Jesus Died

[Read John 19:28-37]

It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned this particular aspect from the Gospel of John, but it becomes very significant now, and in the coming chapters. I want to make sure we don’t forget that one of the major themes of this gospel is the theme of witness. We’ve read about it throughout the gospel, tales of people being healed who then go and tell everyone—witness to them—about what happened to them. We see story after story of people telling the world what Jesus has done for them and then people believing Jesus and following him as a result.

In many ways, we read these stories and can get motivated to begin doing the same thing. We get excited about the prospect of witnessing to our friends and family members about what Jesus has done for us. Then we run into a real problem. We soon realize that not only do many people not want to hear what we have to say, but even worse, many people think we are fools for saying what we have to say. We’re quickly reminded of this truth from God’s Word: “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing…” (1 Corinthians 1:18, ESV). As we realize this, we also realize it’s really difficult to witness to something that people see as completely foolish. At times it feels like trying to sell one of those tiny little smart cars to someone looking for a souped up muscle car. It’s just not going to work.

So, often one of two things happens. Sometimes, after encountering situations like this, people recognize the futility of trying to convince anyone that the cross isn’t foolish, and they quit trying completely. They simply give up. Sometimes people even try to spiritualize it by saying (and misapplying), “I’m just going to Let go and let God.” The other thing that can happen is that people don’t quit trying to witness, but they work really hard at trying to make their witness respectable. People don’t like to be considered fools, or to look foolish, so they try to adapt things so that people will no longer call them fools or call their message foolish. And in doing so, they empty the cross of its power, as Paul talks about right before this passage.

In contrast to all of that, we see John doubling down on what the world considers foolishness. Last week, we read that John was still near the cross. He hadn’t fled like all the other disciples. He was still there, watching everything else that was happening. He saw it all first hand. He watched Jesus carry the cross to Golgotha. He watched them drive the nails and lift Jesus on the cross. He watched Jesus gasping for air and caring for his mother. And as we read in this passage, he watches Jesus die. He saw it all.

He also wants everyone to know that he saw it all and that Jesus really died. We read, “But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe.” (John 19:33–35, ESV). Notice John making a big deal about what just happened. He says, “I saw it! I saw them pierce Jesus’ side. I saw the water and the blood four out of his side. It’s true. I was there and saw it with my own eyes.”

Now, as is typical, there’s a lot of speculation about the water and the blood that poured out of Jesus’ side. Some have seen it as a metaphor for the two sacraments: the blood of communion and the water of baptism. Some have nuanced it a bit and said that it represents the cleansing and washing power of Jesus’ death on the cross—which is more likely, I think. However, I think John’s main point in this portion is to point out that Jesus was dead—really, truly dead.

They’ve done tests on cadavers that have shown that when a chest cavity is severely injured, but hasn’t been penetrated, that fluid builds up. A lot of fluid can build up, up to two liters. And this fluid has a different density than the blood, which means it doesn’t mix in with the blood, but separates on the top. Which means that when the chest cavity is pierced, you would see blood and “water” flow from his side, proving that he was dead. I think this is John’s point. He’s saying, “I saw the guard stab the spear up into Jesus’ rib cage and into his heart. I saw the blood and water flow out of his side. I saw clearly that Jesus died. Believe me. It happened.”

Here’s what’s kinda crazy about this witness of John. The thing that he is “doubling-down” on is the very thing that the world sees as foolish—the cross. The world thinks it’s foolish for us to worship a Messiah who suffered and died. The world thinks it’s foolish for us to serve a savior who was crucified on a cross and put to shame for all the world to see. To them this looks like the epitome of weakness and failure and foolishness. Yet, here we see John witnessing to this very truth, not meekly, not embarrassedly, but boldly telling everyone, “He died! He died! I saw it!”

Here’s why that’s the case. It goes back to the rest of the verse I shared earlier: “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18, ESV). The cross may be foolish to the world, but it’s not foolish to those who have been saved by it. To those who’ve been saved by the cross, it is POWER and GLORY and MIGHT.

It also goes back to something we talked about in one of the first sermons in this Gospel. John says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory…” (John 1:14, ESV). In response to this, DA Carson reminds us, “In the theology of the Fourth Gospel, the glory of the Son is nowhere more brilliantly displayed to a fallen world than in the shame and suffering of the cross.” (626). What the world sees as foolish, we see as power and glory because we see Jesus for who he truly is in this moment. We see him as the perfect sacrifice, willingly laying down his life for his sheep. This is true glory and power. And even though the world may call us fools for believing it, we should never ever be ashamed. Rather, we should repeatedly double-down like John did and say, “Jesus died. Isn’t that glorious and beautiful!”

And part of the beauty and the glory of it all comes from something we talked about last week, that comes up again in this passage: This is all part of God’s plan. Jesus didn’t die on the cross because he was weak and powerless, but because he willingly laid down his life according to the plan of redemption. We’re reminded of this truth again as we hear the repeated theme throughout this passage, “to fulfill the Scripture” (John 19:28, ESV). Like I mentioned last week, this is John’s way of reminding us that God has been talking about this moment for a long time. This has always been his plan for the salvation of his people.

John points out three aspects of this story that fulfill Scripture. At the beginning he points out that Jesus saying, “I thirst.” (John 19:28, ESV), is a fulfillment of Scripture. Now, there are numerous Psalms that talk about being thirsty in the midst of suffering, and people have pointed to a number of those Psalms in fulfillment of Jesus’ plea. However, most people see this as referring back to a Psalm of David, where he says, “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.” (Psalm 69:21, ESV). I think it’s important to recognize that John doesn’t tell us what scripture is fulfilled. I believe John is showing us in a general way that Jesus is the “greater David” whom God was sending to deliver his people in fulfillment of God’s plan.

