In the sermon by Pastor Steve Hopkins, the significance of Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection is explored, focusing on the fulfillment of scriptures and the theological implications of 'It is finished.' The crucifixion narrative from John is dissected, particularly the role of Roman soldiers and Jewish authorities in fulfilling Old Testament prophecies. The sermon underscores Jesus' control over the timing of his death and the meaning of 'Tetelestai' as a declaration of the debt of sin being paid in full. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus's roles in Jesus' burial highlight the shift from secret discipleship to open allegiance. The resurrection is portrayed as a pivotal event validating Jesus' divinity and the scriptural prophecy, culminating in a call for believers to openly profess their faith and rejoice in the resurrection as a cornerstone of Christian belief.

Thanks for joining us again at Berner Bible Church. This week Pastor Hopkins gives his sermon for Easter entitled, The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you would, stand with me for the reading. It's going to be a long reading today. Chapter 19 verses 29 through 41 and 20 verses 1 through 9.

We're going to be looking at the topic of the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ this afternoon. So if you will, begin reading with me John chapter 19 beginning with verse 29. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar, and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished. And he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, and the body should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, for that Sabbath day was in high day, besought Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers and broke the legs of the first and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was dead already, they broke not his legs, but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true, and he knoweth that he sayeth true, that she might believe. For these things were done, that the Scriptures should be fulfilled, a bone of him shall not be broken.

And again another Scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced. And after this Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein was never a man yet laid. There lay they Jesus, therefore, because of the Jews' preparation day, for the sepulcher was nigh at hand. The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher. Then she runneth and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore sent forth and the other disciple and came to the sepulcher.

So they ran both together, and the other disciple did outrun Peter and came first to the sepulcher. And he stooping down and looking in saw the linen clothes lying, yet went he not in. Then come a Simon Peter following him and went into the sefliker and see if the linen clothes lie and the napkin that was about his head not lying with the linen clothes but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple which came first to the sepulcher, and he saw and believed. For as yet they knew not the Scripture that He must rise again from the dead.

Amen. And let's pray. Father, as we join with our brothers and sisters all around the world this afternoon celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, We pray that this resurrection day might be a day of resurrection of many souls from death to life, from spiritual death to life, by the power of your Spirit, O God, bringing many to believe all that the scriptures declare Concerning your son our Lord Jesus Christ for it's in his name. We pray these things. Amen Amen, let's be seated in verse 29 We read there was a vessel that was set, a vinegar that was set, and they filled a sponge with vinegar and they put it up on a hyssop, on this rod, and they put it up to Jesus' mouth as He was hanging on the cross.

Earlier, There was wine that was given to him, myrrh that was mingled with wine, which Jesus refused. Why? Because it would have helped to have reduced the pain of his sufferings. Jesus was not looking to have his pain or his suffering reduced. The vinegar he receives, which was intended to extend life and thus the duration of his suffering.

We have to understand something here. Jesus' suffering is going to end on the cross not according to man's inventions, not according to man's intentions. His life is going to end not on man's timetable, but at the moment of God's choosing, at the very moment When the work of redemption is completed, and so we read, when Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished. And he bowed his head and gave up the ghost. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished.

The Greek word is Tetelestai. Many of you have heard this before. Someone sent a sermon around last night. We watched it as well, which also reiterated this. It was a scroll sermon.

That word, tetelestai, is a Greek word that was used at that time and used on the stamps that were on documents where a payment in full was made for a debt. So you've been making payments on a debt and now the time comes where you've made your final payment. And you get your debt paid and the stamp that is impressed, of course back then it wouldn't have been an ink stamp, but an impression stamp would say, to Telestai. It is paid for in full, paid for in full. It is finished.

It is accomplished. And this is the words that Jesus uses on the cross when He has accomplished our redemption. The debt has been paid in full. And we have to understand that it is a debt that we could not pay even the smallest part of. Because when we attempt to pay the debt for our own sins, We are at the exact same time that we're trying to pay off the debt incurring new debt Because everything that we do is tainted with sin But Jesus as the old hymn writer said paid it all all to him we owe To Telestai it is accomplished, it is paid in full.

