It was Friday, the day of preparation for the Sabbath. That particular Sabbath was a “high day” because it was Sabbath of the Passover week, intensifying the Jewish leaders’ concern that the legs of those crucified be broken so that their bodies might be taken away before the Sabbath day began
In addition to the Sabbath approaching the Jews believed that to leave the bodies exposed on their crosses would be a violation of the law and would defile the land. Deuteronomy 21:22-23
Nothing more clearly illustrates the extreme hypocrisy to which their destructive legalism had driven them. They were zealous to observe the letter of the law while at the same time killing the One who both authored and fulfilled it. They were carefully concerned that the land not be defiled, but were unconcerned about their own defilement from murdering the Son of God.
The soldiers were experts at determining death; it was part of their job. They had nothing to gain by lying about Jesus’ death.
Further proof that Jesus was indeed dead was the fact that when one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear blood and water came out.
If this was not enough proof that Jesus was indeed dead John verifies it by declaring truthfully that he saw Jesus die with his own eyes. John’s account is not hearsay or legend, but rather an eyewitness report of an actual historical event.
John is declaring these things so that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the promised Savior of sinners, who by His life and death has fulfilled Scripture.
By giving up His life when He did, our Lord assured that the soldiers fulfilled the Scripture. According to Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12 no bone of the Passover lamb was to be broken. Jesus was the perfect fulfillment of the Passover lamb, and as such could not have any of His bones broken.
Psalm 34:20 was also fulfilled: He keeps all his bones, not one of them is broken.”
Our Lord dying early led to Him being pierced to ensure that He was dead and also fulfilled the Scripture which says: “…they will look on Me whom they have pierced” (Zech 12:10).
CHRIST PLACED IN A TOMB 19:38-42
Joseph of Arimathea was a good and righteous man (Luke 23:50), who was waiting for the kingdom of God (Mark 15:43). He was a disciple of Jesus (Matt 27:57), although a secret one for fear of the Jews.
Jesus not only exhibited His divine power over death by controlling the details of His dying, but even more remarkably, He also controlled the circumstances of His burial after He was dead, fulfilling the Scripture in Isaiah 53:9 which says: He was assigned a grave with the wicked, yet He was with a rich man in His death.
Though Joseph and Nicodemus kept their allegiance to Jesus secret while Jesus was alive, they courageously braved the wrath of the rest of the Jewish leaders when they took Jesus off the cross and prepared Him for burial
Unlike the Egyptians, the Jews did not embalm their dead; they used fragrant spices to mask the smell of decomposition for as long as possible.
As was commonly done, Joseph’s tomb had been carved out of rock and was sealed by rolling a large stone in front of the entrance.
CHRIST RISEN FROM THE DEAD 20:1-10
The ultimate demonstration of Christ’s power over death, and therefore proof that He was God, was His resurrection. It too, was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy: You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; neither will You allow Your holy One to undergo decay(Psalm 16:10).
The first day of the week (Sunday), would forever after be the day believers set aside to commemorate their Lord’s glorious resurrection from the dead. It eventually came to be known as the Lord’s Day (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:10).
The stone was rolled away by the angel not in order to let Jesus out but to let witnesses in.
Unlike Lazarus, who needed help getting out of his grave clothes after Jesus raised him from the dead, Jesus’ glorified resurrection body simply passed through the linen wrappings, as it would soon pass through a wall to enter a locked room.
The empty tomb and grave clothes in place were enough proof for John. He believed that Jesus had risen from the dead even though he and Peter did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
Whether Peter or any other disciples believed at this time is not clear. Whether in belief or bewilderment, the disciples went away again to their own homes.
