John 19:31-37 Bible Teaching

John 19.37
Milk
May 31st 2015
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Pick it back up at John 19 verse 31 and we will wrap up the chapter.

So we left off last week with Jesus saying, “it is finished” and then He gave up the Ghost (King James) or died.

Verse 31

John 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

Okay back to verse 31

The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

The law required that the bodies of those who were hung should not remain suspended during the night.

Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 21:22-23

“And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”

It seems that this law was made when the punishment by crucifixion was unknown and therefore speaks of literal hanging when people would pretty much die within minutes.

But under Roman rule crucifixion was the method and the life of the condemned was often lengthened out for days.

Trying to keep in accordance with the Law written in Deuteronomy the Jews requested that the death of Jews might be expedited so that the land might not be polluted by their bodies remaining suspended on the Sabbath-day.

Now, it’s interesting but the Bible does not explicitly state on which day of the week Jesus was crucified.

To me its one of those things that keeps Christians talking.

There two widely held views – Friday and Wednesday. Then there are those who hold to a Thursday argument.

What we do know is Jesus said in Matthew 12:40,

“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Those who argue for a Friday crucifixion say that there is still a valid way in which He could have been considered in the grave for three days.

In the Jewish mind of the first century, a part of day was considered as a full day. Since Jesus was in the grave for part of Friday, all of Saturday, and part of Sunday—He could be considered to have been in the grave for three days.

One of the principal arguments for the Friday debate is found in Mark 15:42, which says that Jesus was crucified

“the day before the Sabbath.”

If that was the weekly Sabbath, i.e. Saturday, then that fact leads to a Friday crucifixion.

Another argument for Friday says that verses such as Matthew 16:21 and Luke 9:22 teach that Jesus would rise on the third day and therefore He would not need to be in the grave a full three days and nights.

Trouble is some disagree on the translation of these verses. And then we have to add in that Mark 8:31 says that Jesus will be raised “after” three days.

The Thursday argument expands on the Friday view and argues mainly that there are too many events (some count as many as twenty) that happen between Christ’s burial and Sunday morning to occur from Friday evening to Sunday morning.

A big part of their argument is that the only full day of the three (between Friday and Sunday) was Saturday which was the Jewish Sabbath and therefore activities were greatly restricted.

An extra day or two eliminates that problem.

The Wednesday opinion points out that there were two Sabbaths that week. After the first one (the one that occurred on the evening of the crucifixion based on Mark 15:42 and Luke 23:52-54) the women purchased spices—Mark 16:1 tells us that they made their purchase after the Sabbath.

The Wednesday view holds that this “Sabbath” was the Passover (where high holy days that are not necessarily the seventh day of the week but are referred to as the Sabbath) and then the second Sabbath that week was the normal weekly Sabbath.

We have to note that in Luke 23:56, the women who had purchased spices after the first Sabbath returned and prepared the spices, then “rested on the Sabbath.”

The argument states that they could not purchase the spices after the Sabbath, yet prepare those spices before the Sabbath—unless there were two Sabbaths.

With the two-Sabbath view, if Christ was crucified on Thursday, then the high holy Sabbath (the Passover) would have begun Thursday at sundown and ended at Friday sundown—which was the beginning of the weekly Sabbath or Saturday.

Purchasing the spices after the first Sabbath (Passover) would have meant they purchased them on Saturday and were breaking the Sabbath.

Therefore, according to the Wednesday viewpoint, the only explanation that does not violate the biblical account of the women and the spices and holds to a literal understanding of Matthew 12:40, is that Christ was crucified on Wednesday.

The Sabbath that was a high holy day (Passover) occurred on Thursday, the women purchased spices (after that) on Friday and returned and prepared the spices on the same day, they rested on Saturday which was the weekly Sabbath, then brought the spices to the tomb early Sunday.

Jesus was buried near sundown on Wednesday, which began Thursday in the Jewish calendar. Using a Jewish calendar, you have Thursday night (night one), Thursday day (day one), Friday night (night two), Friday day (day two), Saturday night (night three), Saturday day (day three).

We do not know exactly what time He rose, but we do know that it was before sunrise on Sunday. He could have risen as early as just after sunset Saturday evening, which began the first day of the week to the Jews.

The discovery of the empty tomb was made just at sunrise (Mark 16:2), before it was fully light (John 20:1).

A possible problem with the Wednesday view is that the disciples who walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus did so on “the same day” of His resurrection (Luke 24:13).

The disciples, who do not recognize Jesus, tell Him of Jesus’ crucifixion (24:21) and say that “today is the third day since these things happened” (24:22).

