Jesus died and was buried

 

19v31-21v25)   The Deity of Christ demonstrated in resurrection

Chapter 19v31-37       Jesus is dead

Chapter 19v38-42       Jesus is buried

Chapter 20v1-13         Jesus rises from the dead

Chapter 20v14-21v25 Jesus appears to many    

 

Flowing from the finished work of Christ, what follows in the remainder of the gospel are the four cardinal aspects of the gospel as described by Paul in 1^st Corinthians 15v1-10:

Ø Christ died     Chapter 19v31-37

Ø Christ was buried   Chapter 19v38-42

Ø Christ was raised from the dead   Chapter 20v1-13

Ø Christ appeared to many   Chapter 20v13-21v25

 

He died   31-37)  “The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain up on the cross on the Sabbath day, ( for that Sabbath was an high day) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.  Then came the soldiers, and break the legs of the first and of the other, which was crucified with Him.  But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they break not his legs, but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side and forthwith came thereout blood and water.  And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true; and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.  For these things were done that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of Him shall not be broken (Exodus 12v46; Numbers 9v12; Psalm 34v20.)  And again another scripture that says they shall look upon Him whom they pierced” (Zechariah 12v10 ).

All this goes to the credibility of the gospel.  It was necessary to emphasise that Jesus actually died, because later many have challenged this in order to deny the resurrection.  This is what John is establishing here, Christ actually died, he was witness, and this was written that the readers might believe.  In typical style the Jews approached Pilate to remove the bodies from the crosses.  Crucifixion, being a slow death, often left the victims alive for some time.  Pilate, in order to appease the Jews on their holy day, ordered the bodies to be taken down.  The narrative that they broke the legs of the two malefactors, but Jesus was dead already, was to establish the fact Christ was dead.  Then they pierced His side, just to make sure and there flowed from the wound blood and water.  The significance of the blood and water, is simply the testimony that He was actually dead.  John attests this that this is what he saw.   Medically, blood does not separate from water in the human system until circulation stops.  This is further evidence that Jesus actually died-a fact disputed by infidels.  John emphasises he was witness to all these things, and this is for our faith, the main point of the writing being “that ye might believe”.  Without doubt, Jesus died and this is the first stage in the certainty of the gospel.  All this was a fulfilment of scripture, as predicted He actually died.

 

He was buried    38-42)  “And after this Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore and took the body of Jesus.  And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 100 pound weight.  Then took they the body of Jesus and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.  Now, in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new sepulchre wherein never man was laid.   There laid they Jesus therefore, because of the Jews preparation day, for the sepulchre, was nigh at hand.”

The whole point of this narrative is absolute credibility, to underpin the faith of believers.  What happens to a dead body? It is buried; Christ was buried for He was dead.  He was buried with loving hands by men of high standing in Israel.  Joseph was a rich man, fulfilling the prophecy “He was with the rich in His death”-Isaiah 53v9, only the rich owned a private sepulchre; then came Nicodemus, a high ranking member of the ruling class of Israel.  Note that he is identified as the same man who came to Jesus by night-no stone is unturned to give credence to the whole story.  He brought expensive spices for the burial, and the extent of this was measured-100 pound weight.  This was a very lavish provision by Nicodemus, and a gift of love to one he had grown to trust.  As much as God allowed men to brutally maltreat His Son in crucifixion, He ensured that only loving, tender hands tended His dead body.

The Old Testament reveals the care that was to be taken with the remains of the sacrifices, which details were fulfilled in the burial of Christ.  The ashes of sacrifice were to be placed “in a clean place”, according to Leviticus 4v12, 6v11; Numbers 19v9-10.  Additionally in Numbers 4v13, they were to be covered with a purple cloth, referring to dignity.  Jesus was laid in a new sepulchre with dignity, and so the type was fulfilled.  The ashes were ceremonially mixed with clean water to cleanse the unclean in association with the holy temple service.  Hebrews 9v13 speaks of “…the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh.”  A clean place, unsullied by corruption; a place apart, separate from the traffic of life; covered in purple, dignity in death.  All these are symbolic of the importance of His burial.  Never again did unclean hands touch Him; never again did unclean eyes see Him.  Never again would unclean lips mock Him visibly.  His death saves me, His burial separates me from an unclean world.  The hymnwriter got it right-“Living He loved me, dying He saved me; buried He carried my sins far away…”.  The three days of burial is symbolic of separation from the world, as a study of the three days in scripture will reveal.  Shortly He will rise again, beyond anything of this world in a new life that He shares with the faithful.  There in that new tomb, His body lay, awaiting the day of resurrection.  Clean men, with clean hands and loving hearts, laid Him to rest in a new tomb, from whence He will rise in newness of life.