Sunday, February 28, 2021
John 19:28-42
“Tetelestai!”
Service Orientation: It is finished! The price for sin has been paid in full and we can now live free as God intended.
Memory Verse for the Week: “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:1-2 (NIV)
Background Information:
- The execution squad was well acquainted with the signs of death. Consequently, not fracturing Jesus’ legs shows that the squad considered him to be already dead. Jesus’ swift death marks either the climax of inner tension, the fatal results of the scourging, or, as the text seems to indicate, a voluntary ending of his life because his work was ended. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 184)
- v.29 The act recorded here must be carefully distinguished from that mentioned in Matthew 27:34, being the same as that found in Matthew 27:48. The first drink of vinegar and gall, commonly given to criminals to deaden their pains, the Lord refused; the drink of vinegar or sour wine, He here accepted—in obedience to His Father’s will. The ones who tendered the sponge were, most probably, the Roman soldiers, who carried out the details of the crucifixion. Little did they think that they were executing the counsels of God! In view of the context in Matthew 27 we believe that these Romans had been deeply impressed by the Savior’s words from the cross, and especially by that mysterious darkness for three hours, and that they now acted either out of compassion or reverence. (Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 890)
- Pilate, of course, hadn’t had the men crucified in order to let them go half dead. Crucified people often remained alive, or half alive, for some days; Jesus was unusual in that, after his long ordeal, he had died within a few hours. The way crucifixion killed people was a form of torture. Suspended by the arms, you wouldn’t be able to breathe; so you would push yourself up with your legs in order to take a breath. People would go on doing this until they ran out of strength, and then they would suffocate. So the quick, and typically brutal, way to finish it off (my history teacher used to say that if there was a nasty way of doing something, the Romans probably did it that way) was to break the legs. Suffocation would then follow quickly. (Wright, John, Part 2, 134)
- No Roman soldier would let a condemned criminal escape death. His own life would be forfeit if he did. So, just to be sure, he stuck his spear hard up into Jesus’ ribs; either it would kill him, or it would prove he was already dead. (N.T. Wright, John for Everyone: Part 2, 134)
- Joseph and Nicodemus brought what they could, too, outside those same walls. A hundred pounds of spices (in our weight-system, about eighty pounds): a hundred times the amount that Mary had poured over Jesus in Bethany (12.3), and that had caused people to grumble at the extravagance. It was the kind of quantity (and quality, for that matter) that you might use for a king. That was probably the point. Joseph and Nicodemus agreed with Pilate’s notice, though for very different reasons. If Israel ever had a king, surely this was the man. (N.T. Wright, John for Everyone: Part 2, 137)
The question to be answered is…
What is it that needed to be finished?
Answer…
The mission of redeeming all who would turn, in trust, to Jesus.
The word of the day is… tetelestai
What is implied when Jesus makes this final declaration?
- That which was foretold and foreshadowed was fulfilled.
(Ex 12:46, Num 9:12; Dt 21:23; Ps 22:15; 34:20; 42:1-2; 69:21; Zech 12:10; 1 Cor 15:3-4; Heb. 10:1)
Three different predictions are specially mentioned, in Exodus, Psalms, and Zechariah, which received their accomplishment at the cross. Others, as every well-informed Bible reader knows, might easily be added. All combine to prove one and the same thing. They prove that the death of our Lord Jesus Christ at Golgotha was a thing foreseen and predetermined by God. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 192)
In a most striking way the piercing of the Savior’s side demonstrated the sovereignty of God—His absolute control over all His creatures and their every act. The soldier had received instructions to break the legs of Christ, but this he did not: had he done so, Scripture had been broken!The soldier had not received orders to pierce the Savior’s side, yet this he did: had he not, prophecy had failed of its accomplishment! (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 895)
- That which was owed, was paid.
(Is. 52:3; 53:4-6; Mat 5:48; 6:12; Rom 5:8,12; 6:23; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 9:22; 1 John 3:4)
I’m not saying God doesn’t care about sin; I’m saying that sin, once repented of, isn’t on God’s mind anymore and He wants to get on with loving us. (Noel Jesse Heikkinen, Wretched Saints, 83-84)
There is no evil that the father’s love cannot pardon and cover, there is no sin that is a match for his grace. (Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God, 28)
- The former modes and means of cover was now over.
