© Eric M Schumacher – Preached May 23, 2010 at Northbrook Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
The film, Taking Chance¸ tells the story of Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, who volunteers to escort the body of a Marine, PFC Chance Phelps back to his hometown, following his death in the Iraq War. In it, viewers get to see the precise care taken by the Marine Corps in the transportation and burial of its fallen soldiers.
You see seamstresses hard at work, meticulously repairing his uniform in preparation for burial. You see the escort never once leaving the side of the casket. In one scene, Strobl asks the funeral-home director to open the casket, so that he can check over the uniform and body one last time before the funeral begins. When the funeral director informs him that it will be a closed-casket funeral (implying that no one will ever see the body or the uniform, and therefore such steps are unnecessary), Strobl insists, and proceeds with straightening and adjusting the uniform so that all is proper.
The question on the mind of many soldiers, I am sure, and, especially, of the parents and spouses and children of fallen soldiers is—does anyone care? Does this person matter to anyone?
Next weekend, on Memorial Day, in every cemetery around the state, the graves of fallen soldiers will be decorated with ribbons, flags and flowers. Ceremonies will be held and honors bestowed.
That film and Memorial Day highlights the fact that the treatment of a body after death reflects the honor due to that person.
The Question
One of the questions that we are faced with—as were John’s original readers—is this: How are we to think of Jesus? Should we honor him, or of forget him?
As we’ve seen the past several weeks, crucifixion was horrific, shameful and brutal. It would be tempting, especially for a Jew, to conclude that a man who is executed in such a fashion must definitely have been under the wrath of God. He must have been a particularly unrighteous man. And therefore, he is not to be followed, not to be thought of as the King, and certainly not to be worshiped!
But that is John’s purpose—that we might believe that Jesus is the Messiah!
And so, an even more important question is this—what does God think of Jesus? Is this crucified man despised by God, or honored by God?
That question will be answered in the way that Jesus’ body is treated between his death and resurrection.
After Death
Normal Roman practice was to leave the condemned man hanging on the cross until he was dead, which could take days. Once dead, their rotten bodies were often left hanging to be devoured by vultures.
Sometimes, especially during feasts, their bodies were taken down and given to their relatives for burial. But those condemned for opposition to the government were usually left to the birds. They, along with those that had no one to bury them were often thrown into Gehenna, the infamous Jerusalem garbage dump, where the fires burned day and night.
Pure Hypocrites
John tells us again that it was “the day of Preparation,” which was a way of referring to the day before the Sabbath. And this was not any ordinary Sabbath, but “that Sabbath was a high day,” probably indicating that it was the Sabbath of the Passover week.
The Jews, therefore, did not want the bodies to remain on the cross on this high day. Furthermore, as found in Deuteronomy 21:22-23, prohibited leaving a dead body hanging overnight:
And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.
So, the Jews are showing great concern that the land not be defiled, especially on a Sabbath, especially during this holy festival.
The irony, of course, as with the Jews remaining outside Pilate’s quarters so as not to be defiled, is that they are “pure” hypocrites—showing great concern to not defile the land the Lord gave to them, totally unconcern about the defilement they have brought upon themselves by crucifying the King the Lord gave to them.
Crurifragium
The irony, of course, as with the Jews remaining outside Pilate’s quarters so as not to be defiled, is that they are “pure” hypocrites—showing great concern to not defile the land the Lord gave to them, totally unconcern about the defilement they have brought upon themselves by crucifying the King the Lord gave to them.
Crurifragium
And so, “the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.”
When it was desirable for a crucified man to die more quickly, soldiers would sometimes be instructed to break their legs, which was done with a large iron mallet.
This of course, further mutilated the body. But, the effect primarily intended was to quicken their death. Without the use of their legs, the victim would have to use his arms to raise his body enough to breath. The shock of the blow of the mallet, combined with additional blood loss, would quickly weaken the victim of any remaining strength, and he would soon die of asphyxiation.
Pilate granted the request of the Jews, “so the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs,” a fact that John will unpack in a few verses.
Blood and Water
“But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear.” We’re not told what motivated the soldier, whether a thoughtless action or to verify that Jesus was really dead, but he pierced Jesus.
(We’ll look at the theological significance of that body piercing next week.) For now, we’ll focus on what John tells us what happened, “at once there came out blood and water.”
