Jesus is Alive!

Note that the passion and death of Christ was in direct fulfillment of “the Scripture.”  This is an explicit reference to the Old Testament prophecies of the death of the Messiah, not the least of which is Psalm 22:18. This, then, becomes a major piece of evidence supporting the internal consistency of the Bible and, thus, its inspiration and authority.

Verses 29-30

It is significant that John records Christ bowing His head and giving up His spirit (v.30).  This recalls His stunning claim that no one would take His life. To the contrary, He would “give” His life as a ransom for the sins of His sheep (John 10:17-18). The cry “it is finished” displays the fact that Christ’s death upon the cross was an actual atonement for sin. That is, His vicarious death and subsequent resurrection did not merely make salvation possible, but made it a fact for those He came to save.  Again we must appeal to the words of Christ Himself in John 10:15—“I lay down my life for the sheep.” It is here, in the words of Jesus Himself, that we discover the particular or definite nature of Christ’s redemptive ministry.

Verses 31-37

The significance of this section is the proof it offers us concerning the literal death of Christ.  The importance of this cannot be overstated, for if our Lord had not suffered a literal biological death His bodily resurrection and our eternal salvation would have been impossible. Note the clear evidence for Christ’s death:

• The testimony of the Roman soldiers—vv. 32-33.  Their investigation verified that Christ was already dead and did not need to have His legs broken in order to hasten death. Again, this fact was a literal fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesy of Psalm 34:20 (John 19:36-37).

• The manifestation of “blood and water” from the spear wound—v. 34.  This confirmed beyond all doubt that Jesus was actually dead.  Medical authorities find in these words clear evidence that Christ died of cardiac arrest precipitated by the drowning of the heart in bodily fluids. 

The Burial of Jesus (19:38-42)

The preparation and burial of Christ’s body by “Joseph of Arimathea” (v.38) and “Nicodemus” (v.39) also verifies the reality of the Lord’s sacrificial death.  As the text declares, these two men “wrapped” (v.40), or literally mummified, the body of Christ in over “seventy-five pounds” of “myrrh and aloes” (v.39). Typically, the body of the deceased would be entombed in a casing of linen wrappings (multiple layers) and spices that might weigh as much as 125 pounds when completed! 

The Discovery of the Empty Tomb (20:1-9)

Verses 1-2

The “new tomb” (19:41), in which Christ’s lifeless body was laid, was secured by a massive “stone” placed over the entrance.  Some have speculated that this stone weighed as much as three thousand pounds!  This makes it all the more remarkable that when “Mary of Magdala” arrived at the burial site “on the first day of the week” she “saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance” (v.1).  Her absolute bewilderment at the unlikely situation is revealed in her “running to Simon Peter and the other disciple” with the news that “they have taken the Lord out of the tomb” (v.2).