(Luke 24:44; Romans 3:25; Gal. 3:10-14, 19, 23-25; Hebrews 7:27; 10:1, 12)
Tetelestai, means “it is accomplished,” “it is fulfilled,” or even, “it is paid in full.” Jesus’ death accomplished redemption—”paid in full”; and his death fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies. It was time for Jesus to die (see 4:34; 17:4). Up to this point, sin could be atoned through a complicated system of sacrifices. Sin separates people from God, and only through the sacrifice of an animal, a substitute, and faith in God’s promise could people be forgiven and become clean before God. But people sin continually, so frequent sacrifices were required. Jesus, however, was the final and ultimate sacrifice for sin. With his death, the complex sacrificial system ended because Jesus took all sin upon himself. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: John, 378)
Conclusion…What hope is there in Christ’s declaration for his disciples or followers?
A. There’s hope knowing you’ve been acquitted.
(Ps 32:1; John 3:16-17; Acts 3:19; Rom 4:7; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14; Heb 8:12; 10:18; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 1:9)
We rest our souls on a “finished work,” if we rest them on the work of Jesus Christ the Lord. We need not fear that either sin, or Satan, or law shall condemn us at the last day. We may lean back on the thought, that we have a Savior who has done all, paid all, accomplished all, performed all that is necessary for our salvation. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 192)
When Christ died in the darkness for us men He made it possible for God to remit the penalty of the broken law, re-establish repentant sinners in His favor exactly as if they had never sinned and do the whole thing without relaxing the severity of the law or compromising the high demands of justice. (A. W. Tozer, The Radical Cross, 82)
B. There’s hope in realizing your Acquitter has adopted you.
(John 1:12; Rom. 8:15, 29; Gal. 3:7, 26-29; 4:5-7; Eph.1:5; 2:19; 3:6; Heb.2:13; 1 John 3:1)
If I am adopted, I have become a child; God is no longer my judge, but my Father. (D.L. Moody, Eighth Chapter of Romans sermon, late 19th century)
Nor does [God’s] grace stop short with that initial act, any more than the love of human parents who adopt stops short with the completing of the legal process that makes the child theirs. The establishing of the child’s status as a member of the family is only a beginning. The real task remains: to establish a genuinely filial relationship between your adopted child and yourself. It is this, above all, that you want to see. Accordingly, you set yourself to win the child’s love by loving. You seek to excite affection by showing affection. So with God. And throughout our life in this world, and to all eternity beyond, he will constantly be showing us, in one way or another, more and more of his love, and thereby increasing our love to him continually. The prospect before the adopted children of God is an eternity of love. (J.I. Packer, Knowing God, 199)
C. There’s hope knowing God now wants to live in and through you.
(John 14:7; Acts 5:32; Rom 5:2, 5; 8:9; 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19-20; 2 Cor 5:17; Eph 1:13-14; 2:22 ; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 3:24)
As a Christian, what you are called to do always flows from what Jesus has already done. (Noel Jesse Heikkinen, Wretched Saints, 65)
What makes you faithful or generous is not just a redoubled effort to follow moral rules. Rather, all change comes from deepening your understanding of the salvation of Christ and living out of the changes that understanding creates in your heart. (Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God, 133)
When we hear His call and respond appropriately, there will be no limit to what God can and will do through His people. But if we do not even recognize when He is speaking, we are in trouble at the very heart of our relationship to Him. (Henry Blackaby, What the Spirit Is Saying to the Churches, 17)
Gospel Application…
Jesus paid the penalty for sin and satisfied the debt owed for all who turn, in faith, to him. If you are in Christ, tetelestai! (Psalm 130:4; Proverbs 28:13; Hebrews 9:12; 1 John 1:8-10)
The concepts of “repent” and “believe” are necessarily linked. You need to repent (change your mind, turn around) to believe something new—the good news of Jesus. (Noel Jesse Heikkinen, Wretched Saints, 75)
We all start out dead. But life can come, through belief in Jesus. And this is not just a belief that He existed or still exists (because even the demons know that, James 2:19), but it is placing your faith in His work on the cross, where He was lifted up in the middle of the camp to save us. This is what it means to be “born again.” (Noel Jesse Heikkinen, Wretched Saints, 158)
He only is safe for eternity who is sheltered behind the finished work of Christ. (D.L. Moody, “There Is No Difference” sermon, 1880)
If you rest on the finished work of Jesus you have already the best evidence of your salvation in the world; you have God’s word for it; what more is needed? (Charles Spurgeon, “The Raven’s Cry” sermon, 1866)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- Why do you think Joseph and Nicodemus came for Jesus’ body? Why didn’t Jesus’ disciples come? Where do you think they were? Why do you think Joseph and Nicodemus are just now going public with their faith?
