John 19 Verses 38 to 42 The Burial of Jesus June 4, 2023

John 19 Verses 38 to 42 The Burial of Jesus June 4, 2023

Class Presentation Notes AAAAA

Background Scriptures:

Romans 6:4-5 (NASB) 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,

Colossians 3:1 (NASB) 1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Main Idea: Jesus' death and burial demands a decision on the truth of His life.

Study Aim: To understand that our position determines our perspective. We should look at our circumstances not from an earthly perspective but from the perspective of Christ.

Create Interest:

· Charles spurgeon, Oct. 7, 1888: “Let us go to this grave, but not to weep there; nay, not to shed so much as a single tear. The stone is rolled away, our Lord’s precious body is not there, for Christ has risen from the dead. It may be that, like Mary at the sepulchre, we shall see a vision of angels; but if not, we may behold a company of comforting truths which still linger about the empty tomb of our ascended Lord.

· We are expressly told, in Holy Scripture, that our Lord was buried. It was evidently not sufficient for us merely to be told that he died; we must also know that he was buried. Why was this?

o Was it not, first, that we might have a certificate of his death? We do not bury living men; and the Lord Jesus would not have been buried if the centurion had not certified that he was certainly dead[1].”

· Let’s pass the torch to Chris Benfield in 2015 in his Pulpit Pages for more introduction into our lesson in Historical Context.

Lesson in Historical Context:

· “The agonies of the cross have ended for our Lord. He has endured the suffering of the cross, bearing our sin and facing the righteous judgment of God for sin. After declaring the work of redemption finished, Jesus laid down His life, willingly giving up the ghostas He breathed His last.

o These verses reveal the events that surrounded the removal of Jesus from the cross and His burial in the borrowed tomb.

o We will discover the continued animosity of the Jewish elite and the Roman soldiers, as well as the tender compassion of two faithful followers of Jesus.

o This passage deals with the finality of Jesus’ death and His commitment to fulfilling the plan of redemption for humanity.

· However, if this were the end of the story, we would not have the hope and assurance of eternal life with the Lord. I am certainly thankful for the provision that Jesus made for all men as He died on the cross for sin, but I also rejoice that He rose again triumphant over death, securing eternal life for all believers.”

· Let’s take a few moments to look in on the eventsof that moment in time as we conclude our study on the last hours of Jesus’ life.[2]

Bible Study:

John 19:38 (NASB) 38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So, he came and took away His body.

· Jesus not only exhibited His divine power over death by controlling the details of His dying, but even more remarkably, He also controlled the circumstances of His burial after He was dead. As was the case with His dying, by doing so Jesus both revealed His deity, and fulfilled biblical prophecy. In Isaiah 53:9 the prophet wrote that though Messiah’s “grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death.”

· The Romans normally refused to allow those executed for sedition to be buried, leaving them to the vultures and scavengers as the ultimate indignity.

o The Jews did not refuse burial to anyone but buried criminals at a separate location outside of Jerusalem.

· But even if He escaped being buried with common criminals, how was Jesus to be buried with a rich man? He did not come from a wealthy family, nor could any of the apostles be considered rich men. The answer is that Jesus, “having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit” (1 Peter 3:18), moved upon the heart of a rich man, Joseph, from Arimathea (the location of Arimathea is unknown; some identify it with Ramathaim-zophim, the birthplace of Samuel [1 Sam. 1:1])[3]

· Joseph of Arimathea, known to all four Gospel writers, makes his appearance: “Now after these things, Joseph from Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave permission.

