NLT Study Bible - Gospel of John - Flipbook - Page 52
John 19:39
1813
19:28-37
//Matt 27:45-56
//Mark 15:33-41
//Luke 23:44-49
The Death of Jesus
19:28
*Ps 22:15; 69:21
28Jesus
19:30
Job 19:26-27
19:31
Deut 21:22-23
19:35
John 20:30-31; 21:24
1 Jn 1:1
19:36
*Exod 12:46
Num 9:12
*Ps 34:20
19:37
*Zech 12:10
Rev 1:7
19:38-42
//Matt 27:57-61
//Mark 15:42-47
//Luke 23:50-56
19:39
John 3:1-2; 7:50
John 19:28-30// Matt 27:45-56 // Mark 15:33-41 //
Luke 23:44-49
knew that his mission was now fin
ished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am
thirsty.” 29A jar of sour wine was sitting
there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it
on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his
lips. 30When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It
is finished!” Then he bowed his head and
gave up his spirit.
31It was the day of preparat ion, and
the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies
hanging there the next day, which was the
Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, be
cause it was Passover week). So they asked
Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering
that their legs be broken. Then their bodies
could be taken down. 32So the soldiers came
and broke the legs of the two men crucified
with Jesus. 33But when they came to Jesus,
they saw that he was already dead, so they
didn’t break his legs. 34One of the soldiers,
however, pierced his side with a spear, and
immediately blood and water flowed out.
35 (This report is from an eyew itness giving
an accurate account. He speaks the truth
so that you also may continue to believe.)
36These things happened in fulfillment
of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of his
bones will be broken,” 37and “They will look
on the one they pierced.”
The Burial of Jesus
John 19:38-42 // Matt 27:57-61 // Mark 15:42-47 //
Luke 23:50-56
38Afterward
Joseph of Arimathea, who had
been a secret disciple of Jesus (because
he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate
for permission to take down Jesus’ body.
When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came
and took the body away. 39With him came
First-century Judean Tombs (John 19:41).
Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb, where Jesus
was buried (see Matt 27:57-60), was like
other first-century Judean tombs. This
drawing is based on sixty-one such “rolling-stone” tombs that have been discovered. These tombs, carved in limestone,
were affordable only by wealthy families,
and they were constructed according to
the laws of Judaism (see Mishnah Baba
Batra 6:8). After preparation for burial,
bodies were placed in the KOKH (niche)
which was then sealed with a rolling closure stone. Much later the dried bones
were stored in ossuaries (stone boxes)
within the tomb.
letter (1 Jn 1:1-4) may continue to
believe: Some manuscripts read may
believe.
19:36 “Not one of his bones will be
broken”: Exod 12:46; Num 9:12; Ps
34:20. The Passover lamb could have
no broken bones; Jesus was the perfect Passover lamb (see also 1 Cor 5:7).
19:37 “They will look on the one they
pierced”: Zechariah 12:10 describes
how Israel would look on a prophet
or the Messiah and lament their own
fatal lack of faith.
19:38 According to Luke, Joseph of
Arimathea was a courageous man
who was waiting for the Kingdom of
God (Luke 23:50-51). He was a wealthy
(Matt 27:57) and influential leader in
Jerusalem and a member of the high
council (Mark 15:43) who disagreed
with the decision to kill Jesus. He
asked Pilate for the favor of burying
Jesus in his personal tomb. Joseph
was a secret disciple (cp. 12:42-43),
but his bold deed brought him out in
public support of Jesus.
used in Egypt to brush lamb’s blood
on the doorposts and lintels during
the first Passover (Exod 12:22). Jesus
is God’s Passover lamb (1:29, 36), and
his blood likewise saves.
19:30 Jesus called out in triumph and
exhaustion that he had finished the
work he set out to do. On the cross he
was not a victim, but a servant doing
God’s bidding.
19:31-33 The Jewish authorities,
eager to complete the crucifixion
before Sabbath began at dusk, asked
Pilate to break the legs of the men.
Breaking the legs with a mallet was
common: It promoted asphyxiation
and hemorrhaging, because the
victim could no longer push himself
up to breathe.
19:34 To confirm that Jesus was dead,
a Roman soldier pierced his side with
a spear. blood and water flowed out:
This has several levels of meaning: (1)
The spear probably punctured Jesus’
pericardium, the sac around the
heart, releasing these fluids. (2) John
might have been thinking of more
Passover symbolism. The Passover
lamb’s blood had to flow as it died.
(3) The living water, flowing from
Jesus’ side, reminds readers of earlier
language that Jesus used to describe
himself (see 7:37-39; “Living Water” at
4:10-14, p. 1777).
19:35 John was at the foot of the
cross (19:26). He was not simply a
collector of traditions about Jesus,
but an eyewitness giving an accurate
account of the events of Jesus’ life
(cp. 21:24). This same confidence can
be seen in the opening of John’s first
