[0:00] I won't read the whole section, but this section I want us to look at that we read from verse 31 through to the end. John chapter 19 at verse 31.
[0:13] We read there, Since it was a day of preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, for the Sabbath was a high day, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away, and so on.
[0:26] Once again, we find here that the attention that John has been focusing on here returns to the Jews.
[0:38] For a long time, the focus had been upon Jesus and what was taking place, but now it's returned again on to the Jewish leaders. They'd got their wish.
[0:50] They had got Jesus on to the cross. But they don't have peace of mind because they're facing a problem. That was the reason why everything was in such a frantic rush.
[1:01] Why there was just one thing after. Remember how it was they were running through the night? They were in desperation to get Jesus on to the cross because they had to get Jesus down off that cross, dead, before the Sabbath began.
[1:16] And the Sabbath began on the Friday at sundown. That's when it began. And so there was this frantic effort that they would have to get Jesus off the cross.
[1:28] And it's really quite extraordinary because this was the Passover. It wasn't just for the Sabbath, but it was also the Passover. And here are these men who are so obsessed with dotting the I's and stroking the T's and making sure that every outward ritual is performed to perfection so that God will be pleased with them.
[1:52] And yet they're putting to death the Son of God. It is the most extraordinary event in the whole world. And it's where we see just the sheer twistedness of sin, of how it can so corrupt the human heart.
[2:08] Because we've got to remember that those who put Jesus Christ on the cross, they weren't, it wasn't atheists who put Jesus on the cross.
[2:20] Yes, there was Roman soldiers, but it wasn't really the Roman soldiers. Rome wouldn't have authorized the death of Jesus had it not been for the incessant pressing of the Jewish religious leaders.
[2:36] The men who put Jesus Christ on the cross were religious people. They were people who believed in God. They were people who were steeped in the Old Testament.
[2:46] People who knew the scriptures inside out, who could recite huge sections of it, understood they had given their life to the study of the scriptures.
[2:58] These are the men who are responsible for putting Jesus Christ onto the cross. And it just shows us how absolutely perverse religion can become.
[3:10] How twisted. Because the moment our focus is taken off the center of God and his purposes and who he is and his provision for us, then religion becomes man-centered.
[3:25] And the moment it becomes involved with men, with personalities, with people, then power comes into the equation. And then every form of twistedness and perversion comes in.
[3:36] And rivers of blood have been shed throughout the centuries in the name of religion. Because of this twistedness, this power struggles, all these things have gone.
[3:49] And they have nothing to do with the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is the most, here is at its highest point, where we see just how awful religion as such can be.
[4:03] When it, when it, when it, when religion exalts man and doesn't base itself upon the absolute truth of God's word.
[4:14] Because that's where it had all gone wrong. And so because the Sabbath is coming, we find that the Jews go to Pilate and they're asking that the legs of those on the cross might be broken.
[4:27] And this was an awful thing that happened. They would come with an iron mallet and they would shatter into bits the legs of the people on the cross. For one reason is that, or the simple reason was that the poor victim on the cross was suffocating bit by bit.
[4:46] And they would try and get a little bit of leverage from their legs to gasp in some air. And they could go on like that for long enough. But once their legs were broken, shattered to bits, then they couldn't get any leverage at all.
[5:01] And death would come fairly quickly. So in order to hasten death, to hurry up death, this is what they would do. They would come with an iron mallet and smash to bits their legs.
[5:14] And they would die quickly. So they did, first of all, that's what we read, that they came to the two others who were crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they found that he was already dead.
[5:26] That's what it tells us in verse 33. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. And again, John, who is always doing this, is highlighting from the Old Testament.
[5:42] And he's bringing before us again, here's another fulfillment of Scripture, which it says, For these things took place, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. It says in verse 36, not one of his bones will be broken.
[5:57] Then we see in a moment whether it is of gratuitous violence or simply because this Roman soldier wanted to make absolutely sure that Jesus was dead, plunged his spear into the side of Jesus.
[6:11] There's no doubt, again, I'm not a medical man, but I would imagine it would be driving the spear in the direction of the heart just to make absolutely sure.