· Joseph is introduced in Mark (15:43) as “a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God,” in Matthew (27:57) as a “rich man” who had “become a disciple of Jesus,” and in Luke (23:50–51) as “a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action,” and who was “waiting for the kingdom of God” (NIV).

o Here he is described quite briefly, and in terms familiar to the reader of this Gospel, as “a disciple of Jesus secretly for fear of the Jews.” The phrase “for fear of the Jews” recalls 7:13, where the very same words are used of the crowds at the Tent festival, and 9:22, where the former blind man’s parents are said to have “feared the Jews.”

o It also recalls the notice in 12:42 that “many, even some of the rulers” believed in Jesus, “but because of the Pharisees would not confess, lest they be put out of synagogue.”

o Of these it was said, “For they loved the glory of humans rather than the glory of God” (12:43). It is unclear whether that negative verdict was meant to apply to Joseph of Arimathea or not. Unlike Nicodemus (3:1), he is not explicitly identified as a “ruler” in this Gospel, although it can certainly be inferred from what is said about him in Mark and Luke (“member of the Council”).

o In fairness to Joseph, it must be noted that in the following chapter we find a whole group of Jesus’ disciples gathered behind locked doors “for fear of the Jews” (20:19, as presumably again in v. 26).

§ If Joseph has been less than faithful, he is not the only one.

§ If he is a disciple “secretly,” he is a disciple, nonetheless.

§ We have only to remember several instances in which even Jesus resorted to secrecy for his own protection until his appointed “hour” (see 7:10; 8:59; 12:36).

· Now Joseph’s time had come. He makes almost the same request of Pilate that “the Jews” made earlier, when, in order to ensure that “the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath,” they “asked Pilate that their legs be broken and that they be taken away” (v. 31). The legs were broken (vv. 32–33), and even though no mention is made of the bodies being “taken away,” we would have presumed, given the concerns expressed by “the Jews,” that this was done, and that Jesus’ unbroken, though pierced, body was taken away as well.

o But this was apparently not the case as far as Jesus is concerned, for Joseph now weighs in with this own version of the same request. Quite possibly, Jesus and the two others are still on the cross because the breaking of the legs only hastened death. It did not bring it on immediately.

· “It was to the cross that Joseph came, presumably, not to “the Jews” or to soldiers who had already commandeered the body, for in that case he would have had to ask their permission as well. For whatever reason, the body of Jesus seems to have remained on the cross until Joseph took it away.[4]

· Matthew, Luke, and John all tell us that the tomb was new and had never been used. It was “his [Joseph’s] own new tomb” (Matt. 27:60); he had hewn it out for himself. Or did he hew it out for Jesus?

· John informs us that Joseph was a “secret disciple for fear of the Jews.” The Greek word translated “secretly” is a perfect passive participle and could be translated “having been secreted.” In Matthew 13:35, this same verb form is translated “have been kept secret.” In other words, 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.[5]

Thoughts to Soak On

· How many today are as Joseph was then?

o They are good people and just people.

o They are believers.

o They fear what their friends and fellow workers will say: they fear the loss of position, prestige, promotion, acceptance, popularity, friends, job, income, livelihood.

· Every secret believer needs to study the cross of Christ. Really seeing the cross will turn any secret believer into a bold witness for Christ.

· Joseph courageously asked to take care of the physical body of Christ.

o Today, the body of Christ is the church. We are to boldly step forward and take care of the church.

o There are times within the church when special needs demand that men be courageous and step forward to show care. In those times a fresh look at the cross will be helpful and can be used of God to stir us.[6]

· Listen to what the Bible has to share about folks like Joseph.

o Luke 9:25-26 (NASB) 25 "For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? 26 "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

o Luke 12:4-5 (NASB) 4 "I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. 5 "But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!

o 2 Timothy 1:7 (NASB) 7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

· Joseph was a man changed by the death of Jesus. This is seen in two facts.

o First, Joseph actually “went unto Pilate and begged the body of Jesus.” This was a tremendous act of courage. The Romans either dumped the bodies of crucified criminals in the trash heaps or left the bodies hanging upon the cross for the vultures and animals to consume. The latter served as an example of criminal punishment to the public. Joseph also braved the threat of Pilate’s reaction. Pilate was fed up with the Jesus matter. Jesus had proven to be very bothersome to him. He could have reacted severely against Joseph.

o Second, Joseph risked the disfavor and discipline of the Sanhedrin. They were the ruling body who had instigated and condemned Jesus, and Joseph was a member of the council. There was no question he would face some harsh reaction from some of his fellow Sanhedrin members and from some of his closest friends.