Jesus has accomplished the purpose for which he came into the world, to pay the sin debt of his people in full. The work of redemption has been completed. He has finished the work the Father has given him to do. It is finished. He has fulfilled all righteousness.

He has kept the moral law in the place of his people to the letter. He has fulfilled the ceremonial law in its entirety. He has borne our sins and carried our sorrows. Amen. He has suffered the full weight of the wrath of Almighty God.

Do His people. He has put away our sins by the sacrifice of Himself. He has secured life eternal and full acceptance with God. For everyone who has ever and will ever believe on his name it is accomplished. Amen.

And then we read that our Lord bowed his head he gave up the ghost. And I want you to look at the words there. He bowed his head his head did not fall. It wasn't as though Jesus was slain and his head fell, like when someone is shot through with an arrow or a bullet and their head falls. No, he bowed his head, He gave up the spirit.

He says, Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit, he says, and he died. Jesus died. No man took his life from him. That's the point. No man takes his life from him.

He said back in John 10, 18, no man takes my life from me. I Lay it down of myself He laid his life down of himself mission accomplished As we move on to verse 31 we read the Jews therefore because it was the preparation that is Friday the preparation day when the sacrifices would be slain. Think about that, the timing of this. Right when the sacrifices were to be slain, Jesus is on the cross. It was their purpose that the body should not remain up on the cross on the Sabbath day, being a high day.

They besought Pilate. They went and they petitioned Pilate. What did they petition him? That the legs of Jesus and the legs of the two criminals that hung on either side of Jesus, on the two crosses on either side of Jesus, might be broken. Why?

The Jewish authorities were asking here that the legs of Jesus and the legs of the two criminals that hung on either side of Jesus, on the two crosses on either side of Jesus, might be broken. Why? The Jewish authorities were asking here that the legs of Jesus and the others would be smashed and thus disabling their legs, and that their bodies might then be taken down and taken away and I want you to understand something about Roman crucifixion here so that you understand what's happening. The Romans in their attempt to make crucifixion as long and as torturous a death as possible would attach a piece of wood, you may see paintings or whatever of the crucifixion. There's a piece of wood that's placed underneath where the feet of the person is at where they can just barely get their feet to where they can push up.

Why? So that they can push up on that plank of wood in order to push themselves up to get a breath, in order to prolong their life. Because they would asphyxiate, they would suffocate without that. So they would put this just below the feet of the ones that are being crucified so that the one nailed could push their feet up and get a breath, which would be the natural inclination of the body. Because the plank of wood would be below the feet.

The condemned would die of asphyxiation otherwise, unable to get themselves up to get a breath. But within a place, the condemned would push up with their feet, take a breath, and as a result, the duration of their suffering would be extended many times for even days. Even days they would languish there on these Roman crosses. And then at some point, the soldiers would be ordered to come in and shatter the legs of the crucified with these large metal hammers so that being unable to push themselves up to get a breath, they would quickly die of asphyxiation. So in other words, at the invention of the timing and the intent of the Romans, Jesus of course is going to die on God's plan and God's timetable, not on the Romans' timetable or the Jews' timetable.

But they would many times leave their bodies there for days on the crosses with those planks of wood and allow them then to be eaten by vultures or other birds of prey. But the Jews, not wanting to have the bodies hanging on the crosses during the Passover, which to them was a defiling, requested that Pilate break the legs of the three that were hanging on the crosses, thereby hastening their death so they would die quickly and their corpses could be taken down and buried. So we see from our text their request is granted, well at least partially granted, right? Look at verse 32, Then came the soldiers and they break the legs of the first, and then of the other, which was crucified on either side of Jesus. But then they come to Jesus, verse 33, and they saw that He was dead already.

Jesus is already dead. He dies on God's timetable. Jesus is in control. They break not His legs. Jesus is already dead.

So the soldiers don't carry out Pilate's orders with Jesus. These soldiers are skilled in the manner of execution. They know when their victims are dead. They have witnessed death on their cruel crosses multiple times and they saw, They knew that Jesus was already dead when they came to Him. And I want us to look at a couple of interesting things here because we really need to understand this.

One, the soldiers have just hastened the deaths of the thieves crucified on either side of Jesus. If their legs had not been broken, they might have suffered for days. Okay, keep this in mind. But the words of Jesus spoken on the cross to one of those thieves had to be fulfilled. He said to him, today you will be with me in paradise.

