Christ’s Death and Burial
John 19:31-42
31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And 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. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 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 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.
The point of John 19:31-42 is very simple. It is that Jesus of Nazareth really died and was buried. That is the point. Jesus really died. He experienced death. He tasted it. He endured it, really and truly.
Yet, although the point of the passage is indeed this simple, I want us to think about the details of it for a few minutes because Jesus’ death and burial are at the very heart of the gospel message. As Paul summarized the gospel by writing (1 Cor. 15:3-4), “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”
Our text is in two parts. In John 19:31-37 we have the final scene at the cross. Here John conveys the truth that Christ Jesus died. John presents four witnesses to testify to this truth. Then in John 19:38-42 John shows how Christ Jesus was buried by two unlikely disciples.
So the first point is that,
1. Christ Jesus died (John 19:31-37)
Maybe you’re thinking, “Well, that’s obvious. Of course He died!” But many people down through the centuries have denied that seemingly obvious fact. Late in the first century, Docetists denied that Jesus was truly a man. They claimed that He only seemed to be a man and thus He only seemed to die. Over a billion Muslims today believe something similar to that error because Mohammed, whose knowledge of Christianity came through Docetist sources, wrote in the Quran (Sura 4.156), “They did not kill him, neither did they crucify him; it only seemed to be so.” (D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John [Eerdmans/Apollos], pp. 623-624, footnote 3). I believe that part of the reason John wrote his letter of 1 John was to oppose an early form of this heresy. There John wrote (1 John 4:2-3), “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.” Jesus did not just seem to be a man, He was truly a man of flesh and blood. As John wrote at the beginning of his Gospel (John 1:14), “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
We saw last time in John 19:30 how Jesus died, “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”
Defined in medical terms death is the “irreversible cessation of all vital functions especially as indicated by permanent stoppage of the heart, respiration, and brain activity” (Merriam-Webster). When Jesus died He “bowed His head”. His body gave out. His heart stopped beating; His lungs stopped processing air; His brain ceased functioning.
But more than that, John tells us “He gave up His spirit.” There is a reminder here that we humans are not merely physical beings. We are not only made up of flesh and blood, but also of soul and spirit. When Jesus died He “bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
Jesus of Nazareth experienced death in full, and John presents four witnesses to testify to it.
A. The soldiers certify His death (19:31-34)
John presents the Roman soldiers to us as witnesses to the death of Christ.
In John 19:31we read, “Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.”
The “Preparation Day” was Friday, the day before the Jewish Sabbath. Since the Jews could not work on the Sabbath, they had to prepare all the meals for the Sabbath the day before. John points out that this was no ordinary Sabbath, it was “a high day”. Because this Sabbath fell during the Passover week, it was extra special.
Again, notice the hypocrisy of the Jewish authorities. They have just murdered an innocent man their concerned is to not defile themselves for the Sabbath day. Perhaps they were thinking of Deuteronomy 21:22-23 which says, “If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.” So the Jewish authorities go to Pilate and request that the three who were crucified have their legs broken and their bodies removed from the crosses. Breaking of the legs of the criminals would make death come quickly since it would make it nearly impossible for them to breathe.
John describes the scene in John 19:32-34: “Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 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 immediately blood and water came out.”
The point is that the soldiers knew Jesus was dead. That is why they did not break His legs. And just to make sure, one soldier thrust a spear into His side. If Jesus had still been alive He would have certainly reacted to this, but instead John tells us that from His side flowed blood and water.
Medical experts disagree on exactly what happened (Carson, p. 623, cites the two most common theories), but it’s obvious from the flow of blood and water that Jesus was dead before the spear thrust. But even if He hadn’t already died, this spear thrust would have finished the job. It wasn’t a minor puncture wound—it left a scar large enough to put your hand into (John 20:27). D.A. Carson writes, “However the medical experts work this out, there can be little doubt that the Evangelist is emphasizing Jesus’ death, His death as a man, His death beyond any shadow of doubt.”
Bible scholars have long wondered about the significance of this. John, who loves symbolism, most likely wants us to think about the symbolic meaning of this. But the problem is, commentators differ on what it means. The most common suggestion from Chrysostom on has been that the water represents baptism and the blood represents the Lord’s table. I think that is reading something into the text that is probably not there.
It is more likely that the blood and water point to the eternal life and cleansing that flow from Jesus’ death. J. C. Ryle (Expository Thoughts on the Gospels) believed that John had Zechariah 13:1 in mind, “In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.” That verse occurs just five verses after Zechariah 12:10, which John quotes with reference to the piercing of Jesus’ side (John 19:37). So, the blood and water symbolize cleansing from sin (1 John 1:7) and eternal life by the Holy Spirit (John 4:14; 7:37-39; see Carson, p. 624).
August Toplady’s hymn, “Rock of Ages”, goes in that direction, doesn’t it?
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.
We also sing of that cleansing in William Cowper’s hymn,
There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
What is unmistakably clear is that Jesus really died. Blood and water flowed from His side. The Romans soldiers – the professional executioners – were sure of it, and so John presents them to us as witnesses.