[6:22] And it's very interesting that this is highlighted to us in Scripture because the enemies of Jesus who have always tried to deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ, one of the theories that they put forward is that Jesus didn't actually die on the cross, that he had merely fainted, that he had swooned.
[6:41] And that when Jesus was taken down from the cross, it wasn't that dead Jesus that was put into the tomb. And so that is one of the theories that the enemies of Christ hold out to.
[6:55] Because they can't deny the historicity of Jesus or the fact that he was put to death on a cross. But they tried to make out that he hadn't actually died.
[7:06] But here when we go to the word of God, it's showing us if there was one thing a Roman soldier knew, it was when somebody was dead. They lived a diet of death. This was an execution squad.
[7:18] They were used to it. But this man, just to make absolutely sure, plunges the spear into Jesus. And so we have then recorded for us here what happened at that moment.
[7:32] But one of the soldiers pushed aside with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. Now, I've read various things on that.
[7:43] And as I said last week, I'm not a medical person. And I don't want to get bogged down into all the medical. We have doctors here, and it might be very interesting. And I think it would be maybe at a fellowship sometime to hear the background to these kind of things.
[8:01] But the one thing that I will say here, that as John is recording facts, John is witness, John is recording things that he has actually seen. And I don't think that we're putting too much, we're not, I don't think we're stretching things here.
[8:18] But remember, this John is talking here about what he saw. He who saw it has borne witness. His testimony is true. And he knows that he's telling the truth.
[8:29] That there came out blood and water. This is the same John who in his own letter wrote, This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ.
[8:40] Now, I believe in John's letter, the water he's talking about there is primarily the water of baptism. But having said that, I think that we're seeing something really significant here.
[8:55] Because John, who is steeped in the Old Testament, his mind is going back to a particular prophet. And I believe it's a prophet, Zechariah.
[9:08] Because he quotes from Zechariah, They will look on him whom they pushed. And just a few verses from that particular prophecy that Zechariah gives.
[9:21] Zechariah also says, In that day, there shall be opened a fountain for sin and uncleanness. Right?
[9:32] So as Zechariah gives a prophecy regarding the pushing of Jesus Christ, Five or so verses further, he says, On that day, what day? This day.
[9:43] This is the day where Jesus has been pushed. And this is the day where the fountain has been opened for sin and uncleanness. And right throughout the Bible, The two agencies that are always spoken of, With regard to justification, to regeneration, To forgiveness, to cleansing, to renewal, Is blood and water.
[10:06] These are the two things. Primarily the blood. Without the shedding of blood, There is no remission of sin. Now I'm not saying there's anything supernatural here.
[10:18] But I believe Scripture is all coming together In a powerfully graphic moment. And where we're seeing, Here is the one. Here is the one.
[10:30] And let us remember that The death of Jesus Christ Is what it's all about. We don't live, Don't get me wrong, It's not the teaching of Jesus As such that saves, His teaching is marvelous.
[10:45] Don't get me wrong, Yes it is, Because it's through the word that we're saved. But, It's not the miracles Of Jesus It's not even His influence As He worked and walked, It's His death.
[10:58] That's where salvation comes. That's where it's all focused upon. And that's where we are here, This supreme moment. And so they looked on the one Whom they had pushed.
[11:12] Who looked on the one they had pushed? Well there were those who looked on Him With hatred. The Jews, The Jewish religious leaders, They looked on Jesus With absolute hatred. Their hearts were filled with fury.
[11:27] You know sometimes today As we see the terrible persecution Of the Christian In parts of this country And we read about Beheadings and Fearful atrocities.
[11:38] There's nothing new And I am not in any way My heart goes out I just get so disturbed over it. But you know We've got to think Yeah, that's what they're doing To the Christians And you say, why?
[11:53] Because that's what they did To Christ. They hated Him. There was nobody in this world That they hated more than Jesus. They loved Barabbas far more.
[12:06] Barabbas a terrorist. The man who was causing mayhem In the streets of Jerusalem. Oh, let Barabbas go But put Jesus to death. That's a hatred.
