There was a need to hurry since the Sabbath day began at sunset, which was fast approaching by now. Thus the burial must be completed quickly, which is why they only partially prepared His body for burial (Luke 23:55-56). It is impossible to know how many people went to the tomb that late afternoon. One note is that Joseph and Nicodemus probably had servants with them to carry the body of Jesus and the hundred pounds of spices.

Luke 23:55-56  The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it.  Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

There is an irony here that the chief priests, who were the religious leaders of Israel, did not keep the preparation day for the Passover and yet the disciples of Jesus, whom they had branded as dangerous heretics, were keeping it to the best of their abilities. Does this ever happen in the church today?

“Here is the Sun of righteousness set for awhile, to rise again in greater glory, and set no more.” (Matthew Henry)

Below is the prophecy of God’s suffering Messiah given through Isaiah.

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 

          See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.  Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness—so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.       

          Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?  He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
          Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.  By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.  He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

          Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.  After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.  Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

There are 3 gardens mentioned in the Bible where man meets with God. The first was the Garden of Eden where God met often with man (Gen 2:8-9, 15-17, 3:8-10), the second was the Garden of Gethsemane (John 18:1, Matt 26:36, 39, 47) where the man Jesus met with His Father and men came to take Immanuel, God with us, away to be killed, and this is the third, where the body of Jesus is laid to rest and then 3 days later, the resurrected Christ meets with a woman who is weeping in her despair of losing Him (John 20:14-17). In that first garden, death and the grave first received their power and in this last garden their power is stripped from them and they are conquered by Jesus (1 Cor 15:21-22, Joh 11:25).

Genesis 2:8-9  Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.  And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:15-17  The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.  And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;  but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

Genesis 3:8-10  Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.  But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”  He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

John 18:1  When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it.

Matthew 26:36  Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”

Matthew 26:39  Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Matthew 26:47  While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people.

John 20:14-17  At this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realise that it was Jesus.  “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”  Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned towards him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).  Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

1 Corinthians 15:21-22  For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.  For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

John 11:25  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;

Tombs were usually cut out of solid rock and closed with large, round stones which were rolled in a groove which finished right over the mouth of the tomb (Mark 15:46). Because of the immense amount of work involved, these tombs were very expensive and were usually used over and over again. This tomb, however, had never been used (Luke 23:53), a fact which is emphasized by the double negative used in the Greek. (A literal translation from the Greek is: “Now there was in the place where he was crucified a garden, and in the garden tomb a new, in which never yet not anyone was having been put”). He was laid in an unused tomb for a couple of reasons besides the obvious that it was close and available: first, Jesus was an unusual Person, and to be put into a mass grave would not have been right for the Son of God. With unintentional humor, Matthew Henry notes that “He that was born from a virgin-womb must rise from a virgin-tomb.”

Mark 15:46  So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.

Luke 23:53  Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no-one had yet been laid.

The second reason is that when He has resurrected from the dead, there had to be proof that it was He and not any other body with which He shared internment which was raised and that He raised by His own power and not by the power of another as in (2 Kings 13:21). This unused tomb belonged to Joseph of Arimathea (Matt 27:57-60), a rich man, which fulfilled prophecy (Isa 53:9). Had Joseph and Nicodemus not come to Jesus’ aid in burying Him, His body would probably been buried in a public site with the poor (Jer 26:23, 2 Kings 23:6, Matt 27:7).

2 Kings 13:21  Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.

Matthew 27:57-60  As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.  Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.  Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,  and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

Isaiah 53:9  He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Jeremiah 26:23  They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him struck down with a sword and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.)

2 Kings 23:6  He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the common people.

Matthew 27:7  So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.

Royal tombs were often in gardens (2 Kings 21:18, 26; Neh 3:16). This again emphasizes the Kingship of Christ.

2 Kings 21:18  Manasseh rested with his fathers and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.

2 Kings 21:26  He was buried in his grave in the garden of Uzza. And Josiah his son succeeded him as king.

Nehemiah 3:16  Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes.