Wednesday to Sunday is four days. A possible explanation is that they may have been counting since Wednesday evening at Christ’s burial, which begins the Jewish Thursday, and Thursday to Sunday could be counted as three days.

Got all that?

Now, why did I just spend five minutes covering all those options – to show that there are many many many things in scripture that are debatable and with scripture being God authored we have to assume GOD Himself wants it this way.

Why would He want it this way?

Maybe to keep us searching.
Maybe to keep us talking.
Maybe to test our love.

The Genesis account of the creation is great example of this.

Die to dogmatism folks. When we think we “know” things and build houses of absolutes on things that are not absolute we have bought into the idea that our wisdom and knowledge is indisputable.

And one of the first things to fall is love.

In any case, the Sabbath was approaching at sundown and wanting to make sure that the Sabbath was kept, the Jews approached Pilate and requested that the crucified have their legs broken.

You know, we speak of this leg breaking today kind of matter-of-factly, but can you imagine?

A person is hanging on the cross and suffering immensely and then they get wind that the Sabbath is approaching at leg breaking was the order of the day.

Maybe it would have been welcomed but one leg at a time – snapped by the blow or blows of a club?

Unbelievable barbarism.

As stated earlier this act would expedite death as the crucified wouldn’t have the ability to use their legs to assist them in breathing.

Roman historian Lactantius says that this was commonly done by the Romans to persons who were crucified.

32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs.

Maybe it was obvious that He was dead – no movement, no noise. But there’s also the idea that the Roman Centurians comments caused them to believe he was gone OR the things going on around them when He passed.

This is a confusing scene to me in scripture partly because of what Matthew’s account provides.

In chapter 27 beginning at verse 50 we read:

50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

Based on Matthews account there were immediate earthquakes going right after Jesus died because while the Centurion was looking at Jesus’ dead body he said, “Truly this WAS the Son of God.”

And maybe this is what caused the other Romans soldiers breaking the legs to stop at Jesus.

Of course there’s a picture to His legs not being broken presented in the Old Testament. Remember?

In describing the way the COI ought to prepare and eat the paschal lamb Moses (again) wrote:

Numbers 9:12 They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.

We might ask my no bone was broken of the Paschal Lamb or of the Lord.

In verses 36 and 37 John tells us that it was to fulfill scripture but why?

Psalm 34:19-20 says:

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.”

Again, we know that it was prophesied, and we know that as the Lamb of God He, like the Passover Lamb, would not have a bone broken but is there a reason why He would be allowed to be pierced but that “He would keep all of His bones?”

I could think of three potential reasons – you may think of more.

First, Jesus Himself is used by Paul as representing the church today – the BODY of Christ.

Appealing to this imagery it seems the body will be bruised and it will bleed, it – the framework – will remain intact (spiritually) as the framework of Christ remained intact.

It’s a thought.

Secondly, there could be some connection to the blood of Christ and it’s purity and the fact that blood is produced in the marrow of bones.

I haven’t really fleshed this out but it might be possible that God in His radical ways established this connection.

Thirdly, there are promises in scripture to those who are humble of heart and fear the Lord.

As a man Jesus submitted Himself, though made in the image of God, below all things and walked in utter obedience to Him and His ways.

Proverbs 3:7-8 says to those who are of this heart:

“Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.”

Maybe, since Christ was the epitome of NOT being wise in His own eyes the blessing was bestowed upon Him in full, and His bones were protected from harm.

Whatever the reason, we know that one soldier wanted to make certain Jesus was dead (verse 34)

34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

It appears that this soldier believed Jesus was actually dead and so he took a sword and stuck it into his side.

I tend to think that Pilate had heard rumors that Jesus claimed that He would rise again; that somewhere along the line He got wind of this and so where the Jews simply wanted His legs broken the assigned soldier, possibly under orders of Pilate, wanted to ensure that Jesus wasn’t feigning death so that He could be swept away, revived, and made to appear to have risen from the grave.

So the soldier take a spear. A Roman Soldier took a spear used for war and plunged it into His side.

If we take the training of such men, their lifestyle, the barbaric nature of life for them, the fact that Jesus was considered a common criminal, the frustration the soldier may have had having been assigned crucifixion detail, an the purpose to prove He was really dead I think we can safely assume that the stab wound was not delivered gently but so strongly and deliberately that if He wasn’t dead it would have killed Him.

I also think John included this in his narrative (I don’t THINK it is included in any of the other Gospel accounts) to reiterate that Jesus was dead.

See, part of John’s purpose in writing was to confront and correct what are known as Gnostic beliefs which were swirling around Christianity very early on in the faith.

One of the Gnostic tenets was to disavow the death of the flesh of someone who was the Son of God. John seems to be accentuating the fact that Jesus was dead while on the cross.

