John: The Crucified King
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Exegetical Point: Jesus was crucified, died and was buried in accordance with the scriptures.
Intro
Intro
Jesus didn’t come out of no-where! Fulfilled prophecy, fulfilled imagery, fulfilled typology,
Been a long time getting here
One of the nice summaries that we use to profess our faith is called the Apostles Creed - it succinctly covers the core elements of our faith.
It’s worth memorizing so that you can have a clear reference in your head, next time you’re talking to a friend about Jesus.
The creed covers our passage today it says:
“He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;”
The last couple times in John we have been looking at the story about what happened with the trial of Jesus and his suffering at the hands of Pilate. Pilate was the Roman Governor in that area, Rome was an occupying force over the Jewish people.
One of the things that stuck out was that Pilate, couldn’t find any guilt in Jesus, but the local Jewish religious leaders twisted His arm so that Pilate did eventually acquiesce, and handed Jesus over to the soldiers for Crucifixion.
Our passage picks up at that point, where permission was given, and we climb to the climactic moment of the whole book. And not just the book of John, in some sense this whole collection of books we call the Bible, point toward this moment. And that is made super clear by John, who drops in reference after reference from other parts of the Bible.
So we’re going to work our way through this passage with the creed helpfully providing our headings - crucified, died, and buried.
Given the length of our passage, I can;t get into every nook and cranny, but if you have a burning question, please send it through, or bring it along tonight!
1. Crucified
1. Crucified
How was Jesus Crucified?
Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
Carried Cross (cross member)
Certain place - Golgotha
With others - criminals (fulfilling scripture)
Nailed through hands and feet, probably naked.
Jesus has been beaten, at least twice in the last 12 hours, now crucified.
What was the importance of the inscription?
Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews.
In three languages, this publicly proclaimed the who this man was. Although probably taunting the Jews, it was true.
The Jewish leaders were upset and tried to have it changed.
What happened to Jesus clothes?
When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
Clothes very expensive, very labour intensive, not mass produced. Jesus seems to have high quality underclothes - they cast lots for it.
Fulfilling scripture Ps 22:18
How did Jesus care for his Mother?
When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
Jesus had brothers, but they were presumably still in Capernaum
As she deals with the absolute devastation of seeing her son tried and executed as a criminal, Jesus ensures that she will be provided for.
In the Gospels, when Mary tries to interfere with Jesus ministry, she is held at a distance, yet here she stands with other disciples, as if she were one of them. (with other faithful women).
Jesus fulfilled the commandment “Honour your Father and mother that you may live long in the Land”
2. Died
2. Died
How did Jesus die?
After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
How were all things fulfilled?
Like with this wine, it all fulfills scripture
Jesus had been set on “the hour” and now it is complete. He finishes his mission, he accomplishes salvation
He was in control, right up to the last moment - he gave up his Spirit, it was not snatched from him.
Why Did Jesus have to die?
Enmity between God & Humanity
All of humanity rebelled, God set about to rescue - save - people from their plight and renew the broken world.
First stage was to pick Israel, as a precursor of what was to come, they were the example, shadow, forerunner to prepare the way. Through them God would save the world.
Jesus came to live the righteous life, herald the coming kingdom, train his kingdom workers, make atonement with his life, and disarm death. Among other things!
This death is the key element in Atonement. There is a price for sin, and it is death. In theory, if I could get someone to die for me, they could pay my cosmic debt, but they have a debt of their own!
We need someone who’s debt free, to pay our debt. Because of who Jesus is, He is perfect God, and perfect man, he is blameless, and the only one who could take our place.
One of the ways that God symbolised this need, was through Passover - a time when lambs were killed, and their blood was painted on the doors - the life of the lamb was given so that others could survive the pouring out of God’s wrath.
God’s wrath is good. He is Just - perfectly just! In the death of Jesus we have perfect love and justice meet - Justice cannot be left undone, but God wishes to save people from his wrath, Jesus steps in as the one who makes the way.
What do I do? as a non-believer? As a christian who has knows this?
Why was Jesus speared?
Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.
Because this was a “special sabbath” (because of Passover) they didn’t want to have to deal with the dead guys then next day, nor did they want to leave bodies on a “tree”.
Remember, by Jewish counting Days started at Sundown, they needed to deal with the bodies by sundown so that they could enjoy Sabbath.
The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
The reason crucifixion was a horrible death is because with your arms outstretched and the weight of your body hanging of your hands, it was difficult to breath. You would have to push against the nail/s in your feet to lift the weight off your arms so you can breath.
You would die of asphyxiation by exhaustion, that is when you didn’t have the strength to lift anymore you would basically suffocate.
The idea was to break their legs to quicken the process, but Jesus was already dead.
Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.
Just to make sure, they speared his side.
Medical knowledge has figured out that under certain extreme conditions, you can end up with a sack of clear liquid around your heart. It looks like the soldiers pierced this sack and so you had a clear-water-like liquid as well as blood flow out.
This proved his death, as well as symbolically showed the blood of atonement, and the water of cleansing, or perhaps the water of the coming Spirit.
In the mind of many Jews, the body was made up of “blood and water” so to record that these both escaped, is to signify that Jesus was clearly dead.
This fulfilled another prophecy! Ex 12:46 passover lambs were not to have broken bones, Zech 12:10.
3. Buried
3. Buried
Who Buried Jesus?
Two blokes take it upon themselves to deal with Jesus body. They seem to have the wealth and connections to get the body and put it in a tomb.
It’s all rather hasty because of the impending “new day” at sundown.
Joseph - a believer on the DL?
Nicodemus - A true believer.
Where did they bury Jesus?
At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
Nearby tomb - remember we’re outside the city.
Treated the body with customary practice.
Fulfilled prophecy!
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
The practice of burying people in Church yards may seem ordinary to you, but when you think of it, it’s a bit strange, right? There’s old churches where there’s people buried under parts of the building itself!
But Christians trust that death is a temporary state, and that we’ll all be back shortly! We also believe that we’re joined with those who’ve gone on before us. We are one church across the veil of death.
But for the Jews on this day, they had no visions of resurrection. The Jewish leaders thought they had finally dealt with the troublesome teacher, the disciples thought they had forever lost their rabbi.
Jesus body is wrapped with cloth, anointed with oils and in a tomb.
So What?
So What?
All things took place to fulfill the scriptures.
Isaiah 53:10–11 (NIV)
Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
Jesus will justify you by faith.
References:
Carson’s Pillar Commentary on John.
Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version. Orlando, FL; Lake Mary, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2005.