It was the custom of the Jews to wrap the dead bodies in strips of linen and to bury then with spices as the following extracts from the Mishnah attest: “let the dead be wrapped in his own linen” (Misn. Beracot. c. 8. sect. 6) “they do not say a blessing over a lamp, nor over the spices of idolaters; nor over a lamp, nor over the spices of the dead” (Misn. Beracot. c. 8. sect. 6.) It was Joseph who bought new linen cloth with which to wrap the body of Jesus (Mark 15:46).

Mark 15:46  So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.

The use of fine linen points to the moral purity and sinless life of Jesus (1 Peter 1:19, Rev 15:6) and the aromatic spices speak of the fragrance of His death to the Father and to everyone who has applied its sacrifice to his life (Php 4:18, Eph 5:2, 2Cor 2:15-16).

1 Peter 1:19  but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

Revelation 15:6  Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes round their chests.

Philippians 4:18  I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.

Ephesians 5:2  and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

2 Corinthians 2:15-16  For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.  To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?

Nicodemus was also there helping in the preparation of Christ’s body for a respectful burial. Note that the thing about Nicodemus which comes most readily to John’s mind was that he was the one who had come to Jesus at night (John 3:2). He, too, was a secret disciple, but not quite as secretive as Joseph, for he had already stuck his neck out for Jesus publicly before the Sanhedrin at least once before (John 7:50-51).

John 3:2  He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no-one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

John 7:50-51  Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked,  “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?”

It is thought that Nicodemus was Nicodemus ben Gorion, one of the three richest men in Jerusalem. We do know that he was rich because of the incredible amount of spices he brought which would have cost a lot of money. Nicodemus and Joseph had probably agreed between them which one would prepare the spices and which would get permission from Pilate to take the body, because of the time constraints.

Myrrh was a resin extracted from the gum of the Arabian Balsamodendron Myrrha. It was used as a perfume, for embalming, and an ingredient in the holy anointing oil (Ex 30:22-33). It was present in the beginning of Christ’s life on earth (Matt 2:11) and at the end of it.

Exodus 30:22-33  Then the LORD said to Moses,  “Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane,  500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil.  Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil.  Then use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony,  the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense,  the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand.  You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.  “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.  Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come.  Do not pour it on men’s bodies and do not make any oil with the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.  Whoever makes perfume like it and whoever puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from his people.’”

Matthew 2:11  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

Aloes came from the wood of a resinous tree which was pulverized to extract the oil. It was common to bury the dead with sweet- smelling spices (2 Chron 16:14) and myrrh and aloes were very sweet-smelling (Prov 7:17) and some of the finest spices (Song 4:14). The custom was to wrap the spices with the sheets around the body, so Nicodemus was only doing what would have been the right thing to do. What was unusual here was the quantity of spices used.

2 Chronicles 16:14  They buried him in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes, and they made a huge fire in his honour.

Proverbs 7:17  I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

Song of Solomon 4:14  nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh and aloes and all the finest spices.

Why did they go to so much effort, expense, and danger to take care of the dead body of Jesus? Some think that it was a lack of faith in the resurrection of Christ, but I disagree. This was a bold display of their great love for Jesus, much like Mary did in (John 12:1-8). Even though it was mostly secret up to this point, they had a great deal of respect for Christ and His message, and the cross and His humiliation on it did not lessen their respect one bit. Their meekness while Christ was alive is now replaced by boldness at His death — a boldness which probably came from God (Romans 14:4). Had they been more perceptive, the chief priests could have here seen the vanity of their attempts to discredit and dishonor Jesus and His teachings, for He was honored by God in His sufferings (Matt 27:45, 51-54) and now by men, even powerful, rich men, in His death.

John 12:1-8  Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.  Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.  Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,  “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”  He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.  “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.  You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Romans 14:4  Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Matthew 27:45  From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.

Matthew 27:51-54  At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.  The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.  They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.  When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

As previously seen in (2 Chron 16:14), large quantities of spices were used in the burial of kings. The proselyte Onkelos burned more than 80 minas of spices at the funeral of Rabbi Gamaliel. When he was asked why he did this, he mentioned (Jer 34:5) and said, “Is not R. Gamaliel better than a hundred kings?” (Morris) The large amount of spices used in the burial of Jesus is undoubtedly a pointer to His Kingship (Psalms 45:6-8). When Jesus had spoken with Nicodemus at night, so long ago, He had spoken of the kingdom of God and how to enter into it (John 3:1-15), and now Nicodemus honors Jesus as the King of that kingdom.