His legs had to be broken. His death had to be hastened. He couldn't be left on that cross for days or Jesus' words would not have been fulfilled. Today thou shalt be with me in paradise. That's recorded by the way if you want to check it out in Luke 23 43.

The repentant thief had to die that very day for Jesus' words to be fulfilled. He could have hung there for days As he might have if his legs have not been broken, but Jesus said today You're gonna be with me in paradise and he was so the thief hanging on the cross next to Jesus Who has just condemned him as worthy of all he is suffering Who has believed on Jesus for the salvation of his soul has to die that very day. Or Jesus' words will not be fulfilled, and Jesus' words are fulfilled. To do that, his legs have to be broken so his life cannot be extended by pushing himself up and taking a breath. And the Jewish authorities, the Roman soldiers, though they're intending something altogether different, in requesting that their legs be broken, unwittingly play their part in the fulfillment of Jesus' words.

It can't be emphasized too strongly that Jesus has been in control of everything here. In fact, of course, he's been in control of everything from the moment he came into the world and took flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, right, To the very moment of his death and even beyond. So it is here. Though Jesus is already dead and though the soldiers have their order to break his legs, they don't do it. They don't carry out their orders.

When the soldiers come to break Jesus' legs, they see that he is already dead. He's already dead. And though they see that he's already dead, what happens? One of the soldiers, again, without any apparent orders to do so, takes his spear and pierces the side of our Lord and blood and water comes out, gushes forth. Again this is in fulfillment of the Scriptures, but also that it may be known beyond any doubt not only by the soldiers that Jesus is dead, but also by all onlookers that Jesus is in fact dead.

The soldiers don't know he's dead. The Jews see his side now is pierced and blood and water gushed forth indicating that Jesus' heart has ruptured, okay, and the blood is going into the stomach and they know that he's dead. And John, being an apostolic witness, testifies that Jesus is dead. Verse 35 tells us, and he that saw it bear record. That's John, the writer of the gospel, speaking in the third person.

And his record is true. And he knoweth that he sayeth true, that you might believe." Believe what? Believe specifically here that Jesus was in fact crucified and dead. See, very important that every element of the gospel message is understood. Jesus was crucified and Jesus did die.

You have all these people putting out the swoon theory. Well, he just was in a swoon and he didn't really die on the cross and all this nonsense. No, Jesus was crucified and Jesus died and Jesus rose from the dead as we will see. And John is a witness. Jesus was crucified just as Jesus predicted, and he died just as he predicted.

Everything is being done in absolute accord with God's plan. All the scriptures concerning Jesus are being fulfilled to the last one. Look at verse 36. For these things were done that the scripture should be fulfilled. A bone of him shall not be broken.

His bones can't be broken. The others will be, but not his. What scripture? If you want the reference, it's Exodus 1246. Look at Exodus 1246.

This is the law concerning the Passover Lamb. The Passover Lamb is a type of Christ. It's a shadow of the coming Christ, which points to the Lamb of God, who will be slain for sinners, who takes away the sin of the world. What does it say in Exodus 1246? Neither shall ye break a bone thereof.

That's the commandment concerning the Passover lamb. You can't break a bone of the Passover lamb. Jesus fulfills the law of God, both the moral law and the ceremonial law in its entirety in perfection. That was the commandment concerning the Passover lamb. He's identified here with the Passover lamb.

Again, in Numbers chapter 9 and verse 12. They shall leave none of it into the morning, nor break any bone of it according to all the ordinances of the Passover." So Jesus is fulfilling the Scriptures one after another. Again and again we see the Jewish leaders and the Roman government officials unwittingly being used to fulfill the Scriptures concerning Christ. Now, turn with me to Acts chapter 4. Let's just look at this really quickly.

Acts chapter 4 in verse 26. This is so very important for us to see. Eric touched on this earlier when he was looking at the attributes of God. Acts chapter four, verse 26. The Kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ.

That's what we're seeing here. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, Pontius Pilate, here's all the players. With the Gentiles and the people of Israel. Here's all the players on the stage. They were gathered together to do what?

