seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 19:28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
31 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. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”
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Here's the link to the commentary I read.
Knowing that all things were now accomplished: Jesus knew that His great work, His life and death work on the cross was fulfilled. He then made preparation to yield His life and die, having finished the work.
I thirst: Jesus didn’t accept a pain-numbing drink at the beginning of His ordeal (Mark 15:23), but now He accepted a taste of greatly diluted wine, to wet parched lips and a dry throat so He could make one final announcement to the world with a clear, loud voice.
It is finished! Jesus’ final word (tetelestai in the ancient Greek) was the cry of a winner. Jesus had finished the eternal purpose of the cross. It stands today as a finished work, the foundation of all Christian peace and faith, paying in full the debt we righteously owed to God and making peace between God and man.
Bowing His head: This speaks of a peaceful act, like lying down on a pillow to sleep. Jesus did not hang His head in defeat; He bowed it in peace.
Gave up His spirit: No one took Jesus’ life from Him; He, in a manner unlike any man, gave up His spirit. Death had no righteous hold over the sinless Son of God. He stood in the place of sinners, but was never a sinner Himself. So He could not die unless He gave up His spirit.
Because it was the Preparation Day: This refers back to John’s statement at John 19:14 and raises the same difficult chronological questions previous mentioned at John 18:28.
That the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath: Normally those executed by crucifixion remained affixed to their cross for days as a grim warning of the consequences of disobeying the Roman government. Yet because of the approaching Sabbath (and because it was a high day, associated with Passover and its week), the religious leaders demanded that the Romans take away the disgusting sight of three crucified men.
The Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken: The breaking of the legs of a crucified man hastened his death because he could not support himself from his legs or feet helping him to take a better breath.
“The only way a crucified man would obtain a full breath of air was to raise himself by means of his legs to ease the tension on his arms and chest muscles. If the legs were broken, he could not possibly do so; and death would follow shortly because of lack of oxygen.” (Tenney)
The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other: Answering the request of the religious leaders, the soldiers hastened the death of the men on either side of Jesus.
This was brutal work for rough men. They likely used an iron bar or a heavy club. “To secure speedy death the crucifragium, breaking of the legs with a heavy mallet or bar, was sometimes resorted to: as without such means the crucified might in some cases linger for thirty-six hours.” (Dods) This breaking of the legs must have been terrifying for a man still alive on a cross.
They came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead: These soldiers had (presumably) supervised many executions on the cross. They knew when a man had died and when he was still alive. It was their experienced judgment that said Jesus was already dead.
One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear: The customary way to make sure of the death of a crucified man was to club and break the legs. After doing so to the first two victims, it was entirely normal for this soldier to do the same to Jesus — he was even presumably ordered to do it. Yet he did not; instead he pierced His side with a spear and unwittingly fulfilled several prophecies, mentioned below.
Immediately blood and water came out: This was taken as absolute confirmation that Jesus was dead. The gash in His side from the point of the spear flowed forth with a substance that looked like blood, and a substance that looked like water.
There are some who regard this as something of an on-the-spot autopsy of Jesus, revealing that His actual cause of death was of a ruptured (burst) heart. The thinking is that in such cases, the sack surrounding the heart (normally filled with a watery substance) fills with blood. If that sack is opened and its contents allowed to flow outside the body, it would look like an issue of blood and water (because the two substances do not mix, something like oil and water). Normally this would be a trickle; perhaps there was something supernatural at work to demonstrate this sign.
He who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe: John gave solemn assurance that he was present at the crucifixion of Jesus and saw these things with his own eyes. He also explained the reason for his testimony: so that the reader may believe.
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Jesus died on the Cross on a Saturday. It was the Preparation Day for the Special Sabbath [Verse 31]. It was Passover and Sabbath together in one weekend. It was Preparation Day when they Arrested Him, Sentenced Him, Beat Him, Publicly Humiliated Him, and put Him to death.
They couldn't have Him hanging and rotting on the Cross on the Sabbath. The Pharisees and the Sadducees would not allow anything to detract from their "Special Sabbath".
If they left the dead on the crosses too long, the birds would start to pick at them. That would have made an unappealing sight to behold on their "Special Sabbath".
Back in the Old Testament we read that God wanted them to remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy. It wouldn't be Holy to have Jesus on the Cross, attracting bugs and birds and starting to rot. It would be work to take Jesus off the Cross after sundown. The Pharisees and the Sadducees had laws about working on the Sabbath.
Jesus must not have suffered too long.
This morning, I wonder, what did the people think when they saw Jesus carrying a cross to the hill? Those who Believed that Jesus was the Messiah must have had some reaction to seeing their Messiah beaten and murdered. Those who laid palm bows on the path so Jesus could enter Jerusalem on a donkey like any king of the day, must have been taken aback.
Did Barabbas have his sword sharpened? Did Barabbas claim he was saved by Jesus so he could bring Rome to their knees?
Did those people healed by Jesus fall back to their demise? Did they look at Jesus on the Cross and gasp? Did they run and hide in fear because the Guard may come for them next?
Jesus didn't make any long speeches. He was on a Mission. Speaking eloquent longwinded sermons of judgement was not a requirement for this Mission. He told John to take care of Mary and then He took care of the dying part. When it was almost time for the human body to give up on Him, He asked for a drink to wet His mouth, and He spoke His last Words. "It is finished". If He had been a painter, He would have signed His name and stepped back to "behold" his work and say "It is finished".
Jesus died on the Cross on Preparation Day before the Special Sabbath.
Everyone who was anyone was in town for the Passover Celebration.
Jesus was there for all to see!
The Death of Jesus...