[12:17] And that perverse hatred Exists to this day. It's in this country. And there are people Who hate Christianity. They hate it with a passion.
[12:28] They will do anything And everything that they can To obliterate the Christian faith From our land. And they will try and Go into every area of society. It is their aim.
[12:39] It is the chief goal Of their existence. They have such a hatred for it. And we need to pray Against this. Because a spirit It's the same spirit That was alive When Jesus was put to death.
[12:53] So they looked upon The one they pushed. But then you had The likes of the Roman soldiers. And they looked on the one Whom they had pushed. And they were indifferent. Now the first group With hatred I don't I might be wrong But I don't think There is any person In here today Who hates Jesus Christ With that passion Because I don't think You would be here.
[13:16] I really don't. But in the next category The Roman soldiers They were indifferent. They had They had no particular Hatred to Jesus Although they They joined in the mocking.
[13:29] They were indifferent. They were only doing What they were That was their job. They didn't care Whether Jesus lived or died. Jesus didn't really Mean anything to them. In fact Of all the people Who showed any Element of sympathy Whatever it was The Roman soldiers First of all They offered him That wine with a mirror As a kind of anesthetic Before he was crucified.
[13:52] And when he called out He thirsted. They were the ones Who held up something to him. So they were really The only ones Who showed any Level of pity Whatever. But they were indifferent.
[14:04] And again There's loads of people Like that With regard to Jesus. He doesn't really Mean anything. They come and they go And they're never touched And they He's just a Character from history And yes Some people get enthused About him But doesn't mean I hope there's nobody Like that here today.
[14:22] Because the one person You can dismiss him But let me tell you There'll come a day When you can't. Every single person Has to face Jesus. Has to stand before him.
[14:34] Has to give an account For their life. And tell Jesus Why they chose To ignore him To reject him. And we know What the outcome Of that rejection is.
[14:46] That Jesus will simply Give them What they chose. He'll say As you rejected me I reject you Forever.
[14:57] It's a fearful thought. But that's what happens. And people say It's not fair. Of course it's fair. In the sense That if a person Continues Right throughout Their life To reject Jesus Christ And say I do not want Then Jesus says Right I will give you What you've chosen.
[15:20] So I hope There's nobody Like that here. But I believe That also Around the cross There would have been those Who hated Jesus But you know That their hearts Were broken.
[15:35] Around the cross Maybe some Who were indifferent. There's one You remember how Jesus While he was being crucified While they were Putting the nails in Father forgive them For they know not What they do.
[15:49] And on that cross Remember there were Two Crucified Beside And to begin with Both of them Turned on Jesus Both of them Were mocking Jesus But one Changed One saw Jesus For who he was Also we read In Mark's gospel There The centurion The man in charge Of the execution squad If you follow I think we've Looked at him One Sunday night Some time back When you tie All the gospel Accounts together We find Because of He was in charge Of it He stood a bit Back And it tells us He watched These things Seven times He heard Jesus Speak He saw Things happen He had never Ever seen happen Before At a crucifixion And in the end He had to say Truly This was The son of God An amazing confession Coming from the man In charge Of the execution And I would also
[16:51] Like to believe Because of the way That Peter preached On the day of Pentecost And he said to them You put Jesus to death And I believe That amongst those Who were present When Peter spoke There would have been Some who Would have been crying Crucify him Crucify him And they came to faith In Jesus Christ Thousands Were converted This is the power Of the gospel This is the love Of God Isn't it amazing This is love Jesus loves The enemies Those who are Putting him It just It's beyond Sometimes you have To stop And really think Because our reaction To that would be Well let's get even You would be saying To yourself God the father Will take some justice Against all these people That's at the end Of the Jewish race No he pours out His spirit And thousands And thousands Are converted How marvelous