Now note: John says that the soldier “pierced his side.”

Because water and blood came out it is believed that the sword pierced His heart and therefore the idea is His left side was pierced.

I think it’s reasonable but admittedly it could have been the right and the sword pushed all the way to the heart. Additionally, He could have been pierced lower than his heart on one side and the sword could have traveled in an upward direction to the heart area.

Apparently the human heart is surrounded by a membrane called the pericardium. This membrane contains a serous matter or liquor that looks like water and which prevents the surface of the heart from becoming dry by its continual motion.

I have also heard it said that His heart could have swelled up with this pericardium fluid due to the torture He had endured and therefore a large amount of fluid would have existed his body with blood – the very fluid the heart pumps – when it was pierced by the sword.

All sorts of religious activity has orbited around this event with doctrines regarding the blood representing communion wine and the water baptism, or the blood representing justification and the water sanctification, and frankly a number of other applications.

Modern medical practitioners have suggested the water was indicative of a broken heart but again, not sure of the validity.

May the Spirit guide.

But what we CAN say is that John purposely included these things in his record. In verse 35 he writes:

35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.

Remember a few things:

First, John almost always refers to himself in the third person, never as I John the Beloved.

Secondly, he makes it clear that he was there. Jesus told him to care for His mother. So he witnessed this firsthand.

It was a witness he shares directly with those influenced by Gnosticism which denied the physical elements of Jesus.

His was a personal witness causing him to write:

“And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.”

That’s pretty amazing when we think about it. Nearly two thousand years ago John the Beloved watched Jesus die on the cross.

He watched the event live and witnessed all of it. Then he wrote a narrative and we are reading it today:

And in it he says that the reason he bears record, and bears record that his record is true, was so that “we might believe.”

(beat)

It goes a long way to show how important believing in Him is, doesn’t it?

(beat)

And then John gives us another reason he mentions these things (verse 36) saying:

36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, “A bone of him shall not be broken.”

What’s interesting about this passage is that there is no scripture that says directly that a bone of the Messiah should not be broken.

The closest we get is Psalem 34:19-20 which says

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

But the reference is more likely to passages about the paschal lamb where the breaking of its bones was prohibited by God which were but a type and picture of the Lamb of God to come.

This is more consistent in my estimation.
And then at verse 37 John gives us another fulfillment, saying:

37 And again another scripture saith, “They shall look on him whom they pierced.”

This reference is located in the amazing Psalm 22.

It is so pointed to both the trials of David and the Lord hundreds of years later that it’s worth reading right here and now. After saying that it was composed by David the psalm opens with:

1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.
11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
28 For the kingdom is the LORD’S: and he is the governor among the nations.
29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.
Of the prophecies written in the Bible about events that were to have taken place by now, every one was fulfilled with 100% accuracy.
This is a statement that can not be truthfully made about any other “sacred writing.” This is important because the Bible says God will give us a savior who provides a way for us to go to heaven. If the prophecies are 100% accurate, we know it is going to happen.
The Old Testament books in the Bible (all of them written between 1450 BC and 430 BC) contained hundreds of prophecies about an “anointed one” (“Messiah” in Hebrew) who would arrive in the future.
The Messiah would “deliver” or “save” all the Jewish people, bringing them to paradise or heaven. These prophecies also stated that the Messiah would save all the other people in the world “through the Jews.”
Psalm 22 (which we just read) is amazing since it predicted 11 separate things about Jesus’ crucifixion about a thousand years before they happened.
We know that David (the author of Psalm 22) lived about 1043-973 BC.
In a minute I will also cite Isaiah 53. Note his exacting words were written when Isaiah was alive – about 740-680 BC.
Critics of the Bible prophecies used to suggest that they were written in after Jesus but the Dead Sea Scrolls put to rest most of such idle talk and proved that many of the prophecies were written down 1000 to 400 years before Jesus fulfilled them.
It’s also important to know that some of the prophecies occur as part of the text of a story. So, a natural question would be, “How do you know these are Messianic prophecies? Couldn’t someone have read these texts after Jesus came along and claimed they are Messianic prophecies?”
The reason we know these texts were intended to be Messianic prophecies is because they were recognized (and discussed) by the Jews before Jesus’ birth as having application to the Messiah to come.
The questions then become “Couldn’t Jesus and his followers taken Old Testament prophesies and just made them fit to his life?
It would really be a production of collusion for this to occur.
Many of the prophesies include things that are not part of the realm of human control.
In other words, if someone tried to fulfill all of them, how would they arrange to be (1) born in Bethlehem (2) with a virgin for a mother? How would they get the Romans to cast lots or pierce His side?
So to wrap today up let me present some of the more common – there are hundreds more but these are the essentials.

