I invite you to turn in the scriptures tonight to the gospel of John, the gospel of John chapter 19, John chapter 19, it's found on page 1153, we'll read together verses 31 through 42. This is the word of the Lord beginning at verse 31 of John chapter 19. Since it was the day of preparation and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath for that Sabbath was a high day, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him but when they came to jesus and saw that he was already dead they did not break his legs but one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear and at once there came out blood and water he who saw it has borne witness his testimony is true and he knows that he is telling the truth that you also may believe for these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled not one of his bones will be broken and again another scripture says they will look on him whom they have pierced after these things joseph of arimathea who was a disciple of jesus but secretly for fear of the jews asked pilot that he might take away the body of jesus and pilot gave him permission so he came and took away his body nicodemus also who earlier had come to jesus by night came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes about 75 pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So because of the Jewish day of preparation since the tomb was close at hand they laid jesus there and there ends the reading of god's word well there's no doubt that uh it is a marvel here looking at the sort of bookends and the way that john's gospel is so beautifully crafted that here at the very end shows up nicodemus and yet in jesus's first public discourse it was nicodemus who jesus had said to him nicodemus you need life you need to be born again And Jesus, of course, explained that to Nicodemus, and Nicodemus had been a confused individual and what that meant, what is life, and how do I get life, what do I do to get life? And I believe that tonight that's exactly what is being explained to you as Nicodemus shows up a second time. Tonight, we have help with all of that, and I believe that the point of this, the heart of this, is something that John says, for the Gospel of John is known as the Gospel of Belief. You'll notice that it is said there in verse 35, and he who has seen is testified and his testimony, notice what he says there, he has borne witness, his testimony is true, and he knows that he's telling the truth that you also may believe. That's what John is after. I'm saying this, John, so that in your minds and hearts you may know that this is for you. Isn't that a beautiful thing that he's saying that he's saying that as we read these events they are not disconnected from us they are written for us and John's desire in writing is that future generations just like right now what we're doing would read this and just as John believed and says listen I'm telling the absolute truth about what I saw that you would believe and as John says elsewhere that you believing would have life in his name life at this particular point in the passion narratives john goes into great detail about what happened to the body and the burial of jesus and the burial of the body of jesus itself in fact no other gospel goes into this uh like this exactly what happened after Jesus said, it is finished and breathed is last. John is unique in this way and helpful in this way. We often look at the events preceding, but we don't spend a lot of time on the events after that preceded the resurrection. And here we have an interesting treatment of his body and the burial with two particular fulfillments that John is really moved about, two particular fulfillments that he wants us to think about and then apply it to Nicodemus. That's how we're looking at this. It's very simple tonight. And you'll see the first one there. You'll notice in verse 31 that therefore, it says that since it was the day of preparation and so that bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, for that Sabbath was a high day, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away and we stop and say what in the world is happening here why this detail what does this mean we have heard of this this preparation day it was important for the jews it was a whole week of course here of festivities leading up to the celebration of the passover that is here happening in jerusalem and that would culminate here on the sabbath that fell among them so the phrase here reads that this sabbath was really a great sabbath it was a high day this was the sabbath of all sabbaths if you will this was a super sabbath this would be like if we had the lord's supper once a year you could imagine what might happen on that day how everyone would dress really nice for that and everyone would be really ready for that because it's the great lord's supper time of the year well this was the sabbath of the passover feast and that feast lasted seven days so so it's friday here uh you'll remember that uh early in the morning between one and three while most of you were still sleeping this morning Jesus really faced a severe trial, didn't he? He went to trial, and then of course he had a civil trial. And about the sixth hour, probably about 9 a.m., he has been sent to the cross, and he has been hanging on the cross now for hours. It's getting to be late afternoon, however. And the Jews start thinking, well, listen, we've got to get ready for this great Sabbath that's coming. it's really it's really a remarkable thought that they were so fastidious they were so careful to keep the sabbath they were so honored to keep the sabbath and look what they're doing it's remarkable isn't it they're going to set aside a day for the worship of god as they're murdering his son there are two big things though here that are emphasized by john as i keep saying about fulfillment but before i get there i want you to think what's in the jewish mind their mind in their mind is the law of god and the law of god said in deuteronomy 21 something very clear if a man has committed a sin deserving of death and he is put to death and you hang him on the cross or the tree his body shall not remain overnight on the tree but you shall surely bury him that day so that you don't defile the land well they're thinking if we let his