[17:54] Is his love That's the same love That's available For us today His love Hasn't changed And so we need To go And to seek him But then We find Something And we'll move The time Is going John again The sort of The master Of the understatement Says After these things That's all that's Gone before We find Joseph of Arimathea And Nicodemus Emerging From the shadows And you know It's quite wonderful Here Because I'm sure That the followers Of Jesus Were asking Themselves What now What's going to Happen to Jesus Because sometimes When people were Crucified The bodies Were just left There Left for the Birds to eat Other times Bodies were just They were thrown Aside They had no Place They were Put to death As criminals But On this occasion
[18:55] Jesus couldn't Be left on the Cross because Of the Sabbath But what was Going to happen Who was going To tend Who was going To care For the body Of Jesus There's no sign Of Peter Or James Or Andrew Or any of them They're all away They're hiding We'll excuse John Because John Was at the Foot of the Cross John Remained There And then John Took Jesus' Mother Mary Home We saw That So we We leave John out Of it But who Was going To tend Well heaven Already had Made the Plan And here We find These two Men First of All Joseph Of Arimathea He comes Forward and He takes Responsibility Now Joseph As we see He was a Wealthy Man A man Of influence He was Part of The council He was Actually A pharisee But he Was a Good man He was One who Had come To believe In Jesus But we'll See in a
[19:55] Moment He was What is Termed A secret Disciple This man Joseph Had wealth He had Influence And he Went to Pilate And he Begged For the Body Of Jesus And Pilate Gave him That So here Is this Man For a While Joseph Has all The authority Of Rome To do What he Does And then Nicodemus The man Who came To Jesus At night And he Again Was a ruler He was a Man of Influence And a Wealthy Man And we See all The spices That he Brought To anoint The body Of Jesus But you Know what I love When you Look at These two Men Is that They went Way beyond As it were The call Of duty And what They did To Jesus Here's Joseph And what Does he Do He gives Probably His own Tomb And Joseph If Joseph Was like The other Disciples He wasn't Expecting a Resurrection He was Putting Jesus' Body In that Tomb Not Expecting It to Rise Again The Disciples
[20:56] Weren't Expecting Jesus To rise Again So he Was giving Up what Was his Own And we See the Selflessness Of his Love And again We see Nicodemus Coming with All these Spices to Anoint the Body of Jesus And again He was Doing what Wasn't Necessary To do Because Jesus' Body Saw no Corruption And Jesus' Body was To rise Although Nobody Or These men Hadn't Grasped That But we See them As it were Going beyond The call Of duty But it's Beautiful What they Do And so We find Again That As They're Doing This Scripture Is being Fulfilled Because you Know one Of the Things that Scripture Says About The death Of the Lord Jesus Christ That he Would make His grave With the Wicked And with a Rich man In his Death Isn't that Amazing He's
[22:02] Put to Death With the Wicked And His Grave With His Grave With the Wicked And With a Rich man In his Death It's Amazing How All These Things Come Together I suppose People ask Was His burial Part of His Suffering Well it Wasn't His Suffering Finished When he Said It Is Finished And he Breathed His last And he Dismissed His spirit To God He wasn't Looked at That he Was in Control To that Moment His Suffering Is over But his Humiliation Isn't His burial Was part Of his Humiliation And his Burial was Necessary For us Because In that Not only Has Jesus Broken The power Of death But he's Also Broken The power Of the Grave And that's One of the Wonderful Things The grave Is a Horrible Place And
[23:04] There's Just We talk You know We talk About the Finality Of the Grave It's Not It's Temporary It's Only For a Time Scripture Tells us That the Graves Will all Open Even The sea Will give Up Its Dead It's Quite An Extraordinary thought But that's That's What scripture Shows us And that Has all Been won In and Through Jesus So Jesus Had to Go under The power Of death He had To go Into Under To the Grave In order To defeat Death And to Defeat The grave But here Are those Two men Who came Out of The shadows And they Were secret Disciples Because They didn't Want to Confess Jesus Remember Nicodemus Was a Man who Came by Night So nobody Would see Him He wanted To meet With Jesus But he Didn't want Others To know And these Two men Were what We would Term Secret Disciples And I Believe the Churches Are full
