Wednesday, November 18, 2015

John 19:31-42 comments: Jesus' burial


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.

The brutality of crucifixion is again revealed here. The following verses were interesting, I thought, in regard to their references to water and blood.

1John 5:6 ¶  This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7  For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8  And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

Scripture was fulfilled. Regarding the Passover lamb;

Exodus 12:43 ¶  And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof…46  In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.

And the righteous man;

Psalm 34:20  He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

And as the one pierced being stared at;

Psalm 22:16  For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 17  I may tell [count] all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

Zechariah 12:10  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

    38 ¶  And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, 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. 39  And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. 40  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. 41  Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. 42  There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

Joseph of Arimathaea is said to be a rich man in Matthew.

Matthew 27:57 ¶  When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: 58  He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 59  And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60  And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

Isaiah 53:9  And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Jesus’ body is wrapped in linen with a hundred pounds of spices, which must have cost quite a lot. While the Bible does not explicitly say what day Jesus was crucified on in a way that allows us to link that day to one of our days of the week there are three theories; Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Notice that this was a special Sabbath; a high day. I’ll leave the disputation to others so as not to take away from things God has for us in this narrative.

Nicodemus from chapter 3 was one of the rulers who lovingly prepared Jesus’ body for burial.

 

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