He is really dead.

Singing the precious hymn: “How great thou art”, which has become a favourite since Emily‘s passing from this world. When I come to the final stanza: “When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation and lead me home, what joy shall fill my heart”, I am reminded that those words were being sung when Em took her last breath and answered his call to take her home. Tears flow, tears of sadness and tears of joy; what a privilege it is to know she is now with him in the heavenly Jerusalem.

“That final destination should be the ultimate focus of each one’s hope, who loves Me. Paul quite rightly said: “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men”. What is now unseen to the eye of the ordinary person, is seen by faith by the children of the kingdom, and will become each one’s reality into eternity. You are in this world, but not of it and actually aliens and strangers, but in the “New Heaven and the New Earth” you will have come home and will belong completely.”

The last paragraph of ch 19 in John’s gospel, ch (19:38-42) may appear to be a passing remark to complete the story of the crucifixion, but it is actually a very important detail. Notice how much detail is given here compared to the bare “Here they crucified Him” (19:18), which describes the act that is the focal point of God’s whole story.

So why is it so important? It is to complete and emphasise the statement in vs 30: “With that He gave up His Spirit”. Although it was on the cross that Jesus did His huge work of redemption, this would not have been proved real without His resurrection. Throughout the book of Acts, the early Christian’s testified to the one central fact, that changed their lives that Christ had risen from the dead. Over time many people have tried to suggest and prove that Jesus did not really die. That He was merely in a sort of swoon or coma when they took Him down off the cross.

As we look at the detail in this section we also see God’s complete control in the preparation for this act. Two prominent Jewish figures, with sufficient stature, were prepared by God to take Jesus’s body to a new grave. They would have had to have sufficient authority to approach Pilate for permission and to override the objections of all the other senior Pharisees and scribes.

The preparations of the body, described in detail, wrapped in strips of cloth and embalmed with 75 pounds of myrrh and aloe. It is inconceivable that Jesus could still have survived this even if He was alive when He was taken down. We already have the description of the soldier piercing His side and water and blood running out. Now we have this pierced body, bruised and torn by repeated beatings, with His hands and feet pierced by huge nails, wrapped up like a mummy. Was He alive all the time? Did He have the strength to wriggle His way out? I think we all agree the evidence shouts that He was actually dead.

To the first time reader of this gospel, the night was dark, everything seemed lost, yet the world was poised for the greatest, most supernatural miracle of all time when the new dawn would burst forth and a new era would begin – the gospel era. The era where the New Covenant of God with His people started.

Before we close, let us take a step back and look at the bigger picture. The bible story starts in Genesis with the greatest catastrophe of all time, Adam’s failure to fulfil his role, on behalf of all mankind to have a relationship with God. It happened in a garden. Here, at great cost the betrayal is reversed, also in a garden. The fully obedient One, with the perfect relationship with the Father is laid, the “First Fruit” of all those who will have a relationship with the Father into the future. Great Symbolism, since relationship seems to be the goal of Jehovah.

My heart is filled with thankfulness as I consider this great sacrifice, for me personally, but for each one of you also individually and personally. God bless till next week.