curse this cursed man this sinner up on the cross and he doesn't die tonight and he dies tomorrow we've got to go deal with the defiled land and a defiled body and we want this done now we do not want our hands dirty with him we're done with this fellow so the jews come to pilot and they say can we break their legs, please, for the sake of the Sabbath. In these crucifixions, it was possible that you could hang there for not just hours, but days, depending on your condition. So the way to speed this up, the way to put an end to this is that they would take a large hammer or a huge iron mallet, and they would come up and see if the victims were still breathing. And if they're breathing they would then take deep blows to the legs waiting for the crunching of the bones to be heard why that ensures a quick death once you shattered the bones it was shocked to the body and the death would quickly follow what a horror torture isn't it romans were cruel their forms of punishment were were harsh you didn't mess with rome so pilate says sure and so in verse 33 they come up to jesus and they listen he's already expired he's dead so they didn't break his legs john wants you to see something here though the soldiers seeing that he's dead think to themselves we don't want to break his legs we don't need to break his legs so look at verse 36 how does john apply this john says for these things you'll notice he says so plainly there these things took place that the scriptures might be fulfilled not one of his bones will be broken you ever thought about where that came from have you ever thought about why that's important where does that come from we should always ask that when we say that where do the scriptures say and the scriptures don't quite say it that way it seems so what is this and the remarkable truth of this is this comes from lo and behold exodus 12 listen to this it's a night of solemn observance to the lord for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This is that night of the Lord, a solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, this is the ordinance of the Passover. No foreigner shall eat of it, but every manservant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, they may eat of it. A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat of it. In one house it shall be eaten. You shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break any one of its bones. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. Now, isn't that just remarkable that what we have given to us here was the very observance of the Passover when Israel was delivered out of the land of Egypt. So they were to choose, remember, a spotless lamb and they would all take a spotless lamb into their homes and this lamb would become the sort of family lamb and they would care for this beautiful lamb. They would love this lamb. The children would feed the lamb. There would be a bond with the lamb and then, of course, they were to teach. The parents were to teach their children what this meant. They would bring the lamb out to the father at the appointed time of the Passover. And the father would hold back the neck and the father would, as it's becoming, right as it's becoming dark, the throat with a knife would be split. Blood would pour out over that beautiful white fur and the children would just look and say, why are you doing that to our family lamb? Why would you do that? And the father was to teach something very important, wasn't he? They were taught, This is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord. And they were to explain it on the day of our deliverance. Remember this? The Lord told us to do this. To shed the blood of the spotless lamb and then put it on the doorposts of the houses. And by that propitiation, by that satisfaction, the angel of death would pass over us and we would not face judgment. We would not face condemnation. We would be spared from death. And we would be delivered. That's what happened that night. This is the propitiation. But, but, but. The Lord doesn't want us to break any of the Lamb's bones. This is an absolute marvel. There are several thousand sheep coming through the streets of Jerusalem right now. They're all being slaughtered that night. This practice is all happening. And as it's all happening now, they're ready to go to their Sabbath. They're ready to have their rest. And all of a sudden they think, we've got to get Jesus off the cross. We've got to get him buried. And John is saying, so they come up and they're ready to shatter his bones. And John says, they can't. They can't. Why? Because He's the Passover Lamb. He's everything we've looked for. He's fulfilling it all. And you know what that means for us? That means God's wrath has been satisfied. That means His judgment, His righteous judgment against us and our sins has been... I could imagine John thinking to himself, we've been singing about this forever in Psalm 34. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of all. He keeps all His bones. Not one of them is broken. We've been singing that for years. Here we are. Here's what we're seeing. It's just a marvel to me that then paul when he's writing to new testament christians says to us he says for indeed christ our passover was sacrificed for us first corinthians 5 see the beauty of this tonight the first point john is having us think about is when when that point is made they didn't crush one of his bones john is saying not only is he The one whom we've all looked for. But what this means is the once for all sacrifice for sins has been paid. And you know what that means for all who believe? There's no more wrath. There's no more judgment. You're set free. Just as Israel was brought out of Egypt, you're set free from bondage to your sins and you're being brought home. It's a beautiful thing that's emphasized by John. But here's the second thing. the second thing that's emphasized has to do with the piercing of his side john further emphasizes something here as soon as the soldier saw that he was dead instead of breaking his bones so they said we're still going to give him some kind of dishonorable blow the soldier comes up and he takes the sword and he thrusts it into jesus's side and out of that side in total surprise obviously this is this is what happens to bodies