Studies in John's Gospel. Pt. 65

 Good morning to all.

We are happy that you joined us today to continue studying God's Word.    

I believe it is appropriate for us to rejoice in this fact: that God has sent this blog into a minimum of 36 nations around the world. This is all of God and we ought to praise Him that so many people in so many different places have access to His truth.

Ignorance concerning Christ. 

John 12:34-36  The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? 35) Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. 36) While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them. 

The Jews asked Jesus a question. They wanted to know who the Son of Man was and why He had to be lifted up. They had been taught that the Messiah has eternal life so their confusion was centered around Jesus being the Messiah and saying He had to die. 

Apparently they did not listen when Jesus clearly told them who He was. They were also ignorant about what the prophets wrote concerning the death of the Messiah. There are many scriptures that deal with the death of Messiah including Isaiah 53. I want to take a brief look at a few of the specific prophecies about the death of Messiah.

Words of Christ on the cross.

Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? 

I am sure most of us recognize these words of anguish from Jesus as He hung on the cross dying for humanity's sins. Yet, these very words were prophetically recorded by King David about 1,000 years before Jesus Christ was crucified.

Matthew 27:45-46  Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46) And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 

Jesus uttered the exact words prophesied by King David around 1000 B.C. Notice that Matthew recorded how the Father turned out the lights of heaven causing an unexpected, unusual darkness to fall over the land as Christ, the Lamb of God hung on the cross. 

David foretold Messiah's death on a cross.

Psalm 22:13-15  They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. 14) I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 15) My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. 

The text from King David speaks about Christ on the cross. Here we read that Messiah said "They gaped upon me with their mouths." This is the idea that people surrounded the Messiah mocking and cursing Him with their words. They would despise Him and verbally reproach His character. 

Verse 14 speaks to the physiological torture of hanging on a cross. Bones become dislocated and the victim sweats profusely in the agonizing  struggle to stay alive under those conditions. The victim's heart was under great duress with a high pulse and very rapid heartbeats of a heart out of control. 

Verse 15 speaks to the unimaginable pain and physical suffering of a body hanging on a cross. All strength was gone, pain and exhaustion took their toll and intense thirst ensued as the body lost too much fluid by sweating. 

Prisoners, passersby and priests all mocked Christ. 

Matthew 27:38-44  Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. 39) And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 40)  And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41)  Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42) He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43)  He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 44) The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. 

The intense thirst of Christ.

John 19:28  After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

Reflecting the intensity of suffering that depleted the fluids in His body, Jesus said "I thirst." The Word of God, the Creator, Jehovah in the flesh hung on the cross ready to die when all things were perfectly fulfilled.  Two words, common yet poignant. Our God said "I thirst." We must never forget the cost of our redemption.

Nails in the hands and feet of Christ. 

Psalm 22:16  For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 

King David gave us another detail unique to crucifixion which the Romans began to use around 300 B.C. Nails or spikes were hammered through the wrists and ankles of the victim. King David did not know anything about such a cruel means of death yet under the guiding hand of God's Spirit, he recorded accurate details about a cross death. 

John 20:25  The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 

John recorded the words of "Doubting" Thomas that verify the specific marks on the risen Christ that Psalm 22 speaks of. 

Messiah's bones remained unbroken. 

Psalm 22:17  I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. 

The phrase "tell all my bones" is an accounting term that means they can be counted or summed up because they are complete or intact. The idea of staring upon means visually looking or inspecting something.

John 19:32-33  Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. 33) But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: 

The custom of Roman soldiers was to break the legs of any criminals who were hung on a cross to hasten their death. King David prophesied that Messiah's bones would not be broken and John recorded that fact for us. 

King David also prophesied that they would "stare upon me" and this refers to Roman soldiers visually determining if they needed to break the legs of Jesus or not. 

Casting lots for Jesus' robe was foretold.

Psalm 22:18  They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. 

King David prophesied another detail that people would select a lot like drawing straws to see who would take possession of His raiment. 

John 19:23-24  Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. 24)  They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. 

John recorded the fulfillment of that aspect of King David's prophecy about Messiah. The soldiers decided to cast lots to see who got to keep Christ's outer garment. 

The Light of the World speaks truth.

In John 12:35-36 Jesus mentioned the light five times in contrast to the darkness. Jesus said that the people would only have the light a little while longer and that they should walk in the light before darkness came. This refers to Christ the Light of the world and the idea that as long as He was in the world that light would shine. At His death, darkness would come in. 

Then Jesus said they should believe in the light (Jesus Christ) so that they might become the children of God by being born again. His statements are just as valid and true today. We must walk in the light and live as children of light because God is light and there is no darkness in Him. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

First, I am reminded that there are a lot of people who are ignorant of the truth about Jesus Christ. We must keep our ears open and share who Christ is according to God's Word and trust the Spirit of God to open their minds to the truth.

Second, there was so much Old Testament prophecy fulfilled by Jesus. We only looked at a few that were specific to His death on the cross but there are many more we could examine. This encourages us that God will always do what He said He will do. 

Third, we saw Christ urge those people and by extension, urge us to seek the Light of the World in the Word of God. We must know Him and grow in our relationship with Him so that we see Christ as the Light of the world. 

Having a living dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ means knowing Him personally as we learn of Christ from the Word, and knowing Him as He walks through our life experiences with us. Through this relationship we will be equipped to walk and live as children of light. This is also connected to Jesus' sermon on the Mount where He instructed us to let our lights shine before men that they might see God in us and come to Christ for salvation.

Bob