- What feelings do you have when you think about what Christ went through on that cross? Do you feel grateful? Upset? Sad? Angry? Guilty? Relieved? Do you feel like he did it for you? Why or why not?
- How does John describe the tomb where Jesus had been laid? Does anything about the tomb or burial strike you as significant?
- Do you trust Jesus? Are you trusting in Jesus? Do you have faith in what He did for you when He died on the cross? Do you believe that He died a vicarious, substitutionary, redemptive death for you?
Quotes to note…
The word tetelestai is unfamiliar to us, but it was used by various people in everyday life in those days. A servant would use it when reporting to his or her master, “I have completed the work assigned to me” (see John 17:4). When a priest examined an animal sacrifice and found it faultless, this word would apply. Jesus, of course, is the perfect Lamb of God, without spot or blemish. When an artist completed a picture, or a writer a manuscript, he or she might say, “It is finished!” The death of Jesus on the cross “completes the picture” that God had been painting, the story that He had been writing, for centuries. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 307)
Because he paid for our sins, we must come to him empty-handed. To come to Christ with some of our own work or goodness in hand is to commit the infinite insult. We must come like the thief who hung beside him on the cross. Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to the cross I cling. (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 410)
The death of Jesus made a dramatic change in the lives of four people. The criminal, dying on the cross beside Jesus, asked Jesus to include him in his kingdom (Luke 23:39-43). The Roman centurion proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God Mark 15:39). Joseph and Nicodemus, members of the Jewish council and secret followers of Jesus (John 7:50-51 came out of hiding. Each of these men were changed more by Jesus’ death than by his life. As a result of realizing who Jesus was, they believed and put their faith into words and actions. When confronted with Jesus and his death we should also be changed—to believe, proclaim, and act. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: John, 382)
It is remarkable that the Roman soldiers did not do what they were commanded to do—break the victims’ legs—but they did do what they were not supposed to do—pierce the Savior’s side! In both matters, they fulfilled the very Word of God! The bones of the Passover lamb were not to be broken (Ex. 12:46; Num. 9:12; and note Ps. 34:20), so our Lord’s bones were protected by the Lord. His side was to be pierced (Zech. 12:10; Rev. 1:7), so that was done by one of the soldiers. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 308)
He that says conversion is a needless thing, and that an unconverted man may be saved, is undoubtedly under a strange delusion. But he that says that no one is converted except he becomes a full-blown and established Christian in a single day, is no less under a delusion. Let us not judge others rashly and hastily. Let us believe that a man’s beginnings in religion may be very small, and yet his latter end may greatly increase. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 195)
Trained executioners as these Roman soldiers were, it is quite unthinkable that they would make any mistake in a matter like this. Pilate had given orders for the legs of the three to be broken, and they would not dare to disobey unless they were absolutely sure that Christ were “dead already.” (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 893)
He chose to surrender His life into the hands of His Father. The divine plan was not brought to completion according to the physiological limits of the human body, but according to the Son’s awareness that His mission had come to its end. (Joseph Dongell, John: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, 228)
The two men who handled the body of Jesus were both prominent men. Joseph of Arimathaea was a rich man, and Nicodemus was the ruler of the Jews who had come to Jesus by night. They were both secret disciples and now they come out in the open for the first time. Let’s not be too critical of these men. They had stayed in the background, but now that the Lord’s disciples have all scattered like sheep and gone under cover, these two men come out in the open. (J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible Commentary Series, John, 322)
When He gave Himself on the cross, Jesus fully met the righteous demands of a holy law; He paid our debt in full. None of the Old Testament sacrifices could take away sins; their blood only covered sin. But the Lamb of God shed His blood, and that blood can take away the sins of the world (John 1:29; Heb. 9:24–28). (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 307)
The use of the perfect tense in “It is finished” (tetelestai) signifies full completion of Jesus’ work and the establishment of a basis for faith. Nothing further needed to be done. Jesus’ act was voluntary and confident, for he had discharged perfectly the Father’s purpose and was leaving the scene of his human struggle. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 184)