· The thing that turned Joseph from being a secret disciple to a bold disciple seems to be the phenomenal events surrounding the cross(the behavior and words of Jesus, the darkness, the earthquake, the torn veil). When Joseph witnessed all this, his mind connected the claims of Jesus with the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. Apparently, Joseph saw the prophecies fulfilled in Jesus; therefore, he stepped forward braving all risks and taking his stand for Jesus. A remarkable courage stirred by the death of Jesus!

John 19:39 (NASB) 39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight.

· Nicodemus is mentioned only in the Fourth Gospel. He appears in John 3, where Jesus told him about the new birth. Nothing is said there about Nicodemus’s long-range response to this revelation. We meet Nicodemus next in a council meeting (7:50–52). He, like Joseph, was a secret disciple; however, he asked the Sanhedrin whether it was fair to condemn a person without hearing him. They dismissed this objection. Perhaps this was a feeble effort to defend Jesus, but Nicodemus’s appearance to help bury Jesus was evidence that he was now an open disciple. This action was as risky as what Joseph had done.[7]

· Nicodemus is described as the one who came at the first … by night (cf. 3:2) with the implication that there were subsequent visits. He too was a member of the Sanhedrin. Perhaps Nicodemus was a timid man, for it was Joseph who faced Pilate to secure the necessary permission. He must have been wealthy, for a hundred pound weight of myrrh and aloeswould be very costly. What he brought was “the expression of a rich man’s homage.” The spices were a mixture of the gum of the myrrh tree and powdered aloe wood.

o The Jewish mode of burial did not involve embalming of the body, nor cremation, but the wrapping of the bodies “of the dead in linen cloths, and to put sweet spices between the folds of the linen. Nicodemus brought enough spices for the burial of a king.”[8]

· Executed Jewish criminals were normally buried in a common grave-site outside the city, but it would seem that two influential members of the Jewish authorities, Joseph and Nicodemus, used their positions to ask Pilate to release Christ’s body into their care (vv. 38–39). From Matthew and Mark’s account we gather that Joseph was a rich and prominent member of the ruling Jewish body, and from John’s account we have already discovered that Nicodemus was one of the leading Jewish teachers in the land.

o And what’s more, by doing this they made themselves ceremonially unclean.According to Jewish laws, they could not now celebrate the special Sabbath of the Passover week. By handling a dead body, they were now excluded from these celebrations. But they didn’t care. And so, they obtained the dead body of Jesus, wrapped it in sticky, fragrant spices, and placed it in a new tomb that Joseph had previously prepared for his own burial.[9]

· It doesn’t take much imagination to understand the potential danger in identifying with one who was just executed for sedition and blasphemy. If Joseph’s and Nicodemus’s lives weren’t in danger, their reputations certainly were.

o What change took place in these men? What prompted such courage? In the same chapter where John documents secret disciples who were afraid to follow Jesus, he also records this statement made by Jesus: “Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit” (12:24).

§ Like the first flowers blooming in the spring, these two men are the first fruits of the great harvest that will come from Jesus’s death.

§ They also serve as a signal to readers of the Gospel that changes are coming, and the most radical one is near.[10]

Thoughts to Soak on

· Not only did Joseph become involved in the burial, but according to John he was joined by Nicodemus. Nicodemus had also earlier moved from being a closet inquirer (3:1–9) to a council member who sought to be fair in judgment (7:50). At this point he is also portrayed as a person who was willing to make a declarative statement through the burial of Jesus’ body. To facilitate this task, he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes. Bernard argued at this point that Nicodemus must have had at his home these spices because he would have hardly had time to collect or purchase them. But perhaps Joseph and Nicodemus divided their tasks, one going for the spices and the other seeking the release of the body. Both suggestions, however, are speculations.

