(A) Introduction. (Read the reference)

Once again John reminds us that the men who put Jesus on the cross were very religious. They asked Pilate to ensure that the three crucified men were dead and to remove their bodies before sundown. The Jews were concerned to keep the injunction of Dt21v23: If a man guilty of a capital offence is put to death and his body is hung on a tree you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse. What a strangely prophetic text! At Calvary Jesus was under God's curse because he, himself, bore our sins in his body on the tree. 1Pet2v24.

(B) An eyewitness account of Christ's death.

(1) Who was the witness?
There is a clear difference between the writers of the synoptic gospels and John. The first three gospel authors, including Matthew, collected material about Jesus from a variety of sources and used it to write an account of his life. John wrote as an eyewitness - about what he saw and heard. That helps to explain some of the factual differences between John's gospel and the others. The beloved apostle wrote for a definite purpose: The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. v35.

Although John's testimony does pose some awkward questions it has the ring of truth. There are numerous little observations that could only be made by an eyewitness. The fourth gospel has fulfilled its purpose - persuading countless men and women to believe in Jesus.

(2) What was John a witness to?

It was a five fold witness:

(a) Jesus really died. Mark informs us that Pilate checked with the centurion in charge of the crucifixion party to see if Jesus was already dead. He learned from the centurion that it was so. Mk15v44. John tells us that to make absolutely certain one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear..... . v34. John was in no doubt that Jesus was dead. It was easy to tell. Once a man hung slackly from the cross and stopped heaving himself up to breath - he was most assuredly dead.

The bodily death of Jesus was vital - without it the resurrection did not take place. Paul wrote to the Corinthians about the supreme importance of the resurrection of Jesus: And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1Cor15v17to20.

(b) Jesus died unusually early. Crucifixion was not a quick way to kill a man. It was a singularly barbaric form of execution because it took many hours if not days for a man to die. Mark records: It was the third hour when they crucified him. Mk15v25. All the synoptic gospels indicate that it was about the ninth hour that Jesus died. So Jesus suffered on the cross for about six hours from 9am to 3pm. John, the eyewitness, is able to tell us that when the soldiers finished off the criminals before sunset (between 6pm and 7pm) Jesus was already dead. "But when they (the soldiers) came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. v33.

Care has to be taken to reconcile the accounts that Mark and John give of the events following Jesus' death. Some time after Jesus died at about 3pm Joseph of Arimathea approached Pilate to request his body. The Sanhedrin had already asked Pilate to remove the bodies from the crosses before sunset. The governor was surprised that Jesus was so soon dead. He probably sent a message to the centurion to make sure all the crucified were dead and then to report back. The centurion did so whereupon Pilate released Jesus' body to Joseph.

The early death of Jesus is significant because it confirms that God the Father was satisfied with the saving work of his Son. Jesus knew that his work was complete after he had been on the cross for six hours. This allowed him to dismiss his spirit into God's care.

On March 13th 2006 I read the obituary of Richard Wawro the Scottish artist and autistic savant. He gained acclaim for his landscapes and seascapes created through the unusual medium of wax oil crayons. People like Lady Thatcher and the late Pope, John Paul II, bought his work. Richard Wawro was said to be one of only 25 recognised prodigious savants in the world. The comment that particularly caught my eye was: Richard took great pride in his talent. At the completion of each picture, he would take it to his father for approval. Parental compliments were followed by a mini-celebration, father and son joining hands in a kind of high-five.

Jesus' sacrifice for mankind's sin depended for its effectiveness on God the Father's approval. It was approved and as a sign that it had been accepted for time and eternity Jesus was able to dismiss his spirit. He did not suffer the brutal end suffered by the two thieves whose legs were broken.

(c) Jesus was the genuine Passover Lamb. The quick but by no means merciful way to finish off a crucified man was to break his legs with an iron mallet. Either the shock would kill him or he would suffocate being no longer able to hoist himself up to breath. John found it remarkable that this did not happen to Jesus. But when they (the soldiers) came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. v33.

John considered this yet another indication that Jesus was God's Passover Lamb. Moses gave this strict instruction about the sacrificial lamb: Do not break any of the bones. Ex12v46. It is a truth emphasised by Paul writing to the Corinthians: For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. 1Cor5v7. Jesus laid down his life so that peace and joy may remain in our house.

(d) Jesus provided a final sign. John records that when the spear was thrust into Jesus' side it brought forth a sudden flow of blood and water. v34.

This is something of a mystery. Blood does not usually flow from a body that has been dead for two or three hours. Some have suggested that Jesus died of a ruptured heart. If this happened it is possible that blood and a watery fluid built up around the heart to be released suddenly by a spear thrust to the side. I am not convinced by this explanation because Jesus did not die traumatically from medical causes. He was in complete control and dismissed his spirit. He closed his body down. It just stopped functioning and all those brain processes that define a man's spirit were transferred to the One who is Spirit and Truth.

