The Love of Christ: His Death
John 19:28-42
I. Jesus finished God’s plan because of His love for you; 19:28-30.
28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Jesus knew that the end had come. Even now, we still see Him as in complete control. There was some wine vinegar there in a container, along with a sponge and some hyssop indicating that it was provided for those crucified. He is at the point of death and wants to say something that will be heard, so He calls for a drink to moisten His parched throat. He drinks, then says, "It is finished." Then He bowed His head and immediately dies.
Jesus is totally in control of the time of His dying, just as He had been in control of His arrest, His trial, and His crucifixion. What seems to be tragedy was still Jesus in control. What has been accomplished? The work of Jesus on earth, given by the Father, is fully complete. That work is bringing salvation to people. Jesus finished salvation. Therefore, we don’t have to work for our salvation. Jesus finished God’s plan because of His love for you.
II. Jesus fulfilled God’s plan because of His love for you; 19:31-37.
31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," 37 and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."
The Jews were concerned about the land being cleansed of its contamination because of the feast coming to celebrate God’s provision. The Roman custom was to leave the bodies of the crucified on their crosses as a warning to others. It was therefore necessary to obtain permission before removing a body. The victims would slightly ease the strain on their arms and chests by taking some of their weight on their feet. This helped them to breathe and prolonged their lives a little, but when the legs were broken this was no longer possible. The soldiers did break the legs of both the men who were crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead. Therefore, they did not break His legs.
But one of the soldiers was not content simply to pass by. Either out of brutality or to make sure that Jesus was dead, he thrust his spear into His side. Immediately blood and water came out. This incident made a profound impression on John. He brings out emphatically that he has good evidence for what he is saying. This evidence is surely his own testimony. The purpose for detailing this information is then defined emphatically as being for "you" to believe. Not for us to know, but for us to believe.
John finds fulfillment of Scripture in these happenings. The use of these quotations by John was a testimony to the fact that even the Death Story of Jesus, God's only Son, was to be viewed as having taken place within the will of God. Nothing was more certain than that Jesus was the special agent of God who died according to the Scriptures. Jesus fulfilled God’s plan because of His love for you.
III. Jesus went to the grave because of His love for you; 19:38-42.
38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. 40 Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
Sometime later, Joseph of Arimathea began to make arrangements for Jesus’ burial. Joseph went to Pilate and asked permission to take Jesus' body away for burial. The Romans did not normally give such permission in the case of people executed for treason. That Pilate gave it may be a further indication that he did not think that Jesus was guilty. Joseph took the body away. Clearly Joseph was a rich man, and we may find in his action a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:9.
Not only did Joseph become involved in the burial, but he was joined by Nicodemus. Earlier Nicodemus had been a secret inquirer. Nicodemus brought spices, myrrh, and aloes. Seventy-five pounds is an unusual amount. Large quantities were used in royal burials, and John is reminding us again of Jesus' kingship. There was a tomb in a garden very near to the place of execution. Tombs were commonly hewn out of the solid rock and closed with heavy stones. Such tombs were expensive, and there would be a tendency to use them again and again. John tells us that the tomb had never been used.
Joseph of Arimathea had been a secret disciple but was now publicly identifying himself with Jesus. Nicodemus, who had secretly come to Jesus at night when no one would see him, also comes out of the dark and identifies himself as a follower of Jesus. They serve as a signal that changes are coming, and the most radical one is yet to come.
Jesus laid down His life. The persecution and suffering were over. He had paid our debt to sin. He had fully received the wrath of God. His suffering was complete. Now His body is treated differently. He is no longer abused as the sacrificial Lamb. He is treated with respect as the only begotten Son of God, the true King of Israel. Jesus went to the grave because of His love for you.