The soldiers broke the legs of the living victims to hasten death. The only way a crucified man could obtain a full breath of air was to raise himself by means of his legs to ease the tension on his arms and chest muscles. If the legs were broken, he could not possibly do so; and death would follow shortly because of lack of oxygen. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 184)
38 Burial in the Middle East usually takes place within twenty-four hours after death. In this case, the body of Jesus would probably have been flung into a common pit with the bodies of the two other victims, had not his friends intervened. Jesus had no estate of his own from which to pay for his burial, and his relatives were either too poor or too afraid of the authorities to assume responsibility for it. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 184-185)
When you combine darkness, thirst, and isolation, you have—hell! There were physical reasons for His thirst (Ps. 22:15), but there were also spiritual reasons (Ps. 42:1–2). (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 306)
The drink of vinegar did not fully quench His thirst, but it did enable Him to utter that shout of triumph, in a loud voice, “It is finished!” In the Greek text, it is tetelestai, and it means, “It is finished, it stands finished, and it always will be finished!” (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 307)
Alexander Wooten, who was approached by a flippant young man who asked, “What must I do to be saved?” “It’s too late!” Wooten replied, and went about his work. The young man became alarmed. “Do you mean that it’s too late for me to be saved?” he asked. “Is there nothing I can do?” “Too late!” said Wooten. “It’s already been done! The only thing you can do is believe.” (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 307)
Jesus’ death was not an accident; it was a divine appointment. He was not murdered in the strictest sense: He willingly gave His life for us. His death was an atonement, not just an example. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 307)
By the time John wrote this book, there were false teachers in the church claiming that Jesus did not have a truly human body. There may also be a symbolic meaning: the blood speaks of our justification, the water of our sanctification and cleansing. The blood takes care of the guilt of sin; the water deals with the stain of sin. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 308)
Joseph was God’s “secret agent” in the Sanhedrin! From the human standpoint, Joseph kept “under cover” because he feared the Jews (John 7:13; 9:22; 12:42), but from the divine standpoint, he was being protected so he could be available to bury the body of Jesus. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament, 308)
The finishing of all the known and unknown sufferings which He came to endure, as our Substitute–the finishing of the ceremonial law, which He came to wind up and fulfill, as the true Sacrifice for sin–the finishing of the many prophecies, which He came to accomplish–the finishing of the great work of man’s redemption, which was now close at hand–all this, we need not doubt, our Lord had in view when He said, “It is finished.” (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 192)
Without a real death there could be no real sacrifice; that without a real death there could be no real resurrection; and that without a real death and real resurrection, the whole of Christianity is a house built on sand, and has no foundation at all. Little indeed did that reckless Roman soldier dream that he was a mighty helper of our holy religion, when he thrust his spear into our Lord’s side. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 193)
It will matter nothing at the last day, that we held during life the most exalted view of the sacraments, if we never came to Christ by faith, and never had personal dealings with Him. Faith in Christ is the one thing needful. “He that has the Son has life, and he that has not the Son of God has not life.” (1 John 5:12.)(J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 193)
Let us hope and believe that there are many Christians in every age, who, like Joseph, are the Lord’s hidden servants, unknown to the Church and the world, but well known to God. Even in Elijah’s time there were seven thousand in Israel who had never bowed the knee to Baal, although the desponding prophet knew nothing of it. Perhaps, at this very day, there are saints in the back streets of some of our great towns, or in the lanes of some of our country parishes, who make no noise in the world, and yet love Christ and are loved by Him. Ill-health, or poverty, or the daily cares of some laborious calling, render it impossible for them to come forward in public; and so they live and die comparatively unknown. Yet the last day may show an astonished world that some of these very people, like Joseph, honored Christ as much as any on earth, and that their names were written in heaven. After all, it is special circumstances that bring to the surface special Christians. It is not those who make the greatest show in the Church, who are always found the closest friends of Christ. (J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John Vol.2, 194)