At the end of this passage, John points out two more aspects of this story that show this was part of God’s plan. We read, “For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”” (John 19:36–37, ESV). This time he tells us which passages he’s referring to—kinda. When he references scripture that talks about not one of his bones being broken, it could be referring to another Psalm (34) OR it could be a hint at the Passover Lamb, who’s bones weren’t to be broken. The other scripture is much more clearly from Zechariah: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” (Zechariah 12:10, ESV).

In order to understand these references, it’s important to realize something about biblical prophecy. I think the best explanation for understanding biblical prophecy has been that there are horizons of fulfillment. That terminology wants you to have a particular image in your mind. There are some famous pictures of the Smoky Mountains, where you can see layers of hills going off into the distance—differing horizons. Some are close up and some are far away. The fulfillment of biblical prophecy is very similar in many ways. Each of these prophecies were fulfilled in their unique way in the time of the prophet—before Jesus. That was one horizon, but it wasn’t the final horizon of fulfillment. The prophecy would find fuller fulfillment in Jesus Christ himself—a different horizon. And many prophecies will find an even fuller fulfillment—their ultimate fulfillment—when Jesus Christ comes again and we enter into the new heavens and the new earth. These horizons are why we sometimes think that the NT writers are playing “fast and loose” with scripture. That’s not true. They’re actually helping us to understand another layer of fulfillment of that prophecy in Jesus Christ. This is also why Jesus can say that every portion of the Old Testament points to him—he is the fulfillment of everything from the Old Testament.

So, John is helping us see that here in this passage by showing us God’s sovereign plan working itself out in the minute details of this story. “It just so happened” that Jesus died very quickly so that his legs didn’t need to be broken. “It just so happened” that one of the soldiers pierced him to make sure he was dead. “It just so happened” that every minute detail of this entire event was planned by God before the foundations of the earth so that God could save and redeem his people.

This is also why we read this line: “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30, ESV). This plan that has been at work throughout the ages is finished. But it’s more than that. Like I’ve mentioned a number of times throughout this series, you can use the same words in a variety of ways. I’m sure all of us can remember a time when we were given a terrible task, one that we dreaded doing, and when we were done we said something like, “It’s finished!”, meaning more like, “Thanks goodness that’s over!”. That’s not what Jesus is saying here.

The last time I preached on this passage, I was close to graduating from seminary and was reflecting back over the journey it took to get there. I went back to school when I was 25, slowly worked my way through my undergraduate classes so that I could go to seminary. I chose not to attend my graduation ceremony at college because it wasn’t the end for me, it was a stepping stone along the way. I still had five years left of seminary before I was done. There were some really great and beautiful moments along the way and some very difficult and hard moments along the way. But I remember sitting on the graduation stage receiving my diploma and thinking, “It’s finished” not in a “Thank goodness that’s over sense,” but more like, “God called me to accomplish this task. He has been faithful in providing everything I’ve needed during this journey. I’ve been faithful in following His lead. Now, this God-given task is completed/accomplished. Glory to God.”

That’s much closer to what Jesus is saying in this passage. Some commentators have said that instead of “It is finished” it should be translated “It is accomplished!”. Jesus had been given a mission while on earth. He was to live a perfect life and die a perfect death so that his people could be redeemed and renewed. Now, as he breathes his last breath on the cross, he says, it’s done—it’s finished—it’s accomplished. All of it.

The fact that it is finished is more significant than many people realize. John Calvin says, “Now this word, which Christ employs, well deserves our attention; for it shows that the whole accomplishment of our salvation, and all the parts of it, are contained in his death.” (Calvin, 235). It is finished means that it is finished, nothing more needs to be done. This is why we receive this promise by faith and not by works. There’s nothing you can do to earn this salvation. You can’t earn it by attending church, or youth group, or reading your Bible, or praying more often. There’s nothing you can do to add to that salvation or improve upon. It is already accomplished. It is finished. When you turn to Christ in faith, turning from your sin and rebellion, embracing Him through faith, you receive what Christ accomplished in that moment—all of it—the complete forgiveness of your sins and redemption. The punishment you deserve was fully poured out on Christ. Your sins are washed as white as snow because of his sacrifice. When you turn to Christ in faith, in that moment, Christ’s “It is accomplished” from the cross is spoken over your life. Christ looks at you and says, “Your salvation and the forgiveness of your sins is completely accomplished!”

This accomplishes a couple things in us. First, it reminds us that since our salvation is accomplished fully and completely in and through Jesus Christ, we better not try looking for that anywhere else. That’s what we call idolatry. We should not think that we need Jesus plus anything else for our salvation. NO. In Jesus it is accomplished fully. Trying to turn elsewhere not only is a slap to the face of the one who died for you, basically telling him that you don’t think he did a good enough job or was telling the truth when he said “It is finished”, but it will also leave you consistently disappointed and let down BECAUSE there is no salvation out there apart from Jesus Christ. So, looking for it through sex and money and power and drugs and any other item on the long list of false gods, will let you down because there is no salvation there. Actually, the contrary is there, death and destruction.

Instead, rest in the “It is finished” of Jesus Christ. He said those words so that we could find true peace and rest and comfort in this life. Notice how the Heidelberg Catechism speaks to this truth. You should know this one by now, and if you haven’t memorized it yet, I strongly encourage you to memorize it. The catechism begins by asking the question, “What is my only comfort in life and in death?” and answers it by saying, “That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him." Basically, our only comfort in life and in death comes when we look to Jesus Christ in faith and Jesus looks at us and says “It is finished”.