For to do whatsoever thy hand, whose hand? God's hand. God's hand, thy hand. And whose counsel? Thy counsel, determined before to be done.

Who's in charge? God. Who's in control? God. You really need to watch that video I was telling you about earlier to watch, the supremacy of Christ.

It drives this home and drives any nail in the coffin of any opposition or contradiction whatsoever. For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. Herod is on the stage, Pontius Pilate is on the stage, the Gentiles are on the stage, that's the Romans, Israel is on the stage, the Jewish leaders are on the stage, and they're all gathered together to do what? What God before determined was going to happen. And you know what?

They're all going to pay for their sins. They're all going to be responsible for their sins even though they're doing exactly what God has determined before is going to take place. It doesn't mean that they escape their guilt. They don't escape their guilt. And God's not the one that's driving them.

They're being led by their own sin, their own guilt, their own original sin. They're being driven by their own corruptions. But God is the one who is orchestrating all of the events overall, bringing them to the purposes for which he has determined all things to be done concerning his son. Back to our verse, picking up at verse 37. Again, another scripture, they shall look upon him whom they pierced.

It just keeps happening, right? Jesus is going to continue to fulfill the Scriptures. They look on Him who they pierced. Jesus had to be pierced on earth if the prophecy was going to be fulfilled in the latter days, that the Jews would look on Him whom they pierced. The soldiers got to drive the spear into his side and out comes water and blood.

If this is going to be fulfilled later on, that Israel's going to look on him whom they pierced. They've got to drive nails through his hands and his feet. If they're going to one day look upon Him and mourn for Him as an only son. Verse 38, and after this Joseph of Arimathea being a disciple of Jesus, secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gives him leave, he comes, he takes the body of Jesus.

Look at this passage. Joseph has been a secret disciple until now, but now he's going to openly show he's a follower of Christ. He's no longer afraid of the Jews. He's seen enough. He's been a secret disciple.

He's been a secret follower, but now he goes boldly to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. Friends, brothers and sisters, listen to me. There comes a time when the true disciples of Christ need to get out of the closet. They need to get out of the closet and out into the open, right, and risk their lives for his name. This Joseph of Arimathea now does.

Also Nicodemus. Remember Nicodemus first came to Jesus by night. Why? Under cover of darkness. He didn't want to be associated with Jesus.

I don't want anybody seeing me with Jesus. And now these two are working together. Look at them, they're working together. Now they're working together. It's an open profession of faith.

Now they're open, both of them are now bold and open followers, showing their love for Christ by bringing spices to anoint the body of their Lord in the light of day. What about you today? What about you today? Are you aligned with Jesus openly? What about on the job?

On the job? What about in the presence of unbelievers? Or are you only aligned with Jesus in the safe haven of the church, in the safe haven of Christian gatherings? It's a question that you need to ask yourselves. Joseph and Nicodemus.

Well they take the body of Jesus, they wine in linen clothes, they take him to the garden, a new sepulcher whenever a man was laid. It's the preparation day. The sepulcher is nigh at hand. It's close at hand. This is in fulfillment of Isaiah 53, 9, which speaks of his intended grave being with the thieves that hung on either side of him, but in accord with God's plan with a rich man and his death, being buried in the tomb of the wealthy and influential owner of the garden tomb, Joseph of Arimathea.

So Jesus is now crucified, He's dead, and He's buried according to the Scriptures. It's the end of the sixth day of the week, Friday. He'll lay in the grave all the seventh day, Saturday, and on the first day of the week, kick it out there buddy. This is the good part, he's doing what I want to be doing, I want to just shout. He will lay in the grave all the seventh day, Saturday, And on the first day of the week, Sunday, he will rise again from the dead.

The accounts of the location of the tomb where Jesus was laid place it no more than 130 feet from Golgotha where he was crucified. You know that? It says Nihon of the tomb. An interesting thing about this, it's not on my notes, Golgotha, there is speculation, you know, from historians that that Gol stands for Goliath and the Gotha is the place of the skull and that the actual place where Jesus was crucified was the place of the burying of Goliath's skull when David cut off the head of the giant and buried his skull outside of Jerusalem, the same place where Jesus would be victorious that can't be you know confirmed But it is an interesting thing to think about but the place where the tomb where Jesus is laid Is no more than 130 feet from Golgotha where he was crucified and it's chapter 20 opens we read that it's now the first day of the week. It's early Sunday morning.