Paul tells us, “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). At this moment he fulfilled Psalm 69:21: “And for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.” Even the unusual use of a branch of hyssop to extend the sponge to Christ’s lips suggests Scriptural parallels, because hyssop was the plant prescribed in Exodus 12:22 to be used in the application of the blood of the Passover lamb to the doorpost so the death angel would pass by.(R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 409)
“It is finished” was not a submissive cry but a shout of victory. In the Greek it was only one word, in the Greek perfect tense, meaning, “It is finished and always will be finished!”(R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 410)
No words can fully express the bitterness of the sorrows which he endured; and yet he does not desire to be freed from them, till the justice of God has been satisfied, and till he has made a perfect atonement. (John Calvin, John Vol2, 203)
That the Scripture might be fulfilled. From what is stated by the other Evangelists, (Matthew 27:48; Mark 15:23, 36; Luke 23:36,) it may readily be concluded that the passage referred to is Psalm 69:21, (John Calvin, John Vol2, 204)
If we give our assent to this word which Christ pronounced, we ought to be satisfied with his death alone for salvation, and we are not at liberty to apply for assistance in any other quarter; for he who was sent by the Heavenly Father to obtain for us a full acquittal, and to accomplish our redemption, knew well what belonged to his office, and did not fail in what he knew to be demanded of him.(John Calvin, John Vol2, 205)
- A bone of him shall not be broken. This citation is made from Exodus 12:46, and Numbers 9:12, where Moses treats of the paschal lamb.(John Calvin, John Vol2, 209)
John says nothing about the Savior’s agony in Gethsemane, but he and he only does mention the falling backward to the ground of those who came to arrest Him. John omits all details of what took place when our Lord appeared before Caiaphas, but he describes the trial before Annas. The fourth Gospel, and it alone, records our Lord’s words to Pilate about His kingdom (John 18:36), of His coming into this world to bear witness unto the truth (John 18:37), of his having no power to crucify Him except what God gave (John 19:11). John alone makes mention of His seamless robe (John 19:23), His legs not being broken (John 19:33), and the blood and water which came from His pierced side. John omits altogether the awful cry, “Why hast thou forsaken me?” and in its place gives His triumphant “It is finished.” John says nothing of His being numbered with the transgressors, but does tell us of Him being with the rich in His death. John alone mentions the costly spices which Nicodemus brought for the anointing of the Savior’s dead body. Clearer proofs of the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures we could not ask for. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 883)
. What a sight is this— the Maker of heaven and earth with parched lips! the Lord of glory in need of a drink!(Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 888)
When the eternal Word became incarnate, He did not cease to be God, nor did He lay aside any of His Divine attributes; but He did become flesh; being made in all things like unto His brethren. He “increased in wisdom and stature” (Luke 2:52); He “wearied” in body (John 4:6); He was “an hungered” (Matthew 4:2); He “slept” (Mark 4:38); He “marvelled” (Mark 6:6); He “wept” (John 11:35); He “prayed” (Mark 1:35); He “rejoiced” (Luke 10:21); He “groaned” (John 11:33); and here, He “thirsted.” God does not thirst; there is no hint (so far as we are aware) that the angels ever do; we shall not in the Glory (Rev. 7:16). But Christ did, as man, in the depths of His humiliation.(Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 888)
“It is finished”—a single word in the original. It was the briefest and yet the fullest of His seven cross-utterances. Eternity will be needed to make manifest all that it contains. All things had been done which the law of God required; all things established which prophecy predicted; all things brought to pass which the types foreshadowed; all things accomplishedwhich the Father had given Him to do; all things performed which were needed for our redemption. Nothing was left wanting. The costly ransom was given, the great conflict had been endured, sin’s wages had been paid, Divine justice satisfied.(Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 890)
“It is finished.” This was not the despairing cry of a helpless martyr. It was not an expression of satisfaction that the end of His sufferings was now reached. It was not the last gasp of a worn-out life. No, it was the declaration on the part of the Divine Redeemer that all for which He came from heaven to earth to do, was now done; that all which was needful to reveal the glorious character of God had now been accomplished; that everything necessary for the putting away of the sins of His people, providing for them a perfect standing before God, securing for them an eternal inheritance and fitting them for it, had all been done.(Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 890)