Old Testament Scriptures That Describe The Coming Messiah
The Messianic Prophecy (paraphrased)
Where the prophecy appears in the Old Testament (written between 1450 BC and 430BC)
Jesus’ fulfillment of the prophecy in the New Testament (written between 45 and 68 AD)
The Messiah will be the offspring (descendant) of the woman (Eve)
Genesis 3:15
Galatians 4:4
The Messiah will be a descendant of Abraham, through whom everyone on earth will be blessed
Genesis 12:3; 18:18
Acts 3:25,26
The Messiah will be a descendant of Judah
Genesis 49:10
Matthew 1:2 and Luke 3:33
The Messiah will be a prophet like Moses
Deuteronomy 18:15-19
Acts 3:22,23
The Messiah will be the Son of God
Psalm 2:7
Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22
The Messiah will be raised from the dead (resurrected)
Psalm 16:10,11
Matthew 28:5-9; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:4-7; John 20:11-16; Acts 1:3 and 2:32
The Messiah crucifixion experience
Psalm 22 (contains 11 prophecies—not all listed here)
Matthew 27:34-50 and John 19:17-30
The Messiah will be sneered at and mocked
Psalm 22:7
Luke 23:11,35-39
The Messiah will be pierced through hands and feet
Psalm 22:16
Luke 23:33 and 24:36-39;
John 19:18 and 20:19-20,24-27
The Messiah’s bones will not be broken (a person’s legs were usually broken after being crucified to speed up their death)
Psalm 22:17 and 34:20
John 19:31-33,36
Men Will Gamble for the Messiah’s clothing
Psalm 22:18
Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:23,24
The Messiah will accused by false witnesses
Psalm 35:11
Matthew 26:59,60 and Mark 14:56,57
The Messiah will be hated without a cause
Psalm 35:19 and 69:4
John 15:23-25
The Messiah will be betrayed by a friend
Psalm 41:9
John 13:18,21
The Messiah will ascend to heaven (at the right hand of God)
Psalm 68:18
Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9; 2:33-35; 3:20-21; 5:31,32; 7:55-56; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20,21; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Pet 3:22 . . . sorry, we got carried away!
The Messiah will be given vinegar and gall to drink
Psalm 69:21
Matthew 27:34; Mark 15:23; John 19:29,30
Great kings will pay homage and tribute to the Messiah
Psalm 72:10,11
Matthew 2:1-11
The Messiah is a “stone the builders rejected” who will become the “head cornerstone”
Psalm 118:22,23 and Isaiah 28:16
Matthew 21:42,43; Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6-8
The Messiah will be a descendant of David
Psalm 132:11 and Jeremiah 23:5,6; 33:15,16
Luke 1:32,33
The Messiah will be a born of a virgin
Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-35
The Messiah’s first spiritual work will be in Galilee
Isaiah 9:1-7
Matthew 4:12-16
The Messiah will make the blind see, the deaf hear, etc.
Isaiah 35:5-6
Many places. Also see Matthew 11:3-6 and John 11:47
The Messiah will be beaten, mocked, and spat upon
Isaiah 50:6
Matthew 26:67 and 27:26-31
The “Gospel according to Isaiah”
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
People will hear and not believe the “arm of the LORD” (Messiah)
Isaiah 53:1
John 12:37,38
The Messiah will be rejected
Isaiah 53:3
Matthew 27:20-25; Mark 15:8-14; Luke 23:18-23; John 19:14,15
The Messiah will be killed
Isaiah 53:5-9
Matthew 27:50; Mark 15:37-39; Luke 23:46; John 19:30
The Messiah will be silent in front of his accusers
Isaiah 53:7
Matthew 26:62,63 and 27:12-14
The Messiah will be buried with the rich
Isaiah 53:9
Matthew 27:59,60; Mark 15:46; Luke 23:52,53; John 19:38-42
The Messiah will be crucified with criminals
Isaiah 53:12
Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27; Luke 23:32,33

The Messiah will be our intercessor (intervene for us and plead on our behalf)
Isaiah 59:16
Hebrews 9:15

The Messiah will come at a specific time
Daniel 9:25-26
Galatians 4:4 and Ephesians 1:10
The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem
Micah 5:2
Matthew 2:1 and Luke 2:4-7
The Messiah will enter Jerusalem riding a donkey
Zechariah 9:9
Matthew 21:1-11
The Messiah will be sold for 30 pieces of silver
Zechariah 11:12,13
Matthew 26:15 with Matthew 27:3-10
The Messiah will forsaken by His disciples
Zechariah 13:7
Matthew 26:31,56
The Messiah will enter the Temple with authority
Malachi 3:1
Matthew 21:12 and Luke 19:45