John 19: 31-42 | Learning to Believe Jesus | Pastor Garrett Spencer | Calvary Chapel SRB

John 19: 31-42 | Learning to Believe Jesus Pastor Garrett Spencer | Calvary Chapel SRB Big Idea John gives us the witness of the cross so that we may believe Jesus. The Witness of the Cross John surrounds the death and burial of Jesus with witnesses. There are human witnesses: • The soldiers witness to the reality of His death. • John witnesses to the truth of what he saw. • Joseph and Nicodemus witness through public devotion. There are also Scriptural witnesses: • The Passover Lamb of Exodus and Numbers. • The pierced Messiah of Zechariah 12. • The rich man’s tomb of Isaiah 53. Together, these witnesses tell us the same thing: Believe. 1. We Can Believe Because Jesus Truly Died Jesus did not faint. Jesus did not merely appear dead. Jesus did not survive the cross. The soldiers saw that He was already dead. They did not break His legs. They pierced His side. John makes the death of Jesus unmistakably clear because if Jesus did not truly die, then there is no true sacrifice, no true atonement, no resurrection, and no hope. Key Truth: Our hope rests on the historical reality that Jesus truly died and truly rose again. 2. We Can Believe Because Scripture Was Truly Fulfilled John looks at the cross and does not see an accident. He sees fulfillment. “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” John 19:36 “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” John 19:37 Jesus is the true Passover Lamb, the pierced Messiah, and the suffering Servant. Even His burial in a rich man’s tomb echoes what Isaiah foretold. The cross was not plan B. It was not Rome getting out of control. It was not darkness winning over light. The cross was the place where the eternal plan of God unfolded exactly as He said it would. Key Truth: The cross was not an accident; it was the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan. 3. We Can Believe Because His Death Truly Changes People Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple secretly, for fear of the Jews. Nicodemus first came to Jesus by night. But after Jesus died, both men stepped into the light. Joseph came out of secrecy. Nicodemus came out of the night. Together, they publicly identified with the crucified Christ. Before they saw the empty tomb… before they heard resurrection news… before Sunday morning dawned… they honored the body of Jesus. Key Truth: Real faith cannot remain hidden forever. The crucified Christ draws His people out of fear and into the light of devotion. Final Reflection John has surrounded the cross with witnesses. The soldiers. The Scriptures. John himself. Joseph and Nicodemus. And all of them are saying the same thing: Believe. Believe Jesus. Believe His Word. Believe His finished work. Believe that the pierced and buried Savior is exactly who John says He is: The Christ. The Son of God. The Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. Questions for Reflection Do I believe that Jesus truly died for me? Do I believe His blood is enough? Do I believe His finished work is enough? Do I believe Him enough to step out of fear, out of secrecy, out of the night, and into the light?