B. John’s eyewitness testimony (19:35)
Notice, secondly, that John himself is also a witness. In John 19:35 we read, “And 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.”
To whom is John referring here? It is most natural, I think, and most in keeping with the way that John refers to himself throughout his Gospel, to understand John to be referring to himself. Remember John was at the cross with Jesus’ mother (John 19:26). He is the one bearing witness. He promises to be telling the truth about the death of Christ. Why? “so that you may believe.” That is the whole point of the Gospel of John isn’t it? “…these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name,” (John 20:31).
So the soldiers actions testify to Christ’s death and John’s eyewitness testifies to Jesus’ death. And thirdly we have,
C. The fulfillment of scripture (19:36-37)
Notice, that John sets the Old Testament scriptures before us as evidence. First he writes in John 19:36, “For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, ‘Not one of His bones shall be broken.’”
John is probably combining three Old Testament Scriptures: Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12, which prohibit breaking the bones of the Passover lamb; and, Psalm 34:20, which refers to God protecting the righteous man from his enemies breaking his bones. John’s concern is that we would see Jesus as God’s righteous servant who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus’ death was foreordained, promised, and prefigured. Even the small details were in fulfillment of prophesy.
Second, John points out in John 19:37, “And again another Scripture says, ‘They shall look on Him whom they pierced.’” This is certainly a reference to Zechariah 12:10 which says,
And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.
That prophecy will have its final fulfillment when Jesus returns (Rev. 1:7), but it had its initial fulfillment here. It also fulfills Isaiah 53:5, which says that the Suffering Servant “was wounded (literally, pierced through) for our transgressions.” I would love to expound on the prophecies of Zechariah 12 and 13, but for now, I simply want to draw your attention to the main idea. Jesus of Nazareth died on the cross, not because He failed his mission, but because He accomplished it. The death of Jesus Christ was not man’s idea, it was God’s. His death fulfilled scriptures written long ago. The scriptures testify to the necessity of the death of the Christ.
The fourth witness to the death of Jesus comes at His burial. So we see in John 19:38-42 that,
2. Christ was buried (John 19:38-42)
Jesus’ burial by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus also testify to the death of Christ. I think these two serve as powerful witnesses. Both of these men were members of the Sanhedrin. They were powerful men, well respected amongst the Jews.
All four Gospels tell us that Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate to ask permission to take Jesus from the cross to give Him a proper burial. The gospels portray him as a rich man (Matt. 27:57); a good and just man (Luke 23:50) who was looking for the kingdom of God (Mark 15:43). He had not consented to the decision to crucify Jesus (Luke 23:51). He had become a disciple of Jesus (Matt. 27:57), but secretly for fear of the Jews (John 19:38). Mark says that Joseph, “coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.” (Mark 15:43). “Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus.” (John 19:38).
John 19:39 informs us that Joseph was not alone, “And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.” This man who probably for fear of the Jews come to Jesus at night when he could not be seen, now steps out of the shadows and helps prepare Jesus’ body for burial.
Joseph and Nicodemus had nothing to gain and everything to lose. But because they believed in Him, they risked their reputations to give Jesus a proper burial, when no one else could or would. John tells us about the burial (John 19:40-42),
“40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 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 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.”
Matthew tells us it was Joseph’s own tomb (Matt. 27:60) which was unused (Luke 23:53). It was hewn out of the rock (Mark 15:46). John wants us to know the tomb was in a garden near Golgotha.
Normally, a crucified man’s body would be left on the cross until the vultures had eaten it and then taken down and thrown on the ash heap called Gehenna. But because God always accomplishes His purpose (Isa. 46:8-11), Jesus was buried in this rich man’s tomb fulfilling Isaiah 53:9,
“And they made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.”
So these are the four witness concerning the death of Jesus: The Roman soldiers, John himself, the scriptures, and the burial by Joseph and Nicodemus.
But the question remains, why does it matter that Jesus died? Why is John so concerned to demonstrate it to us?
Well, for one thing, it obviously sets up the resurrection narrative which follows. You cannot have a true resurrection without a true death. Here is the most important reason for the emphasis upon the death of Christ. If He did not die, then He could not rise from the dead. Why is that significant? The apostle Paul points out (1 Corinthians 15:14): “And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.” If Christ did not die Christianity is false. Again Paul writes (1 Cor. 15:17-19),
17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
Why would our faith be empty and futile if Jesus Christ did not die and then rise from the dead on the third day? Because the Christian faith is not, first of all, about ethical or moral teaching. It is not about how you can have a happier and more satisfying life. If it were Jesus would not have to die. He would only need to teach and give us an example!
But His death and resurrection were necessary. He came to die as the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He came to take away the power of death and the sting of death. He came to give life, eternal life. And that could only be accomplished through His death and resurrection.
What does the death and burial of Jesus Christ mean? Everything, if we believe on Him. As the modern hymn (by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend) says so beautifully
Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death,
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.
This, the power of the cross:
Son of God, slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.