what comes out was blood and water you'll notice that in verse 34 it says it very plainly there but one of the that the soldiers pierced his side with the spear and at once there came out blood and water well john tells us again did you know that also fulfills scripture he says it in verse 37 where he says again another scripture says they will look on him whom they have pierced. Where does that come from? Zechariah 12. Listen to this. And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and please for mercy so that when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly over him as one weeps over a firstborn. On that day, there shall be a fountain open for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and uncleanliness. John says, that day, Jesus is the Passover lamb that the whole Old Testament talked about and looked forward to. And then he says, I'm the one that fulfills Zechariah. In other words, I'm looking on the one whom they pierced. This is what he's saying. We are witnesses. We fulfill Zechariah. We are looking on the one in whom they pierced. And John breaks out into this. That's what he says next when he says as an application of this, notice it here. He says, but he who saw it has borne witness and his testimony is true. And he knows that he's telling the truth that you may believe. Well, what is the testimony? John says it everywhere. God has given his son, and this is the testimony that God has given us eternal life. And this life is in his son. What did the water and the blood give witness to that flowed out of him? Zechariah told us a fountain of life would be opened up when he's pierced. A fountain of life would be opened up and it would cleanse. It would cleanse. It would cleanse all God's people of their sin. So the Passover lamb satisfies the wrath of God for us. He's the propitiation that now is given so that you will never face the judgment. The angel of death has passed over you. You are brought free. You are free now. You are set free. You are no longer in bondage. And now the blood and the water has cleansed you. We sing this in Rock of Ages. I do know how you feel when you sin. You ever notice when you sin, the defilement you feel? You feel disgusting. You feel that your whole body and your life is contaminated. You feel guilty. You feel condemned. And this is just the marvel of this. That what John is saying is that what we're celebrating tonight is that from that wounded side which flowed is a complete cleansing of all of our sins. it's a fountain of life. His life is a fountain of life. You are forgiven and you are cleansed. This is the two things that are being emphasized here. And lo and behold, guess who shows up right now? Fountain of life. As soon as that water and blood comes out, guess who shows up? Nicodemus. After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus, and Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes about a hundred pounds. Remember the discussion with Nicodemus? Nicodemus, unless you're baptized, remember what he said, with the Holy Spirit and water, unless you are cleansed, you can't be saved. Unless you're born again, you can't be saved, Nicodemus. How does that happen? How do I do that? He couldn't. This is exactly what this is telling us. Here is Nicodemus. Here is one now with the fountain of life being opened up who is here. And Nicodemus, a believer. when jesus spoke to nicodemus this is exactly what he said just as moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness and everyone who looked to that serpent was healed so too the son of man must be lifted up to die and whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life and you see it's it's in his death that life comes this is what john is telling us it's in his death. This is why he said that unless a grain of seed falls to the ground and dies, it will then produce much fruit. This is what's happening. And the final thought here is all of this takes place in a garden. In a garden where nobody else had been buried. Where the first Adam should have been buried. And now in this tomb, life will burst forth that we're going to celebrate this coming sunday and the kind of joy that he gives us that rivers of living water are flowing out of him that all who come all who believe are saved from the wrath to come and are cleansed from all of their sins it is the most beautiful truth tonight that we celebrate something that we should never get tired of i hope something that should always be refreshed every time we hear it that god's love is so great for His people that He gave His Son like this to this for you so that you'll never have to face these awful judgments and never have to face the condemnation. You want that pressed a little bit further as we close tonight? There were two others on that cross that day. They were still breathing. Soldiers walked up. They listened. Two breaths. It's getting less and less. Wham! One didn't believe. And that day was ushered into judgment. But look at the one who did. that day as they walked up and they took a blow on him to crush his bones so that he would die they ushered him into glory think about that today said jesus you will be with me in paradise if you have jesus that is the hope and confidence we have they hurried him to glory he says that to you today no matter what happens to us in this life if you have christ and you believe the gospel and true faith have come to him he wants you to know when that last breath comes you immediately go to be with him his work couldn't do anything less his work couldn't accomplish anything less other than your full and free salvation so we celebrate tonight and we have great joy come Sunday when we hear he's risen indeed. He broke all of death's bonds and he set us free and has promised that one day he'll come again and take us to be with him. We should commune tonight with believing hearts for this is what he wants from us. These things are written that you may believe and believing in his name that you would have life. That's what the gospel of John is all about let's pray heavenly father thank you oh lord for this gospel thank you for your salvation words can't really express and surely a weak preacher saying things trying to break into human hearts is impossible apart from your spirit but this truth is so marvelous