Medical experts disagree about what was pierced, and why the sudden outflow of blood and water. Some argue that Jesus’ heart was pierced, leading to blood loss. And this mixed with clear fluid from the pericardial sac. But others counter that such fluid could not so easily escape from such a wound.
Other experiments, on cadavers only 4-6 hours old, have shown when the chest is severely wounded, as Jesus’ would have been, hemorrhagic fluid will gather between the lining of the rib cage and the lining of the lung, up to two liters. This fluid separates, with a deep red layer at the bottom, and a clear serum on top. If his chest were pierce near the bottom, then the red fluid would have flowed out first, follow by the clear serum—thus, John’s “blood and water.”
If medical experts disagree about what was pierced, theologians disagree even more about what it means! So, what is the significance of the “blood and water?”
Some have tried to argue for a sacramental understanding, that the water represents baptism and the blood represents the Lord’s Supper, which is quite unlikely.
Others have argued that the “blood and water” are symbolic for the life and cleansing that are available only through Jesus’ death.
The strongest and most immediate purpose for which John records this outflow of blood and water is to emphasize that Jesus really died, and died as a real man. John wants to remove all doubt as to whether Jesus had a physical body and really, physically died.
There were those in John’s day that argued that created matter was evil, and God would certainly not take on human flesh. Rather, they argue that Jesus only “seemed” or “appeared” human. His body—and his crucifixion—were merely an illusion.
But, as John made clear in chapter 1, “the Word was God” and “the Word became flesh.” These two are ideas—that Jesus is fully God and fully man—are truths that heretics in church history have had trouble keeping together. But, if we deny either of these—that Jesus is fully God or that Jesus is fully man—we deny the biblical Messiah, we deny the Gospel.
And this is why John swears such a passionate oath to stress his truthfulness.
This is True.
John is an eye-witness, writing as one who witnessed first-hand the life, ministry, arrest, trial, crucifixion, the unbroken bones and the blood and the water. He is not making these things up. He stood by the cross and saw it. And so, he puts himself in the position of a witness in a court room, swearing emphatically that what he is saying is true.
First, he writes, “He who saw it has borne witness.” John’s use of “he” is his typical manner of referring to himself in the third person. Second, John writes, “his testimony is true.” And again, John states, “and he knows that he is telling the truth.” John is pleading with us to accept his testimony because he knows it to be the true truth.
We should note here that Christianity is true. And by that, we do not mean “true” in the post-modern “true-for-me but not-necessarily-true-for-you” sense. This is what Francis Schaeffer called “true truth.” This is history. It is factual.
The Christian faith is not a mindless jump, separated from the facts. The Christian faith rests on the eye-witness testimony of disciples who were chosen by Jesus and commissioned for the purpose of bearing witness. Jesus told them in John 15:27, “you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.” And that is what the disciples did.
That You Also May Believe
John is bearing witness for a purpose—and that purpose is the faith of his readers. “He who saw it has borne witness—that you also may believe.”
But, why is it so crucial that we “believe” what John bears testimony too? After all, we can watch The History Channel, read a biography, or visit a museum and (typically) learn about what happened in the past.
Why is believing this—that Jesus really died, with his legs not broken and his side pierced—so important? John tells us in verse 36.
Scripture is Fulfilled
Verse 36 begins with the word “for” (or, because). This is the reason John wants us to believe his report: The treatment of Jesus’ body after his death is a fulfillment of Scripture.
John wants us to believe these things—not so that we have an accurate accumulation of mere facts, and can pass our first-century Palestinian history class with flying colors. John wants us to understand these facts for two reasons.
First, they reassure us that this really was God’s plan all along. And so, John writes, “These things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” These events fulfill things that were written hundreds and hundreds of years previous.
God is sovereign. And God is sovereign over details that seem to be otherwise mundane and insignificant. He is sovereign over what men do—like piercing his side. He is sovereign over what men refrain from doing—like breaking legs.
Second, John wants us to understand that these facts point us to the truth about who Jesus is. When the Gospel writers write that Scripture is “fulfilled,” they mean something much more than that someone predicted something a long time ago and now it has come to pass. Rather, they often tell us how what was written of back then pictured and symbolized something greater and truer and final that would come in the future.
So, let’s ask then—what does the treatment of Jesus’ body after his death tell us about the King?
Not One of His Bones
John wants us to believe these things—not so that we have an accurate accumulation of mere facts, and can pass our first-century Palestinian history class with flying colors. John wants us to understand these facts for two reasons.