It is noteworthy that the penitent thief, even after his conversion, had more suffering to go through before he entered into Paradise. The grace of God and the pardon of sin did not deliver him from the agony of having his legs broken. When Christ undertakes to save our souls, He does not undertake to deliver from bodily pains and conflict with the last enemy.(Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 892)
“For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken” (John 19:36). The Holy Spirit here quotes Psalm 34:20: “He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.” (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 894)
Beautifully suggestive is the reference to the “garden.” It was in a “garden” that the first Adam sowed the seed which issued in death; so here, in a “garden” was sown the Seed which was to bear much fruit in immortal life.(Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 896)
This command I have received from my Father” (10:18). Here we see murder overtaken by loving self-sacrifice, and tragedy absorbed into the saving purposes of God. Having reached the bottom of the valley of suffering, Jesus reached His highest glory by obeying in fullest measure the Father’s will.(Joseph Dongell, John: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, 228)
The Gospel identifies both the preservation of Jesus’ legs and the piercing of His side as the fulfillment of Scripture. In this sense, fulfillment does not link the explicit prediction of an event to its enactment, but rather links an event to prior echoings and subtle foreshadowings of it. Such fulfillment implies that every detail of Jesus’ death corresponds in one way or another with patterns and paradigms observable in Scripture, and thereby assures us that the death of Jesus took place according to the plan of God.(Joseph Dongell, John: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, 228)
Hyssop was used to lift the wine to Jesus’ parched mouth, as hyssop was used by God’s people to sprinkle blood on the doors of their homes the night in which they were delivered from captivity (Exod. 12:22). Jesus is the Lamb of God whose blood is shed and the one door by which we must enter. “The Jewish Passover is fulfilled in the sacrifice of the true Paschal Lamb ” (Roger L. Fredrikson, The Communicator’s Commentary: John, 276)
It was the Roman custom to leave the bodies of the crucified victims on the cross as a warning to others. But according to Jewish law, a dead body was not to remain “overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you” (Deut. 21:22—23). This was particularly true the day before the Sabbath. And on this day of Preparation before the Passover Sabbath, which was a “high day “—here is an explanatory note for the Greeks again—the Jews are particularly eager that the legs of the men be broken and the bodies be removed. Pilate grants their request, and the soldiers break the legs of the other two who were “crucified with Him, ” who must have shown some signs of life.(Roger L. Fredrikson, The Communicator’s Commentary: John, 277)
Whether blood and water coming forth so shortly after death is miracle or natural occurrence, Jesus is really dead. (Roger L. Fredrikson, The Communicator’s Commentary: John, 277)
Jesus had said that no one takes his life from him but that he lays it down of his own accord (10:18), and his death is indeed described as a voluntary act: he bowed his head and gave up his spirit (v. 30). The order of Jesus’ actions is important (Chrysostom In John 85.3). John does not say that Jesus died and then his head slumped over, but rather that he bowed his head, an attitude of submission, and then gave over (paredöken) his spirit. “At his own free will, he with a word dismissed from him his spirit, anticipating the executioner’s work” (Tertullian Apology 21). The very form of his death continues to reveal him as the obedient Son, the key theme regarding his identity throughout his ministry. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 463)
Death by crucifixion could take a very long time, but the Romans did not mind this because it added to the deterrent value. But sometimes the Romans would smash the victim’s legs with a heavy hammer, which prevented the person from pushing up in order to breathe and thereby caused death from suffocation within minutes. The Jewish opponents ask Pilate to have the soldiers speed up the dying process in this way in order to get the bodies disposed of before the next day, which was a special Sabbath. In the law it says the body of a person put to death and hung on a tree must not be left on the tree overnight. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 464) (Deut 21:23)