Jeremiah 34:5  you will die peacefully. As people made a funeral fire in honour of your fathers, the former kings who preceded you, so they will make a fire in your honour and lament, “Alas, O master!” I myself make this promise, declares the LORD.’”

Psalms 45:6-8  Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a sceptre of justice will be the sceptre of your kingdom.  You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.  All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad.

With Nicodemus, as with Joseph, the death of Jesus had an opposite effect on them than it had on the disciples who had openly followed Christ while He was alive. Morris observes that “Now, when they had nothing at all to gain by affirming their connection with Jesus, they came right out into the open.” We can only hope that we would do the same in similar circumstances.

“Later” (NIV) or “After these things” (KJV) does not indicate a strict chronological sequence with what has occurred. Joseph did not necessarily go to Pilate immediately after the thrust of the spear; he may have gone as soon as he thought that Christ’s death was imminent or immediately after it had taken place.

The location of Arimathea is not known. However, many have thought it to be identical with Ramathaim-Zophim, the birthplace of the prophet Samuel (1 Sam 1:1). Since Joseph has a tomb near Jerusalem, it seems that he has moved from his birthplace to the capital city.

1 Samuel 1:1  There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

We have not heard of Joseph of Arimathea in any of the gospels until now, unless he was the rich ruler in (Luke 18:18-25). He was a disciple of Jesus who was rich (Matt 27:57), a prominent member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:42-43), who had not consented to the council’s decision to crucify Jesus (Luke 23:50-51). He was a good man who was waiting for the kingdom of God, a true disciple, although a secret one. It would have been very difficult for a member of the Sanhedrin to acknowledge that he was a follower of Jesus (John 12:41-43), so it is no surprise that Joseph had hidden his thoughts from them until now.

Luke 18:18-25  A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No-one is good— except God alone.  You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honour your father and mother.’”  “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.  When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.  Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!  Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Matthew 27:57  As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.

Mark 15:42-43  It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached,  Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.

Luke 23:50-51  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. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.

John 12:41-43  Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.  Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;  for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

However, something about the death of Jesus changed Joseph. The closer disciples of Jesus had all fled (Matt 26:56) but Joseph, even though he feared the Jews, now went “boldly” (Mark 15:43) to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. He was making a public declaration for all to see that he loved and honored Jesus. Joseph had not greatly honored Jesus while He was still alive, but now, with this last opportunity, he does the right thing at great risk to himself.

Matthew 26:56  But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Mark 15:43  Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.

The second of those unusual circumstances was also to fulfill scripture and this time the scripture is stated (Zec 12:10). This whole passage in Zechariah is about the coming of Messiah and the results of it (Zech 12:10 – 13:9). Even though it was one Roman soldier who pierced the side of Messiah, in reality it was each of us for we have all transgressed (Isa 53:5); and we shall all see Him when He comes and mourn over Him (Rev 1:7).

Zechariah 12:10  “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

Isaiah 53:5  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Revelation 1:7  Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.

The circumstances of Jesus’ death were extraordinary. He did not have his legs broken even though the other two being crucified with Him did, and His body was pierced by the hard thrust of a spear, which was quite unusual in those circumstances, and yet no bones were broken by the spear.

The first happened in this way that scripture should be fulfilled. In a general sense that scripture could be (Psa 34:20), but specifically it was (Ex 12:46, Num 9:12) because Christ is our Passover Lamb (John 1:29, 1 Cor 5:7).

Psalms 34:20  he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

Exodus 12:46  “It must be eaten inside one house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones.

Numbers 9:12  They must not leave any of it till morning or break any of its bones. When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations.

John 1:29  The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

1 Corinthians 5:7  Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

This incident made a lasting impression on the mind of the writer, who is undoubtedly the beloved disciple, John. The writer does not identify himself and yet John is the last disciple mentioned (19:26-27) and is the only disciple known to be present at the crucifixion.