First, they reassure us that this really was God’s plan all along. And so, John writes, “These things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” These events fulfill things that were written hundreds and hundreds of years previous.
God is sovereign. And God is sovereign over details that seem to be otherwise mundane and insignificant. He is sovereign over what men do—like piercing his side. He is sovereign over what men refrain from doing—like breaking legs.
Second, John wants us to understand that these facts point us to the truth about who Jesus is. When the Gospel writers write that Scripture is “fulfilled,” they mean something much more than that someone predicted something a long time ago and now it has come to pass. Rather, they often tell us how what was written of back then pictured and symbolized something greater and truer and final that would come in the future.
So, let’s ask then—what does the treatment of Jesus’ body after his death tell us about the King?
Not One of His Bones
The first Scripture that John points to as fulfilled is: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” The first question that we must answer is—where is this written? There are two commonly given answers.
1) The first option is that John is thinking of the instructions about the Passover lamb. The Passover event, which is being celebrated at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, commemorated the defining saving event of the nation of Israel. It remembered when they had been enslaved in Egypt for hundreds of years and cried out to the Lord to set them free. The blood of the Passover lamb, painted over their doorways, marked them as God’s people. And, so as he killed the firstborn in every household in the land, he “passed over” them.
They were to eat the lamb they killed that evening. And in giving the instructions for the meal, the Lord said in Exodus 12:46, “you shall not break any of its bones.” And the same instruction was to be followed when they observed this meal as a memorial every year (Numbers 9:12).
John’s point would then be that Jesus is the True Passover Lamb. He has been slaughtered for us. And by being covered in his blood, through faith, we are saved from the wrath of God and delivered over into eternal life.
2) The second option is that John is thinking of Psalm 34:20—“He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” It is a Psalm written by King David. The title of the Psalm tells us that it is about:
1) The first option is that John is thinking of the instructions about the Passover lamb. The Passover event, which is being celebrated at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, commemorated the defining saving event of the nation of Israel. It remembered when they had been enslaved in Egypt for hundreds of years and cried out to the Lord to set them free. The blood of the Passover lamb, painted over their doorways, marked them as God’s people. And, so as he killed the firstborn in every household in the land, he “passed over” them.
They were to eat the lamb they killed that evening. And in giving the instructions for the meal, the Lord said in Exodus 12:46, “you shall not break any of its bones.” And the same instruction was to be followed when they observed this meal as a memorial every year (Numbers 9:12).
John’s point would then be that Jesus is the True Passover Lamb. He has been slaughtered for us. And by being covered in his blood, through faith, we are saved from the wrath of God and delivered over into eternal life.
2) The second option is that John is thinking of Psalm 34:20—“He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” It is a Psalm written by King David. The title of the Psalm tells us that it is about:
WHEN HE CHANGED HIS BEHAVIOR BEFORE ABIMILECH, SO THAT HE DROVE HIM OUT, AND HE WENT AWAY.
This took place when David was on the run from Saul, who was trying to kill him. David fled to Achish the king of Gath (a.k.a. Abimilech).
The servants of Achish told the king that this was David, who was famous for having killed ten-times the men that King Saul had killed. Of course, this would make Achish nervous about having David around, for fear of being overthrown himself.
When David found out that Achish knew who he was, we read that (1 Samuel 21:13-15):
The servants of Achish told the king that this was David, who was famous for having killed ten-times the men that King Saul had killed. Of course, this would make Achish nervous about having David around, for fear of being overthrown himself.
When David found out that Achish knew who he was, we read that (1 Samuel 21:13-15):
[David] changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”
So, thinking him to be a madman, King Achish sent David away safely, without doing him any harm.
Reflecting on this, David writes Psalm 34. In the first portion of the Psalm, David speaks of how he trusted in the Lord and the Lord delivered him:
Psalm 34:5-7 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
And his application is that we should trust the Lord, take refuge in him, fear him and be righteous:
Psalm 34:9-14 Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
And the reason they should do this is because the Lord promises to deliver the righteous from all their afflictions:
Psalm 34:15-22 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
The Lord sees the righteous, hears their cry, and delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who are brokenhearted and saved those who are crushed in spirit. The Lord delivers the righteous out of all his many afflictions. The Lord will destroy the wicked. But, he will redeem the life of his servants. And they, taking refuge in him, will not be condemned.