· The amount surely is surprising—about a hundred Roman “pounds” (litas) of spice. That amount would be roughly the equivalent of sixty-five pounds of spice or nearly thirty kilograms in terms of modern weights. It was truly an immense amount of spice. Indeed, it was enough spice to bury a king royally. The Johannine Death Story thus makes clear that Jesus was a King. He acknowledged that fact before Pilate (18:37). He died enthroned on a cross with his title placarded in three strategic languages announcing his kingship (19:19–20). And finally, he was here appropriately buried as a king.[11]

· The courage demonstrated by Joseph and Nicodemus is desperately needed by all.

o The courage to make an unashamed commitment to Christ.

o The courage to risk all for Christ, even if it does cost us our position, esteem, wealth, and life.

o The courage to unashamedly care for the body of Christ, His church, and its affairs.

o The courage to be an unashamed witness for Christ, no matter the cost.[12]

§ Matthew 10:32-33 (NASB) 32 "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

§ Romans 10:9-10 (NASB) 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

§ 1 John 4:15 (NASB) 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

· Do you ever say that you belong to Jesus Christ? In a society like ours, in which the influence of Christian morality affects a great many people who have no personal connection with Him, it is not always enough that the life should preach, because over a very large field of ordinary daily life the underground influence, so to speak, of Christian ethics has infiltrated and penetrated, so that many a tree bears a greener leaf because of the water that has found its way to it from the river, though it be planted far from its banks.

o Even those who are not Christians live outward lives largely regulated by Christian principle. The whole level of morality has been heaved up, as the coastline has sometimes been by hidden fires slowly working, by the imperceptible, gradual influence of the gospel.

o So, it needs sometimes that you should say ‘I am a Christian,’ as well as that you should live like one.

· Ask yourselves, dear friends! whether you have buttoned your greatcoat over your uniform that nobody may know whose soldier you are.

· Ask yourselves whether you have sometimes held your tongues because you knew that if you spoke people would find out where you came from and what country you belonged to.

· Ask yourselves; have you ever accompanied the witness of your lives with the commentary of your confession?

· Did you ever, anywhere but in a church, stand up and say, ‘I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, my Lord’?[13]

John 19:40-42 (NASB) 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

· Joseph and Nicodemus wrapped Jesus’ body with strips of linen, applying the mixture of spices as they did so. The evangelist explains, for the benefit of non-Jewish readers. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. Then he adds, 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. The mention of a ‘new tomb’ heightens the sense of the honor being paid to Jesus’ body, as did the large amount of spices used. All this served to counteract the humiliation involved in his crucifixion.

· The reason for the use of this tomb was quite pragmatic: Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. It was necessary to get Jesus’ body into the tomb hastily because evening would usher in the sabbath. Hence a nearby tomb was used. Matthew 27:60explains that it was Joseph’s own new tomb into which Jesus’ body was placed.[14]

More Thoughts to Soak On

· Joseph takes the body, wraps it in linen, and places it in a stone tomb with myrrh and spices—just as another Joseph, thirty-three years earlier, had taken the same body, wrapped Him in swaddling linen cloth, placed Him in a stone manger, and watched as He was presented with myrrh.

· In Leviticus 16, it is prescribed that on one day each year—Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement—the high priest was to trade his beautiful priestly robes for the simple linen robes worn by his fellow priests. And what did the high priest do on the Day of Atonement? He went through the veil into the Holy of Holies to sprinkle blood on the lid, or mercy seat, of the ark of the covenant—the two- foot-by-three foot box that held the Ten Commandments. If he were defiled, he would stay in that place as a dead man and would later have to be pulled out with a rope. But if he wasn’t defiled, he would walk out into the courtyard of the temple to the jubilant cries of the people who knew they were forgiven for another year.

o Here, our great High Priest, Jesus Christ, is inside the tomb.