John 19:26-27  When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing near by, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,”  and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

His testimony about the incident is utterly reliable. Plummer notes that “S. John first says that his evidence is adequate; then he adds that the contents of it are true. Testimony may be sufficient (e.g. of a competent eyewitness) but false: or it may be insufficient (e.g. of a half-witted child) but true. S. John declares that his testimony is both sufficient and true.”

The witness says that he writes these things so that faith may be produced in his readers, which is the main purpose of his writing this gospel (John 20:31). It is to be noted that the manner of Christ’s death does indeed inspire faith (Mark 15:39).

John 20:31  But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Mark 15:39  And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

One of the soldiers was not content to determine the death of Jesus by observation alone, so he thrust his spear into the side of Jesus, producing a flow of blood and water, which, according to some, indicates that Jesus died of a ruptured heart. Their reasoning is that when a heart is ruptured, its contents flow into the pericardium and the blood settles into “clot and watery serum” which give the appearance of blood and water. Whether this is true or not, the spear thrust did prove two very important things: the body that Jesus was inhabiting was a real human body and it was now very dead.

Much has been made of the significance of the blood and water flowing from the side of Jesus. There was a Jewish belief that the body consisted of half water and half blood. This is furthered by F.C. Burkitt: “According to (1 John 5:6-8) the living personality has in it three elements, viz. spirit, water, blood. From the ‘water’ we are begotten, by the ‘blood’ we are sustained, and the ’spirit’ or breath is the immaterial element that enters at birth and leaves at death. The spirit quitted Jesus when He died (John 19:30), leaving behind the water and blood of a human body, the existence of which was demonstrated to the onlookers by the spear-thrust of the soldier” (The Gospel History and its Transmission, Edinburgh, 1907, p. 233, n. 1).

1 John 5:6-8  This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.  For there are three that testify:  the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.

John 19:30  When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Others see symbolism with the sacraments of baptism and communion or a more mystical application. There is even a tradition that the soldier’s name was Longinus and that he had some “distemper” in his eyes but was cured instantly when some drops of the blood of Christ sprinkled out upon him.

However, the meaning of the water and blood is more likely found in the book of John. In (John 1:13) John writes that children of God are not born of “bloods” but of God. This thought is further expounded in (John 6:53-56). Real life does not come from human ‘bloods’ but from His blood. The rebirth is also connected with water (John 3:5, 4:10-11, 14, 7:38-39). The two are connected in the new life we have in Christ (Heb 10:22). The blood is for atonement and the water for purification and by the two of these we receive justification and sanctification.

John 1:13  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

John 6:53-56  Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.

John 3:5  Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

John 4:10-11  Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”  “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?

John 4:14  but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 7:38-39  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Hebrews 10:22  let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Note that Jesus is the reality of the type shown in the desert when God told Moses to strike the rock so that water would flow forth from it (Ex 17:6, Zec 13:1, Isa 12:3, 1 Cor 10:4).

Exodus 17:6  I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Zechariah 13:1  “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.

Isaiah 12:3  With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

1 Corinthians 10:4  and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

Jesus is our “Rock of Ages”.

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,
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Could my tears forever flow,
Could my zeal no langour know,
These for sin could not atone;
Thou must save and Thou alone:
In my hand no price I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

Augustus M. Toplady

The flowing of blood and water from the side of Jesus reminds us that real life only comes through Christ’s death. Barrett says that “the real death of Jesus was the real life of men.”

Even though man had determined to break the legs of all being crucified, God did not want His Son’s legs broken or the Passover Lamb type would not hold because He would not be “without defect” (Ex 12:3-5, 1 Cor 5:7, 1 Peter 1:18-19). But note whose will was done (Prov 19:21).

Exodus 12:3-5  Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.  If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbour, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat.  The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats.

1 Corinthians 5:7  Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

1 Peter 1:18-19  For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,  but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

Proverbs 19:21  Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

The death of Jesus was proven by the thrusting of the spear into His side as seen in the next verse.