In other words—the Lord promises to deliver and preserve and save his servant, who is afflicted but also righteous and trusting in the Lord.
And what is the physical expression that David speaks of as characterizing the Lord’s preservation of his righteous servant? Verse 20: “He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” He preserves his body. He will not let his holy one see corruption.
John is then showing us that Jesus is in fulfillment what David was in symbol.
David was “righteous”—in the sense that he did nothing to warrant the wrath of King Achish. And, David trusted the Lord—in the sense of the Lord delivering him from Achish. And, the Lord preserved him—in the sense of him escaping from Achish absolutely untouched.
But, we need not look too far into the life of David to find out that he was not righteous in an ultimate sense, and he did not trust in the Lord perfectly. The episode with Bathsheba shows as much—when David rapes and commits adultery with this young woman, and then attempts to cover his sin (lie) and finally murders her husband.
But, Jesus is the righteous one. Jesus has tasted and seen the Lord is good; his food is to do his Father’s will. Jesus is righteous; he can be convicted of no wrong-doing. Jesus trusts in the Lord and cries out to him—he trust that the Lord will exalt him, even through this great suffering.
So if John is thinking of this, we see that Jesus is the truly righteous King, the truly righteous servant whom God honors and delivers.
So which is it? Is Jesus seen here as the Passover Lamb? Or, is he the righteous but afflicted Servant of the Lord who will be delivered?
I don’t think that we have to decide, for in the storyline of the Bible, one of the amazing things we see is that everything God has promised finds its fulfillment in Jesus. The righteous Servant, the perfect King, and the saving sacrifice—are one and the same. It is our King who serves the Lord in perfect hope, who suffers though he is righteous and who looks to the Lord—and is preserved and rescued from all his trouble.
But, I suspect that Psalm 34 is in John’s mind. Primarily because this passage illustrates how the Lord is preserving and keeping his righteous servant in the midst of undeserved affliction.
The Lord Delivers Him
In other words—the Lord promises to deliver and preserve and save his servant, who is afflicted but also righteous and trusting in the Lord.
And what is the physical expression that David speaks of as characterizing the Lord’s preservation of his righteous servant? Verse 20: “He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” He preserves his body. He will not let his holy one see corruption.
John is then showing us that Jesus is in fulfillment what David was in symbol.
David was “righteous”—in the sense that he did nothing to warrant the wrath of King Achish. And, David trusted the Lord—in the sense of the Lord delivering him from Achish. And, the Lord preserved him—in the sense of him escaping from Achish absolutely untouched.
But, we need not look too far into the life of David to find out that he was not righteous in an ultimate sense, and he did not trust in the Lord perfectly. The episode with Bathsheba shows as much—when David rapes and commits adultery with this young woman, and then attempts to cover his sin (lie) and finally murders her husband.
But, Jesus is the righteous one. Jesus has tasted and seen the Lord is good; his food is to do his Father’s will. Jesus is righteous; he can be convicted of no wrong-doing. Jesus trusts in the Lord and cries out to him—he trust that the Lord will exalt him, even through this great suffering.
So if John is thinking of this, we see that Jesus is the truly righteous King, the truly righteous servant whom God honors and delivers.
So which is it? Is Jesus seen here as the Passover Lamb? Or, is he the righteous but afflicted Servant of the Lord who will be delivered?
I don’t think that we have to decide, for in the storyline of the Bible, one of the amazing things we see is that everything God has promised finds its fulfillment in Jesus. The righteous Servant, the perfect King, and the saving sacrifice—are one and the same. It is our King who serves the Lord in perfect hope, who suffers though he is righteous and who looks to the Lord—and is preserved and rescued from all his trouble.
But, I suspect that Psalm 34 is in John’s mind. Primarily because this passage illustrates how the Lord is preserving and keeping his righteous servant in the midst of undeserved affliction.
The Lord Delivers Him
John wants us to see, in this passage, the honor that the Father gives to his Son. In other words, he hopes that we will see that the Son is not the object of the Father’s displeasure. The cross is not evidence that this man was displeasing to the Lord and forsaken by him. Rather, this one who died under a curse, was actually an object of the Lord’s affection. The Lord was well-pleased with him.
Do you remember how Jesus said that the hour his death was his glorification? When does the Lord, the Father, begin to show Jesus honor and exaltation and care?