§ Would He emerge?

§ Did the sacrifice work?

§ Are we free?

· Only if He came out among the people as He had prophesied could there truly be celebration and could we know our sins are forgiven—not just for one year, but forever.[15]

Closing thoughts for us to ponder:

· The garden tomb in which no one had yet been laid: A rich man like Joseph of Arimethea would probably have a tomb that was carved into solid rock; this tomb was in a garden near the place of crucifixion.

o The tomb would have a small entrance and perhaps one or more compartments where bodies were laid out after being somewhat mummified with spices, ointments, and linen strips.

o Customarily, the Jews left these bodies alone for a few years until they decayed down to the bones, then the bones were placed in a small stone box known as an ossuary. The ossuary remained in the tomb with the remains of other family members.

· The door to the tomb was typically made of a heavy, circular shaped stone, running in a groove and settled down into a channel, so it could not be moved except by several strong men. This was done to ensure that no one would disturb the remains.

· John 19:42 specifically tells us that the tomb of Joseph of Arimethea that Jesus was laid in was close to the place of Jesus’ crucifixion (and the each of the two suggested places for Jesus’ death and resurrection bear this out). Joseph probably didn’t like it that the value of his family tomb decreased because the Romans decided to crucify people nearby—yet it reminds us that the in God’s plan, the cross and the power of the resurrection are always permanently and closely connected.

o Tombs like this were very expensive. It was quite a sacrifice for Joseph of Arimathea to give his up—but Jesus would only use it for a few days😊.[16]

Spiritual Transformations

· Pilate handed Jesus over to the soldiers who crucified Him between two criminals. The crucifixion of Jesus revealed human sin at its worst and divine love at its best. Near the end of His time on the cross, Jesus cried out that He had completed the work of divine provision of salvation.

· Jesus’ death was the once-for-all, all-sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the world. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, who had been secret disciples, showed courage in burying Jesus.

· Jesus’ burial set the stage for His resurrection, the other basic part of the good news of salvation.

· John, the writer of the Fourth Gospel, was an eyewitness of Jesus’ death. He wrote about it so people might believe in Jesus and have eternal life.

· The responses of those involved in the condemnation, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus typify varying responses of people to Jesus.

o When did you accept the finished work of redemption as sufficient to forgive your sins?

o What effect does your faith in the Savior have in your daily life?[17]

Grace and Peace to all who read and share this work😊

[1]C. H. Spurgeon, “A Royal Funeral,” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 40 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1894), 577. [2]Chris Benfield, “Burial in the Borrowed Tomb (John 19:31–42),” in Pulpit Pages: New Testament Sermons(Mount Airy, NC: Chris Benfield, 2015), 562. [3]John F. MacArthur Jr., John 12–21, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2008), 365. [4]J. Ramsey Michaels, The Gospel of John, The New International Commentary on the Old and New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010), 978–980. [5]Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 385. [6]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, The Gospel according to John, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2004), 373–374. [7]Robert J. Dean, Family Bible Study, Summer 2001, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, 2001), 67. [8]Joseph H. Mayfield, “The Gospel according to John,” in John, Acts, Beacon Bible Commentary (Beacon Hill Press, 1965), Jn 19:38. [9]Andrew Paterson, Opening Up John’s Gospel, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2010), 170. [10]Matt Carter and Josh Wredberg, Exalting Jesus in John (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 376–377. [11]Gerald L. Borchert, John 12–21, vol. 25B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002), 280–281. [12]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, The Gospel according to John, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2004), 375. [13]Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: John 15–21 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 289–290. [14]Colin G. Kruse, John: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 4, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 368. [15]Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 590. [16]David Guzik, John, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2013), Jn 19:38–42. [17]Robert J. Dean, Family Bible Study, Summer 2001, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, 2001), 69.