John 19:28-42: From Fulfillment to Rest.

“ Fulfilment” John 19:28-30

(28):

Jesus declares his need while mentally resolving that his mission on earth was being fulfilled.

Jesus declaration of his need for a drink in his time of utmost suffering was in fulfilment of Scripture but not manipulative. Hence, based on the his circumstance of severe bleeding and hanging under the Near Eastern sun, he was sincerely dehydrated.

Jesus’ statement, “I thirst” is a reflection of Psalm 69:21

Psalm 69:21 ESV

They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

vs 29

John further secures his narrative aim or thesis to show that Scripture is being and is fulfilled in Christ. Thus, John further engages the situation with Psalm 69:21 by displaying how the soldiers gave sour wine to Jesus in Jn 19:29.

Jesus then declares that “it is finished” after he had received “sour wine.” From reading Matt.27:46-49 and Mark 15:33-37, we can understand that it was at this moment that Christ was suffering from God’s wrath; bearing the wrath meant for man. It is after this that Christ “bowed his head and gave up his Spirit.”

Thus, Christ has finished the work he came to do. He had fulfilled the work that man could neither start nor complete. Christ is the perfected of those who he has called.

Hebrews 10:2 ESV

Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins?

Hebrews 10:10 ESV

And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Heb 10:14

Hebrews 10:14 ESV

For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

“Christ gave up his Spirit” is an idiom that means that he died. Christ dies the death meant for all. He laid down his life for his friends (John 15:13)

John 15:13 ESV

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Witnessing Fulfillment (Jn 19:31-37).

Vs. 31-32

Readers must note that Jesus’ death happened at a special time when the Jews were having preparing for Sabbath, a High Day. It was High Day or Special Sabbath because Sabbath took place on the Passover week.

Christ’s death not only symbolizes divine rest from works, but atonement from sin.

The Jews could not allow Jesus’ body to remain hanging because according to Judaic customs, no corpse hung on a tree must remain there all night because the hung one is cursed and to retain the purity of the land. Deut 21:22-23

Deuteronomy 21:22–23 ESV

“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.

Christ will is cursed in other to purify the world. Christ death is the pure preparation purification and rest.

Vs.33-34

The breaking of leg was painfully hasten death. However, Rather than Jesus’ leg being broken, the soldiers pierced his side to test if he was truly dead; since they found him dead.

The witness to blood and water dripping from Jesus’s side display Christ’s humanity. Thus, his death as human “also” is the basis to eternal life.

Vs. 35-36

John is appealing to his ethos and credibility. He is emphatically indicating that He has saw Christ’s all the preceeding occasion happen. Not only did he see, but he know very well that he is telling the truth so that his listeners will believe in testimony of Christ’s death. His statement is further emphatic as it some ways parallels to 1 John 1:1-4

1 John 1:1–4 ESV

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

Vs. 36

John does not only declare his credibility as a speaker, but the credibility or trustworthiness of Scripture. All the prior occasion are designed according to God’s plan for salvation; even to the Christ’s unbroken bones. Exo 12:46

Exodus 12:46 ESV

It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones.

John bore witness to Christ, the perfect passover lamb, who takes away the sin of the world. John 1:29

John 1:29 ESV

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

vs 37

The second reference John uses is taken form John uses is taken Zech 12:10

Zechariah 12:10 ESV

“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

John is narrating through that reference that the messainic promise is being fulfilled in Christ. John’s focus is in the fact that Christ will be seen, and his salvation will be seen. The outflow from thw peircing will be a fountain of salvation. Zech 13:1

Zechariah 13:1 ESV

“On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.

Rest (38-42)

Persons;

vs. 38-40

We can see Joseph and Nicodemus participating in the mission of God as the bury Christ and perform the customary burial rites. These were not perfect people, but their names are recognized because they believed.

Joseph: Joseph of Arimathea appears in all four Gospels, and only in connection with the burial of Jesus. The Synoptists tell us he was a member of the Sanhedrin (Mk. 15:43 par.), that he was rich (Mt. 27:57), and that he was looking for the kingdom of God (Mk. 15:43; Lk. 23:51)

D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), 628.

Nicodemus: Who had earlier visited Jesus in darkness, is now emerging in the light as he participate in Christ’s suffering. He provided myrrh. Myrrh will suppress the smell of decay and may aid glue of linen to Christ’s skin.

Both were preparing the body of the Lord on the day of Preparation.

Place:

Vs. 41

The place where Christ was buried was close to where he was crucified, at a garden, and in a new tomb

Christ burial in the garden again symbolizes a restoration to the adamic garden that is lost. Christ, through his death, reconciles man to God.

Point in Time:

Vs. 42

They laid Jesus at a close by tomb because they must quickly return before the Sabbath of the Passover Week.

However, Christ is the perfect passover. He is the propitiation of all sins. Heb 9:28

Hebrews 9:28 ESV

so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Are you depending on him today for your salvation.

Are you waiting for him.

Are you drinking of His Word daily.

1 Peter 1:17–2:1 ESV

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

1 Peter 2:2–3 ESV

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.