I can only suggest that physiological changes to Christ's dead body hanging in a most unnatural position for some time may have produced a build up of fluids that were suddenly released when the spear was thrust deep into his side. Otherwise it was a miraculous sign!

The blood issuing from Christ's wounded side reminds us that it is only through his sacrifice that we can receive forgiveness. The water symbolises the new life that Jesus gives the believer through his Spirit. None better captures the significance of the water and blood than Toplady in his well-known hymn:

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;
Cleanse me from its guilt and power.

(e) Jesus fulfilled Scripture. John saw Jesus' pierced side as the fulfilment of Zechariah's prophecy: They will look on me, the one they have pierced and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child. Zech12v10.

I have to confess that I do not find this very helpful. I am not clear what period of history Zechariah was writing about. It is possible he was looking forward to the ultimate redemption of the Jews when they finally repent of rejecting the Lord's Anointed. If this is the case then that one casual spear thrust from a Gentile soldier confirms the promise that Israel will at last recognise Jesus for whom he was.

(3) Why did John linger at the cross long after Jesus' death?
He was there with many woman. Matthew records: Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons. Mt25v55and56.

The women were waiting for Jesus to be taken down from the cross. If his body was thrown into a ditch for scavengers to feast on they hoped to rescue, remove and anoint it for burial elsewhere. These women were incredibly loyal. John was there to help them.

John Profumo, the former Minister of Defence, died this week. He was forced to resign from office over an affair with a prostitute about which he lied to Parliament. F.W. Deedes in a tribute to him recalled this revealing incident that took place in his old parliamentary seat, Stratford-upon-Avon: Not long after Jack had gone to make his peace at Toynbee, I was invited down to make a speech at the annual Conservative women's summer lunch at some stately home in a park. Afterwards, I took a refreshing drink and started to feel pleased with myself.

Then I became aware that a number of woman were moving towards me and looking deeply unhappy. "Why did you let Jack go?" they demanded. "You wimps! We'd have got him back to Parliament. We loved him. So did everyone in this constituency. There wouldn't have been a problem - but for your lot!"

I left with my tail between my legs, but I treasure a memory of those women.

It was the women who were loyal to Profumo in his disgrace!

There was a time that I was under attack by leaders of the Association to which my church belongs. My fellow elders supported me - spines stiffened by their wives!

It is probably true that women are more fiercely loyal to those they love than men are. I am glad that those well-to-do ladies who provided for Christ's needs supported him to the end. They were his steadfast and devoted servants in the bad times as well as the good.

(C) The Burial of Jesus

There are six points to make about Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. They were:

(1) Beholden to the world
The synoptic gospel writers commend Joseph of Arimathea. Luke tells us: Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action ...... and he was waiting for the kingdom of God. Lk24v50 and 51. Mark provides the additional information that Joseph was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin.

Joseph and Nicodemus were both senior politicians, men of integrity with excellent reputations, disciples of Jesus who wanted Israel governed on God honouring principles. They were the sort of men Christians long to see in positions of power! But they were secret disciples. John, the Son of Thunder, leaves us in no doubt about this! Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews .... . He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. v38and39.

Joseph and Nicodemus had not consented to the death of Jesus. They were probably not invited to the hastily convened session of the Sanhedrin that decided to take Jesus to Pilate for execution. However, neither man had openly declared support for Jesus or vigorously defended him in the Council. Both of them stood to lose much if it was known that they followed Jesus of Nazareth: reputation, respect, position and power. Above all, Joseph and Nicodemus wanted to be well thought of by the Pharisees - the party to which they both belonged. They couldn't face being rejected and ostracised by their own people.

Recently I watched Tony Blair talking about his policy on Iraq. He said that at the end of the day God would be his judge. It was painful to watch him make this statement. He was acutely embarrassed and uneasy about mentioning God. He could hardly get the 'God' word out. Why? Because any reference to God deeply offends so many of his own people. This was evident from the 'Letters Page' in the Daily Telegraph next day. There are an increasing number of correspondents who become apoplectic with rage at any mention of God by a public figure. Tony Blair is quite right in believing that one day he will stand, along with me and you, before the Judgment Seat but he is probably wrong in his assessment of what really matters to God. Will it be his decision to support George W. Bush and invade Iraq or the shame-faced way he witnesses to his faith that incurs God's displeasure?

We all of us need to watch that we don't keep quiet about the truth for fear of offending the group to whom we belong whether that group be professional, political or religious. There are lots of Christians so concerned to keep in with a religious clique that they fail to speak out about inclusiveness and Christian unity.

(2) Bold at last.
All the gospel writers credit Joseph of Arimathea with going to Pilate and asking for the body of Jesus. Mark tells us he went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Mk15v43. Only John reveals that Nicodemus accompanied Joseph and gave him much needed moral support.