Often, I think we’re tempted to say “in the resurrection.” It is in the resurrection that God shows his pleasure in the Son. That is true, but that is not when we first see it.
John shows us that Jesus is the righteous object of the Father’s special care, whom he delivers and honors. It is notable that nothing dishonoring happens to Jesus after he dies. John shows us this throughout this passage.
First, the Father will allow no further mutilation of his body. “Not one of his bones will be broken.” When he said, “It is finished,” it was finished. He suffered under the Father’s wrath no more. The Father was done pouring out his wrath; it was satisfied.
The humiliation of the Son lasted not one moment longer than was necessary. And now, at the very moment of his death, the Father begins to honor his Son.
Second, Jesus is given a king’s burial. In verses 38-42, Joseph of Arimathea, whom we will learn more about next week, secured permission from Pilate to take away the body of Jesus. He is assisted by Nicodemus, whom we met in chapter 3.
Nicodemus brings with him, probably carried by his servants, a mixture of myrrh and aloes. This fragrant mixture was used to line the linen cloths when the body was wrapped for burial, in order to stifle the stench of purification.
We’re told that this mixture weighed about seventy-five pounds. At King Herod’s death, 100 servants carried spices. At the death of Gamaliel the Elder, they used 80 pounds of spices in burying him. This large amount of burial spices was a way showing Jesus honor.
And third, Jesus is given a rich man’s grave. Since the Sabbath was rapidly approaching, they had to work quickly. We’re told that there was a tomb “close at hand” and so, they laid Jesus there. We might assume that the tomb belonged to one of these two men, given their ability to bury Jesus in it, a fact that is confirmed in another Gospel—it belongs to Joseph of Arimathea, it was his tomb. And, it was new, it had never been used.
These tombs were expensive, cut out of rock. Furthermore, it was in a “garden,” which was probably a private enclosure around the tomb. All of this points to the wealth of the owner of the tomb.
And so, we see that Jesus “was with a rich man in his death,” as the Prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 53:9. What is the significance of that?
Listen with me to Isaiah 53:8-9, as translated in the NAS (which is probably the right way to translate this passage):
Do you remember how Jesus said that the hour his death was his glorification? When does the Lord, the Father, begin to show Jesus honor and exaltation and care?
Often, I think we’re tempted to say “in the resurrection.” It is in the resurrection that God shows his pleasure in the Son. That is true, but that is not when we first see it.
John shows us that Jesus is the righteous object of the Father’s special care, whom he delivers and honors. It is notable that nothing dishonoring happens to Jesus after he dies. John shows us this throughout this passage.
First, the Father will allow no further mutilation of his body. “Not one of his bones will be broken.” When he said, “It is finished,” it was finished. He suffered under the Father’s wrath no more. The Father was done pouring out his wrath; it was satisfied.
The humiliation of the Son lasted not one moment longer than was necessary. And now, at the very moment of his death, the Father begins to honor his Son.
Second, Jesus is given a king’s burial. In verses 38-42, Joseph of Arimathea, whom we will learn more about next week, secured permission from Pilate to take away the body of Jesus. He is assisted by Nicodemus, whom we met in chapter 3.
Nicodemus brings with him, probably carried by his servants, a mixture of myrrh and aloes. This fragrant mixture was used to line the linen cloths when the body was wrapped for burial, in order to stifle the stench of purification.
We’re told that this mixture weighed about seventy-five pounds. At King Herod’s death, 100 servants carried spices. At the death of Gamaliel the Elder, they used 80 pounds of spices in burying him. This large amount of burial spices was a way showing Jesus honor.
And third, Jesus is given a rich man’s grave. Since the Sabbath was rapidly approaching, they had to work quickly. We’re told that there was a tomb “close at hand” and so, they laid Jesus there. We might assume that the tomb belonged to one of these two men, given their ability to bury Jesus in it, a fact that is confirmed in another Gospel—it belongs to Joseph of Arimathea, it was his tomb. And, it was new, it had never been used.
These tombs were expensive, cut out of rock. Furthermore, it was in a “garden,” which was probably a private enclosure around the tomb. All of this points to the wealth of the owner of the tomb.
And so, we see that Jesus “was with a rich man in his death,” as the Prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 53:9. What is the significance of that?
Listen with me to Isaiah 53:8-9, as translated in the NAS (which is probably the right way to translate this passage):
By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
Did you notice the change there? “His grave was assigned with wicked men.” In other words he was sentenced to be buried with criminals.
