In the Beginning: The Book of John

(John 19:25-30 [HCSB])

25 Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and * Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw His mother and the* disciple He loved standing there, He said to His mother, “* Woman, here is your son.” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

28 After this, when Jesus knew that everything was now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, He said, “I’m thirsty! ” 29 A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop8 and held it up to His mouth.

30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished! ” Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Finishing is the beginning

Good wine began the end; sour wine and hyssop began a new beginning.

Something bad begets something good. Even in the tragic there is victory; and in the fatal there is the finale. In this way God is always good; and as a consequence, our faith is never misplaced.

Life out of death: death is new life.

John does not offer nearly as much detail of the crucifixion, or the events leading up to it, as do the other (Synoptic) gospels. This measured from the release of Barabbas until Jesus gives up His ghost and His death is confirmed – (this is approximate).

John offers up what reads like a very sparse 20 verses, whereas Matthew uses 29 verses, and Mark’s narrative requires 35 verses as does Luke’s.

Even on the cross, and under supernatural duress, Jesus honors His mother as instructed by His religion. John becomes her son and her caretaker ... because … by this time Mary would have been widowed, had no expectation of income, and would have probably been in her early 50’s: three strikes.

Mary’s hope, like our own, depended upon her son. Our hope has always depended upon her Son, our God.

In the Beginning: The Book of John

(John 19:31-37 [HCSB])

31 Since it was the preparation day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a special9 day). They requested that Pilate have the men’s legs broken and that their bodies be taken away.

32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other one who had been crucified with Him. 33 When they came to Jesus, they did not break His legs since they saw that He was already dead.

34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. 35 He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows he is telling the truth. 36 For these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: Not one of His bones will be broken.

37 Also, another Scripture says: They will look at the One they pierced.

The One they pierced

Pierced but not broken … to fulfill prophecy.

Psalm 34:19-20 (see vs. 33 & 36)

19 Many adversities come to the one who is righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all. 20 He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken.

Zechariah 12:10-20 (see vs. 34 & 37)

10 “Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at Me whom they pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child and weep bitterly for Him as one weeps for a firstborn

One of the most important passages, however, is verse 35 in which the author (presumably John, the one Jesus loved) is clear that these events are true and that this is something he is willing to declare as a testimony; additionally he reiterates that he knows he is telling the truth. This would suggest that he is cognizant and not being carried away by emotion or storytelling. He is relaying this series of events factually and scientifically so that those who come after will have the truth to rely upon. He is providing this information as “an expert witness.”

I have said it before and will say it again: there has never been a suitable prosecution of these events proving them fictitious. Even the Shroud of Turin bears out the facts of the case going so far as to show the “blood and the water” which collected on the cloth our Lord was buried in. The stains at the side of the oxidized image have been verified as blood and water, human bodily fluids.

What truth do you accept?