[24:04] Of secret Disciples People Who know Personally God's love In Jesus To their Soul People who Have a Love For Jesus And when Push comes To shove It's there And yet They're never Able to Come out Publicly And make That declaration By making A public Profession Of their Faith They may Do so For differing Reasons For these Men Well it Doesn't say For Nicodemus But for Joseph But what I Believe is True It tells Us earlier On That amongst The Jewish Leaders Amongst the Pharisees There were Those who Believed in Jesus But And this Is what It says For fear Of men They Didn't Confess Him They Were Afraid To Because You see If you Confess Christ In the Council Amongst
[25:04] The Sanhedrin Or within The Jewish Religious Hierarchy You were Out You were Excommunicated You weren't Allowed to So you see What it's Saying is These men They loved Their position Their place In the Church In the Sphere In the Community They didn't Want to be Badly They knew It was Going If they Confessed Christ It was Going To Come At A Cost But you Know what The wonderful Thing is That Jesus Doesn't Allow the Secret Disciple To remain A secret Disciple Something Comes Along And Jesus Says I want You to Confess Me Because There's A two Fold Aspect To Salvation We Believe With Our Heart And We Confess With Our Mouth And Here Are These Two Men They Tried To Hide It For Long Enough But There Came The Day When They Couldn't And They Came Out Of The Shadows And My Word They Made A Wonderful Confession Of Their Love For Jesus When All Many Others
[26:04] Not A lot Of The Women Were Watching A lot Of The Women Were Present They Were In It Too But Jesus His Own Immediate disciples Were Gone But These Two Men At The Most Dangerous Time Displayed Their Love For Jesus By Tending To The Body Of Jesus Christ And So We Read Now In The Place Where He Was Crucified There Was A Garden And The Garden A New Tomb In Which No One Had Been Laid And Again And As Highlighted So Often Man Fell In The Garden The Promise Of The Cross Was Given In The Garden Where Where Satan Would Bruise Satan's Head And Here We Have In A Sense The Cross Is By The Garden Where It Is All Restored Again Do You Believe All This Not Just In A Way Where You Say Well You Know Yes I Accept This
[27:04] An Acceptance Of The Truth Is Essential To Saving Faith But It's Not Sufficient We Have To Believe What The Word Says That Is An Absolute Essential And Say Yes I Actually Believe All This But That's Not Enough We Have To Come To A Personal Knowledge Of The Savior And That's What You Have To Do Today If You Haven't Come To Jesus Ask Him Lord I Love All That's Written Here I Love What You Have Done For Sinners I Am A Sinner Will You Put Your Love Into Me Let's Pray Lord Our God We Pray That We May Know Something Of The Resurrection Power Of Jesus As We Worship This Day A Day That Speaks To Us Of The Resurrection Of The Lord Jesus Christ Oh Lord May Our Eyes Be Lifted Up To Focus Upon Jesus And To
[28:04] Realize And Discover Afresh How Wonderful He Really Is Lord Bless Us In All That We're About Bless The Cabot In The Hall Afterwards And We Pray To Direct Our Feet And Keep Our Eyes From Tears And Be With Us And Take We're Going To Conclude Singing From Sing Psalms And Psalm Number 16 Psalm Number 16 And The Tune Is Golden Hill Sing Psalms Psalm Number 16 And We're Going To Sing From Verse 8 To The End And You'll Find That On Page 17 Before Me Constantly I Set The Lord Alone Because He Is At My Right Hand I Will Not Be Overthrown Therefore My Heart Is Glad My Tongue With Joy Will Sing My Body Too Will Rest Secure
[29:04] In Hope Unwavering For You Will Not Allow My Soul And Death To Stay Nor Will You Leave Your Holy One To See The Tombs Decay You Have Made known To Me The Path Of Life Divine Bliss Shall I Know At Your Right Hand Joy From Your Face Will Shine Psalm 16 From Verse 8 Before Me Constantly Before Me Constantly I Said The Lord Alone Because He Is At My Right Hand I Love The Old Ever Known Therefore My
[30:05] Heart Is Blind My Town With Joy Will Sing My Body Too Will Restitation Your Holy One To shield the tomb today
[31:06] You have made known to me A path of life divine Lest shall I know At your right hand Joy from your gates will shine Now may the grace, mercy, and peace of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit rest and abide upon each one of you now and forevermore. Amen.
[31:52] Thank you.