And then, there is a transition, signaled by the word, “Yet.” “Yet”—instead of being buried with wicked men in a mass grave—“He was with a rich man in His death.”
And why did the Suffering Servant receive this honorable burial?” Isaiah gives us the reason with the word “because.” “Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.”
The Father showed the innocence of the Servant in his burial. The Lord honored this innocent sufferer by giving him a rich man’s grave.
Again – all of this is proof that Jesus is the King, the Messiah, the Son of God, with whom the Father is well-pleased.
John’s readers should not conclude that Jesus was crucified because he was wicked. Rather, they should see in the post-death treatment of him that he is righteous. The Father has prevented his bones from being broken and given him an honorable burial. And therefore, he will deliver him from all his afflictions—something we will see in the resurrection.
Three Applicatory Thoughts
1) You should marvel at the love the Father has for the Son—and you should join the Father in giving such honor to Jesus. How quick the Father is to honor Jesus. He was humbled, in order to be honored:
And then, there is a transition, signaled by the word, “Yet.” “Yet”—instead of being buried with wicked men in a mass grave—“He was with a rich man in His death.”
And why did the Suffering Servant receive this honorable burial?” Isaiah gives us the reason with the word “because.” “Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.”
The Father showed the innocence of the Servant in his burial. The Lord honored this innocent sufferer by giving him a rich man’s grave.
Again – all of this is proof that Jesus is the King, the Messiah, the Son of God, with whom the Father is well-pleased.
John’s readers should not conclude that Jesus was crucified because he was wicked. Rather, they should see in the post-death treatment of him that he is righteous. The Father has prevented his bones from being broken and given him an honorable burial. And therefore, he will deliver him from all his afflictions—something we will see in the resurrection.
Three Applicatory Thoughts
1) You should marvel at the love the Father has for the Son—and you should join the Father in giving such honor to Jesus. How quick the Father is to honor Jesus. He was humbled, in order to be honored:
Philippians 2:8-11 …being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
We should join Joseph and Nicodemus in honoring him as King of Kings!
2) We should remember why Jesus died. Of course, this all prompts the question then of why the Son had to die. If the Son is so pleasing to the Father, then why the crucifixion?
Answer: Because we are not pleasing to the Father. The Son pleased the Father by not only living a sinless life, but by willingly becoming the object of his wrath, suffering and dying in the place of us, who repent and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
3) We should be confident that the Father will show the same care to us. I don’t mean by that that we will be given royal burial and none of our bones will be broken. And, I certainly don’t mean that we will be spared from all affliction. (David wasn’t. Jesus wasn’t. And the disciples weren’t.)
Rather, because we are united with Jesus in his death and his resurrection through faith, we can be confident that the Father will deliver us from every affliction—first, through the forgiveness of our sins; second, through regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, so that we might be made new; third, by receiving us into his presence at the moment of death; and ultimately, through the resurrection from the dead on the last day.
Remember that Jesus told his disciples:
2) We should remember why Jesus died. Of course, this all prompts the question then of why the Son had to die. If the Son is so pleasing to the Father, then why the crucifixion?
Answer: Because we are not pleasing to the Father. The Son pleased the Father by not only living a sinless life, but by willingly becoming the object of his wrath, suffering and dying in the place of us, who repent and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
3) We should be confident that the Father will show the same care to us. I don’t mean by that that we will be given royal burial and none of our bones will be broken. And, I certainly don’t mean that we will be spared from all affliction. (David wasn’t. Jesus wasn’t. And the disciples weren’t.)
Rather, because we are united with Jesus in his death and his resurrection through faith, we can be confident that the Father will deliver us from every affliction—first, through the forgiveness of our sins; second, through regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, so that we might be made new; third, by receiving us into his presence at the moment of death; and ultimately, through the resurrection from the dead on the last day.
Remember that Jesus told his disciples:
John 12:26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
John 16:26-27 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.
Those who follow Jesus will be with Jesus, where he is—which much mean that death is not the end. Those who serve Jesus will be honored by the Father—just as the Father showed care for Jesus. Those who love Jesus and believe in him are loved personally by the Father.
And so, we should live (and die) with confidence, knowing that Jesus’ blood has washed us clean, his death has satisfied the Father on our behalf, he has won the Father’s pleasure toward us—and therefore we will be with Jesus forever, in life, in death and in resurrection.
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