(Jn 19:34 MSG) One of the soldiers stabbed him in the side with his spear. Blood and water gushed out.
This morning we continue our mini-series “The Road to the Resurrection.” In our last message we looked at how Jesus came from the City of Trash and He ultimately went back to the City of God. Jesus experienced every level, high and low, in order to identify with all men.
This morning’s message takes us to the foot of the cross. Jesus had already been beaten, flogged 39 times with a cat-o-nine-tails, slapped across His face, made to carry the cross that He would be nailed to, and then painfully nailed to the cross on Golgotha’s hill. They took His beaten, bruised, and nailed body and erected it as they elevated the cross. The weight of His body shifted between His pierced hands and feet, both causing excruciating pain. They then allowed the cross to drop into the hole prepared for it, causing His bones to rattle and His body to shake. For three hours He hung on the ‘old rugged cross’ (from noon to 3pm) in total darkness. The sun refused to shine while the Son was shining. Around 3pm, after enduring brutal torture, Jesus cried “It is finished!” With that, he bowed His head and He gave up His spirit.
The day Jesus died was a day of preparation, because it was the day before a special Sabbath. The Jews could not touch anything dead on any Sabbath. So they had to choose between getting the bodies in the tomb within three hours (because the Sabbath began at 6pm) or leaving the bodies on hanging on the crosses for a day and half. They chose to hurry.
The Jews asked Pilate for authorization to break the legs of the men, to ensure they were dead, and the authorization was given. Roman Soldiers broke the legs of the two men who had been crucified with Jesus. When they got to Jesus, however, they believed He was already dead, so they did not break His legs. They did need to verify His death. So one of the Soldiers stabbed Jesus in the side with his spear. Blood and water gushed out. Jesus was clearly dead. Let’s take a look at some of the evidence:
- Roman soldiers were skilled in battle; Rome was the world power at the time.
- Roman spears were tapered to a point and in most cases they were very sharp.
- The Soldier must have yielded the sword violently, because Jesus would later ask Thomas to thrust his entire hand into the wound (John 20:27). This meant that the wound had to be at least five inches wide and very deep.
- Even a man who was completely alive would have died from such a wound, much less one that had been through what Jesus had been through.
- Lastly, this method was used to verify Jesus death and not the breaking of His legs, because it had been prophesied that not one of his bones would be broken (Ex12:46, Ps 34:20). God was in control at every point, even the death of Jesus Christ.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- Jesus died. Jesus was completely dead, His death was no hoax, and His blood was surely shed.
- Jesus rose from the dead. Yes, Jesus completely died, and He also completely rose on the third day!
- Jesus conquered death so that we could do the same. Paul said that part of his aim in life was to know Jesus in the power of His Resurrection (Phil 3:10).
- Resurrection Power can change your situation. No matter how dead your dreams, your goals, your marriage, your relationships, your career, etc.; may seem, know that through Christ you can bounce back and experience Resurrection Power! Jesus was totally dead, but He came back from total death to provide total life. What dead issue needs to be resurrected in your life? Whatever it is, take it to God in prayer, do and say whatever He leads you to do and say, and watch Him turn your hopeless situation around.
Closing Confession: Father, Your Son was completely dead, His death was no hoax, and no one took His life. The Pharisees, the Sanhedrin Council, Pilate, and all of Rome could have come together, but none of them had the power to kill Jesus. Jesus willingly gave up His Spirit for me. Jesus died a true and total death, but You resurrected Him to complete and total life. I flow in that same vein this morning. I speak to every seemingly dead issue in my life — every dead hope, dream, desire, plan, project, body part, and relationship — and I pronounce LIFE. I know You Father in the power of the Resurrection. No matter how dead a situation seems, it is not over unless You say it is over. So I am not moved by what I see. I am only moved by what You say. I walk by faith and not by sight. I only say what You tell me to say. I only do what You lead me to do. So as You lead me, I will see the humanly invisible, I will attempt the humanly impossible, and I will do the humanly inconceivable. I will do it all in faith, by grace. One Word from You can turn any seemingly hopeless situation around. Use me Father, today and this week — as I celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus the Christ — to speak life to dead situations and to see the manifestation of Your glory! I don’t live my life from the external. I live my life by what You lead me to do, from the inside-out. I live my life in honor of Jesus’ death. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