V.34 Medical explanations of this flow of blood and water differ according to the depth of the wound. One theory is that the scourging produced “a bloody accumulation” in the chest, which separated into layers as he hung on the cross, with the heavier blood on the bottom. The wound from the spear entered below the level of separation, so the liquid came out first red and then more clear. The other main theory is that Jesus was stabbed in the heart, so the blood came from the heart while the water came from the pericardial sac around the heart. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 465)
Jesus used both blood and water as important symbols in his teaching, and this gives us guidance for their import here. Water has been associated with cleansing (1:26, 31, 33; 2:6; 13:5), the new birth (3:5) and the Spirit (7:38-39). The reference to living water in chapter 4 is probably a comprehensive image for the Spirit, revelation and salvation (see comment on 4:10). Blood has referred to Jesus’ sacrificial death, which brings life to the world (6:53-56). From these associations it would seem that in this flow of blood and water “John saw a symbol of the fact that from the Crucified there proceed those living streams by which men are quickened and the church lives” (Barrett 1978:557; cf. Dodd 1953:428; Schnackenburg 1982:294). (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 466)
The large amount of spice used (v. 39) obviously expresses their love for Jesus, as had the extravagance of Mary’s gesture earlier (12:3). Such excessive amounts of spice were a feature of at least some royal funerals (2 Chron 16: 14; Josephus Antiquities of the Jews 17.199). Further associations with royalty may be implied from the fact that Joseph’s tomb is a garden tomb (v. 41), since the kings of Judah were buried in garden tombs (2 Kings 21:18, 26), including King David (Neh 3:16 1.xx; cf. Brown) Plenty of people besides kings had extravagant funerals and were buried in garden tombs, but given all the emphasis in the Passion account on Jesus as king, such details may continue the theme here at the burial.(Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 468)
It is ironic that these two men come out of hiding and clearly associate themselves with Jesus at his death, since they would have thought his movement had come to an end. They had nothing to gain and everything to lose. This action makes the extent of their dissent evident to their fellow Jewish leaders. Their request for the body was also a very courageous act. The Romans would often leave the body on the cross for days, though they might allow the family to take down the body for burial. They would not do this, however, in the case of treason (Beasley-Murray 1987:358). Thus, Joseph had no claims on the body and, depending on how Pilate viewed the case, would have been putting himself in considerable danger. But Pilate had clearly said three times that Jesus was innocent, which may account for his allowing Joseph to take the body. In addition, by allowing Jesus to have a decent burial Pilate would be able to further annoy the Jewish leadership. (Rodney A. Whitacre, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: John, 469)
John has left us in no doubt that all these details, too, though from one point of view ‘accidental’ (nobody could have guessed what the soldiers might do next), were all to be seen as heavensent signs of what it all meant. We only have to think back through the gospel, to all the occasions where water or blood are mentioned, to realize that again and again they point to Jesus as the source of life, cleansing and purification. All these themes come together at this moment. (N.T. Wright, John for Everyone: Part 2, 135)
And, in particular, they all point to Jesus as the true Passover lamb. At the moment when the lambs are being killed in the Temple (John is careful to tell us that it was Passover that day; this creates a puzzle when we put his book together with the others, but that is another story), Jesus himself is the true Passover lamb, who takes away the sin of the world. The Passover regulations specified that no bone of the lamb should be broken (Exodus 12.46; Numbers 9.12). (N.T. Wright, John for Everyone: Part 2, 135)
“It is finished! ” What was finished? Your redemption and my redemption was finished. In His report to the Father He had said, “I have finished the work Thou gavest Me to do.” (J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible Commentary Series, John, 320)
Jesus was really dead. Medical experts have tried to determine what was punctured to create a flow of blood and water. Some think the pericardial sac was ruptured. John’s testimony of this occurrence was important to affirm a major argument in this Gospel against the Docetists who were denying Jesus’ humanity. Jesus was indeed a man composed of blood and water. He actually experienced death as a human being (see 1 John 5:6-7). The mention of the blood and water also answers the argument by some that Jesus did not really die but fell into some type of coma from which he later awakened in the tomb. But the eyewitness account of the blood and water refutes that. The piercing itself would have killed Jesus, but he was already dead as the separation of blood and water reveal. Jesus did indeed die a human (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: John, 379)