Why were these two cautious, cagey men bold at last? The shock of Christ's crucifixion woke them up to the sort of people whose opinion they so valued. Their eyes were opened and they saw their fellow politicians for the heartless, self-seeking bigots they were. The consciences of Joseph and Nicodemus were activated and drove them to make amends and do their duty. It sometimes requires a severe shock to arouse decent men to action.

In his book, 'Soul Survivor', Philip Yancey refers to an occasion when the civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, was asked about the mistakes he had made. He repled: "Well, the most pervasive mistake I have made was in believing that because our cause was just, we could be sure that the white ministers of the South, once their Christian consciences were challenged, would rise to our aid. As our movement unfolded and direct appeals were made to white ministers, most folded their hands - and some even took stands against us."

But an event occurred that shocked many Americans. On a bridge outside Selma, Alabama, Sheriff Jim Clark turned his policemen loose on unarmed black demonstrators. The mounted troopers trampled people underfoot and cracked heads with their night sticks. Watching whites whooped and cheered as tear gas was shot into the panic stricken crowd. ABC television interrupted its Sunday film, 'Judgment at Nuremberg', to show footage of the carnage. What the viewers saw broadcast from Alabama bore a horrifying resemblance to the events of Nazi Germany. The tide turned for the civil rights movement. Eight days later President Johnson submitted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to the US Congress.

(3) Benefactors of means.
Only Joseph and Nicodemus had the resources to afford Jesus a decent burial in the circumstances of his death. These two men had:

(a) Influence. They were able to obtain an audience with Pilate and such was their reputation as honourable men that the governor had no hesitation in granting them custody of Christ's body.

(b) Property. Joseph owned a fine, unused tomb in a private garden close to the place of execution. There was just time to take Jesus' body there before sunset. C.H. Spurgeon reckoned it was appropriate that the one who had borrowed our sins should for a time borrow the tomb of mortal man.

(c) Wealth. Joseph purchased the cloth for winding around Christ's body. So Joseph bought some linen cloth. Mk15v46. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes about 75 pounds. v39. The provision of these costly items was something that the two rich politicians were able to afford. Thank God, like Mary who anointed Jesus with precious ointment, they did what they could.

(4) Brothers of mercy.
Preparing Christ's body for burial was unusual work for two eminent politicians. It was messy - they had to remove Jesus from the cross. Mark records: So Joseph took down the body. Mk15v46. It was heavy - the two statesmen had to move the body to the tomb. It was intimate - the soiled and bloody corpse needed washing. It was unfamiliar - Nicodemus and Joseph were doing woman's work. I don't expect they had ever done anything like it before. Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with spices in strips of linen. v40. It is possible that Nicodemus provided such a huge quantity of spice, 75 lbs, because he wasn't sure how much was needed to do the job. It is clear that the women didn't have much confidence in the expertise of Joseph and Nicodemus because they noted where Jesus was laid and determined to come back after the Sabbath and do the work properly. When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Mk16v1.

Sometimes we are called upon to serve Jesus in very humble ways - in ways that we never anticipate. I did not expect to give up employment as a teacher and spend two years caring for my father with Parkinson's disease. The work I had to do was messy, heavy, intimate and unfamiliar. I believe I have some gifts as a communicator but little aptitude as a carer. But that is what God wanted me to do - even though I was not very good at it. Many men and women share my experience. It may be true, for example, of highly skilled, professional women who give up work to raise a family. Henri Nouwen resigned from a tenured position at Harvard to move to Daybreak a community of the mentally challenged.

(5) Benevolent Intermediaries
Joseph and Nicodemus's determination to rescue Christ's body illustrates the fact that God sets limits. To a certain extent we see this at Jesus' birth. God set a limit on the deprivation of his Son. He was born to poor parents in a stable, laid in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes but both Joseph and Mary were devout. In death Jesus had no elaborate funeral service; there was no celebration of his life - no fulsome eulogy; but he had a decent burial in the finest of tombs.

God set limits - that dear body had been desecrated enough. The Father was not going to have it thrown to the jackals not least for the sake of those loving, godly women who remained loyal to his Son.

God continues to set limits on the extent to which the church is persecuted and individual Christians suffer.

(6) Beyond suspicion.
Joseph and Nicodemus were men of integrity, high ranking politicians whose word could be trusted. There could hardly be two better witnesses to the death and burial of Jesus. If the disciples had spirited the body away and buried it in some obscure place no-one would have believed their account of the resurrection.

Joseph of Arimathea's tomb was known and easy to identify being newly dug and located in his private garden near the place of execution. It meant the chief priests and Pharisees could easily do as Matthew records: So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. Mt27v66.

The hand of God, his wonderful Providence, is evident in the circumstances of Christ's burial. Everything took place as it did so that there could be no reasonable doubt that Jesus rose from the dead. God always has human instruments at his disposal to achieve his purpose. It is worth remembering that it is very hard for men to ignore the testimony of honourable, honest and eminent witnesses. Once emboldened Nicodemus and Joseph played a small but crucial part in redemption's story. May that be true of you and I!