John 19:33

19:31-37 A trial was made whether Jesus was dead. He died in less time than persons crucified commonly did. It showed that he had laid down his life of himself. The spear broke up the very fountains of life; no human body could survive such a wound. But its being so solemnly attested, shows there was something peculiar in it. The blood and water that flowed out, signified those two great benefits which all believers partake of through Christ, justification and sanctification; blood for atonement, water for purification. They both flow from the pierced side of our Redeemer. To Christ crucified we owe merit for our justification, and Spirit and grace for our sanctification. Let this silence the fears of weak Christians, and encourage their hopes; there came both water and blood out of Jesus' pierced side, both to justify and sanctify them. The Scripture was fulfilled, in Pilate's not allowing his legs to be broken, Ps 34:20. There was a type of this in the paschal lamb, Ex 12:46. May we ever look to Him, whom, by our sins, we have ignorantly and heedlessly pierced, nay, sometimes against convictions and mercies; and who shed from his wounded side both water and blood, that we might be justified and sanctified in his name.

But when they came to Jesus,.... Whom they passed by before, and now returned to; this they did not out of tenderness to him, but that he might be the longer in his torture, and whom they reserved till last, that they might use him with the greater cruelty and barbarity: and saw that he was dead already; as they might, from the bowing down of his head, the ghastliness of his countenance, the falling of his jaws, and other signs: they brake not his legs; there being no occasion for it, nor would it have answered any end, were they ever so spiteful and malicious against him; though the true reason was, and which restrained them from it, divine providence would not suffer them to do it.

33. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already—there being in His case elements of suffering, unknown to the malefactors, which might naturally hasten His death, lingering though it always was in such cases, not to speak of His previous sufferings. they brake not his legs—a fact of vast importance, as showing that the reality of His death was visible to those whose business it was to see to it. The other divine purpose served by it will appear presently.

John 19:33 . Τὸν Ἰησοῦν , Jesus ) the breaking of whose legs, which they had intended, they had put off for the sake of giving Him more protracted pain.— ὡς εἶδον , when they saw ) what they had not anticipated. Therefore these soldiers, whilst they were occupied with their own concerns, had not observed the death of Jesus. John 19:33

(33) And saw that he was dead already, . . . The only explanation of their not breaking the legs of Jesus seems to be that the purpose of the crurifragium was to ensure death, or, in any case, prevent the possibility of escape. Crucifixion itself would not necessarily cause death for several days, nor, indeed, at all; but Jesus had by His own will committed His spirit to His Father.

Saw that he was dead - Saw by the indications of death on his person, and perhaps by the testimony of the centurion, Matthew 27:54 . The death of Jesus was doubtless hastened by the intense agony of the garden, and the special sufferings endured as an atonement for sin on the cross. Compare Matthew 27:46 .

Pilate expostulates with the Jews on their barbarous demands; but they become more inveterate, and he delivers Christ into their hands, John 19:12-16. He, bearing his cross, is led to Golgotha, and crucified, John 19:17-22. The soldiers cast lots for his raiment, John 19:23, John 19:24. Jesus commends his mother to the care of John, John 19:25-27. Jesus thirsts, receives vinegar, and dies, John 19:28-30. The Jews request that the legs of those who were crucified might be broken; the soldiers break those of the two thieves, and pierce the side of Christ; the Scriptures fulfilled in these acts, John 19:31-37. Joseph of Arimathea begs the body of Christ; and Nicodemus brings spices to embalm it, John 19:38-40. He is laid in a new sepulchre, John 19:41, John 19:42.

2. Because it was the day on which all the people presented themselves in the temple according to the command, Exodus 23:17. 3. Because that was the day on which the sheaf of the first fruits was offered, according to the command, Leviticus 23:10, Leviticus 23:11. So that upon this day there happened to be three solemnities in one. - Lightfoot. It might be properly called a high day, because the passover fell on that Sabbath. Their legs might be broken - Lactantius says. l. iv. c. 26, that it was a common custom to break the legs or other bones of criminals upon the cross; and this appears to have been a kind of coup de grace, the sooner to put them out of pain. JOHN 19: 32 Therefore the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who was crucified with him; JOHN 19: 33 but when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was already dead, they didn’t break his legs. JOHN 19: 34 However one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 1. Because the other evangelists had not noticed it. 2. Because it contained the most decisive proof of the death of Christ: as a wound such as this was could not have been inflicted, (though other causes had been wanting), without occasioning the death of the person; and on his dying for men depended the salvation of the world. And, 3. Because two important prophecies were fulfilled by this very circumstance, both of which designated more particularly the person of the Messiah. A bone of him shall not be broken, Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalms 34:20. They shall look upon him whom they pierced, Zac 12:10; Psalms 22:16. JOHN 19: 36 For these things happened, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, “A bone of him will not be broken.” JOHN 19: 37 Again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they pierced.” JOHN 19: 38 After these things, Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked of Pilate that he might take away Jesus’ body. Pilate gave him permission. He came therefore and took away his body.

We have not sinned (οὐχ ἡμαρτήκαμεν) Committed sins. Sin regarded as an act. The state is expressed by ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔχομεν we have no (or not) sin (1 John 1:8). We make Him (ποιοῦμεν αὐτὸν) A phrase characteristic of John. See John 5:18; John 8:53; John 10:33; John 19:7, John 19:12. His word (ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ) Not the personal Word, as John 1:1, but the divine message of the Gospel. See Luke 5:1; Luke 8:11; Acts 4:31; Acts 6:2, Acts 6:7, etc. Compare "the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). The truth is the substance of the word. The word carries the truth. The word both moves the man (John 8:31, John 8:32) and abides in him (John 5:38; John 8:37). The man also abides in the word (John 8:31).

1 John 1:10 . Not a repetition, but “a strengthening of 1 John 1:8 ” (Baumgarten-Crusius). As 1 John 1:8 is connected with the end of 1 John 1:7 , so is this verse with 1 John 1:9 . ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ] as in 1 John 1:8 . ὅτι οὐχ ἡμαρτήκαμεν ] is substantially synonymous with ὅτι ἁμαρτ . οὐκ ἔχομεν , only distinguished from it in this way that the former describes an activity, the latter a state (so also Braune); the expression used here is called forth by the plural τὰς ἁμαρτίας and the idea ἡ ἀδικία ( 1 John 1:9 ), by which the sinful character is more definitely specified as an activity than by ἁμαρτία in 1 John 1:7 . The perfect does not prove that ἡμαρτήκαμεν is meant of sins before conversion (Socinus, Russmeyer, Paulus, etc.); the subject here, as in all the verses before, is the sinning of Christians; for to deny former sin could not occur to a Christian.[74] The perfect is explained both by John’s usus loquendi, according to which an action lasting up to the present is often represented in this tense, and also by the fact that the confession every time refers to sins previously committed. ΨΕΎΣΤΗΝ ΠΟΙΟῦΜΕΝ ΑὐΤΌΝ ] corresponds to ἙΑΥΤΟῪς ΠΛΑΝῶΜΕΝ ; it brings out that the Christian by the denial of his sin accuses God ( ΑὐΤΌΝ , i.e. τὸν Θεόν ) of lying. In ΠΟΙΕῖΝ there lies, as Düsterdieck remarks, a certain reproachful bitterness; comp. John 5:18 ; John 8:53 ; John 10:33 ; John 19:7 ; John 19:12 .