. They have covered themselves with these fig leaves. He have sewn together a covering for themselves. They have done this not anyone else.

They have covered themselves and God sees it. He obviously knows what's going on and he gives a promise to the woman the man and the serpent. He talks about how the seed is gonna come and bruise The head of the serpent or crush the head of the serpent and the serpents going to bruise him on the heel.

This is no doubt speaking of the crucifixion of Christ. We would then see in verse 21 and verse 24. Follow me there in Genesis chapter 3. It says in Genesis chapter 3. Verse 21. And the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and.

Clothed them.

So he drove out man in verse 24, so he drove out the man. And at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.

Why are we reading a text like this when we just saw the crucifixion of Christ, how do these things correlate with one another?

Well.

First thing I would make mention of that. I think is very very clear in here is something that's called federal Headship that the the male of a family of descendants is representative of all the descendants.

And so we see in Romans chapter 5 that we have fallen in Adam because Adam has fallen so have we that we have this sin nature that is inside of us because he has fallen and we see in here that the tree of knowledge of good and evil is placed in a garden man has been created and placed in that garden and Man cannot keep the law of the garden.

He partakes in this tree and because of this tree there is a curse that comes about. That they should surely die, but Adam lived another day and another day. They cover themselves with works. But as a covering that does not cover him before God and so God then makes another Covenant with them and covers them in the offering of a sacrifice.

We would assume that this offering was a lamb as we see that as the the obvious type that we see all throughout the Old Testament and so Adam man is now covered in the sacrifice that God has provided.

Who was promised death in the garden? Adam was who received the death in the garden. The sacrifice did and Because of that they were covered with the sacrifice. We're starting to see gospel language in this text.

Do we not from there in. This garden Adam is still there. He is then cast out of the garden. He was not allowed to be in that garden any longer. So now let us look and see how does this foreshadow to Christ because Christ is our better head our better Adam.

He is our new federal head. He is the one that represents those that have faith in him. Just as we have fallen with right with Adam we have been redeemed in Christ. I love the doctrine of federal headship.

Some people say it is terrible. How can we fall in Adam and something that we have not done? Well, it's the same way that I am in Christ for something. I have not done. This is a beautiful thing.

God.

Becomes flesh and Comes into a world. We see Adam being placed into a garden. God comes into a world. He does not sin like Adam did but lives a perfect life. Adam partook of a tree and caused a cursed.

Jesus partook of a tree and fixed the curse. He undid what Adam did. He partakes of a tree. And as Adam was cast out of the garden Christ was cast out of the world that he came into. And Where was he placed in?

A garden where no one else had laid because no one else could do it. Adam deserved the death and did not receive it. Christ did not deserve the death, but yet he took it.

This is obvious and clear.

Foreshadowing and mirroring images that we see in here. Christ is our better Adam is what it is called in Romans chapter 5.

Adam was just a type of what was going to come.

He mirrored the image of who Christ was going to be. So when we say the gospel is consisting of the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ There is a lot more to it. Is there not as far as the thoroughness that we can explain to those things?