it's so weighty may it never be just an old truth that we can't hear anymore but always a new truth that every time we hear it brings us great joy and delight in our savior thank you give us the faith to believe and believing as nicodemus came may we have life in his name in jesus name we pray these things amen going to read um a portion tonight of uh from the lord supper form one on page 39 in the back of uh those forms of prayers book if you're a visitor tonight you're welcome to join us if you've professed faith uh in the lord jesus christ you believe the gospel and profess faith you've been baptized in the name of the father son and holy spirit and um that you have united yourself to a church where the gospel is preached. You are welcome to join us if you can affirm those things. They're all put down there for you in the bulletin, and we're grateful that you've come among us tonight. I'm going to read a brief explanation then tonight, and then we'll come to the table and be reassured of the Lord's grace. Let us also consider the purpose for which our Lord has instituted the supper, that we should do this in remembrance of Him. And this is how we remember him by it. First, let us be fully persuaded in our hearts that our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the promises made to our forefathers in the Old Testament, was sent by the Father into the world, that he assumed our flesh and blood, that he took upon himself for us the wrath of God, under which we should have perished eternally, that from the beginning of his incarnation until the end of his life on earth, he fulfilled for us all obedience and righteousness of the divine law. This was especially evident when the weight of our sins and the wrath of God caused him to sweat drops of blood in the garden. He was bound so that we might be loosed from our sins. And afterward, he suffered countless insults so that we might never be put to shame. Let us confidently believe that he was innocent, yet put to death that we might be acquitted on the day of judgment. That he even allowed his own blessed body to be nailed to the cross so as to cancel the record of death that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. In doing so, he took from us the curse and bore it himself, so that he might fill us with his blessing. He humbled himself to the very deepest reproach and anguish of hell, and body and soul on the cross. When he cried out with a loud voice, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? He did all of this so that we might be accepted by God, never to be rejected by him. Indeed, with his death and the shedding of his blood, he confirmed the new and eternal covenant, the covenant of grace and reconciliation when he said it is finished in order that we might be firmly believe that we belong to this covenant of grace during the last supper Jesus took bread and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my body and he took a cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them saying drink of it all of you for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins that is as often as you eat of this bread and drink of this cup as a sure reminder and pledge you shall be admonished and assured of my great love and faithfulness toward you because you otherwise would have suffered eternal death i give my body and blood for you and my death on the cross and as certainly as this bread is broken before you and this cup is given to you and with your mouth you eat and drink in remembrance of me so surely do I nourish and refresh for everlasting life your hungry and thirsty souls with my crucified body and shed blood. From the institution of the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ, we see that he directs our faith to his perfect sacrifice once offered on the cross as the only foundation of our salvation. By this sacrifice, he has become to our hungry and thirsty souls the true food and drink of eternal life. For by his death, he has taken away the cause of our eternal death and misery our sin. He has also obtained for us the life-giving spirit who dwells in Christ our head and enables us, who are his members, to have communion with him and be made partakers of his riches, including eternal life, righteousness, and glory. Besides, by this same spirit, we are also united as members of one body in true Christian love, as the Apostle Paul says, because there's one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. as many grains are ground to prepare one loaf of bread and as many grapes are pressed together to produce wine, so we who by true faith are incorporated into Christ shall be one body through Christian love for the sake of our dear Savior, Jesus Christ. He loved us so greatly in order that we might show His love toward one another, not only in words, but also in deeds. May the almighty, merciful God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ help us through his holy spirit amen let's pray to the lord merciful god and father we cherish the blessed memory of the death and sufferings of your son jesus christ we ask that in the supper you will work in our hearts through the holy spirit that with true confidence we might give ourselves up more and more unto your son jesus christ we pray that this might allow our burdened and contrite hearts to be nourished and refreshed with the true body and blood of him who is true God and true man the only heavenly bread empower us to no longer live in our sins knowing that he lives in us and we in him may we truly be partakers of the new and everlasting covenant of grace may we not doubt that you will forever be our gracious father who does not impute the guilt of our sins to us and who provides us with all that we need for body and soul as your dear children and heirs. Grant us also your grace that we may take up our cross cheerfully, deny ourselves, confess our Savior, and in all tribulation with uplifted head, expect our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven. There he will make our mortal bodies like unto his glorified body and take us to be with him in eternity answer us oh god and merciful father through jesus christ who taught us to pray saying our father who art in heaven hallowed be your name your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.