It's still somewhat dark. The other gospels speak of the sun just coming up. Mary Magdalene has just come to the sepulcher. This is the woman out of whom Jesus has cast seven demons. She will be chosen to be the first to arrive at the tomb.

This is one who has been forgiven much, who loves much. Jesus loves her much and Mary Magdalene loves Jesus very much. She's been forgiven much, she loves much. She's chosen to be the first one to arrive at the tomb. I think it was her love for him that was driving her early that morning.

In God's providence, she will be the first to witness the empty tomb and later the first to see Jesus alive again. And here she comes, just as the day is dawning, to bring more spices for the anointing of his body. And the other gospels tell us that there are other women who are with her. But Mary Magdalene is the first to see the stone has been rolled away from the entrance. And we aren't told here that she went in, but the other gospel writers report that she saw the place where he lay.

She sees the place where he lay. And John tells us here that she immediately turns and she begins running, running to tell Peter and John that Jesus' body is gone. She gets a view of where his body was and she knows he's gone. And she isn't thinking resurrection at this point. She's just thinking his body's been removed.

Somebody must have come and taken him. Verse two says, they've taken away the Lord out of the steplichor, and we know not where they've laid Him." She just thinks somebody's come and taken Him out. She says, we because there were other women with her. And when all the Gospel accounts are harmonized, we see that Mary Magdalene leaves the tomb. This is how it happens.

She runs to Jerusalem. She tells Peter and John, the other women encounter the angels of the tomb Then they head out to tell the other disciples probably over in Bethany Peter and John upon hearing Mary's report then head to the empty tomb and then we read John outruns Peter and gets there first I always like that part because John tells us that twice. And then stooping down and looking in they see the linen cloths lying but he doesn't go in yet. John doesn't go in yet. Probably waiting on Peter to get there.

He's lagging behind a little bit. And while John is stooping down and looking in, Peter arrives and bolts into the empty tomb and he sees, verse 6, the linen clothes lying there and the napkin that is the head cloth that was about his head not lying with the linen clothes but wrapped together in a place by itself. Wrapped of course means not unwrapped and the picture is that Jesus came right through them and the law of Moses You know requires that every fact be established by two or more witnesses and here we have them Peter and John Every fact must be established by two or more witnesses in a court of law. And here we have them, Peter and John, every fact is established. Then went in also that other disciple, that's John, which came first to the sepulcher.

And he saw and believed, No soldiers, stones rolled away, no body. Clothes that Jesus are wrapped in are lying there, wrapped intact. The grave clothes are here. The head cloth is there. John sees and believes, but neither of them is connected.

All they have seen with their eyes with the scripture that he must rise again from the dead. Verse 9 says, for as yet they knew not the scripture. That was they haven't connected at all that he must rise again from the dead. What scripture? Peter will answer that question at Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, and at that time, 3, 000 souls are going to repent and believe on a single day.

And that's what we're going to end with today. We're going to close this morning with a reading from Acts chapter 2, beginning with verse 22. If you'll turn there with me, we'll just read through this and then we will close this afternoon. Acts chapter two, beginning with 22. This is Peter speaking.

Ye men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you as you yourselves also know. Him being delivered, here we go again, by the determinant counsel and foreknowledge of God. You have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain, whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be holding of it." Death cannot keep him in the grave as we sang earlier. For David speaks concerning him, quoting Psalm 1610 by the way, I foresaw the Lord always before my face for he is on my right hand that I should not be moved.

Therefore did my heart rejoice and my tongue was glad. Moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope. Why? Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, that is, Hades, used to signify the place of the departed, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption, that is, the corruption that begins the fourth day in the grave. Jesus' body will not begin the corruption process.

Remember Lazarus? Martha said, Lord, it's the fourth day. By now he stinketh. Remember John 1139 when we were doing the Gospel of John? Because Lazarus' body had begun to corrupt.

So his body began to stink. Jesus' body did not. Jesus was raised the third day. So Peter says, verse 31, He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, in Hades, in the place of the departed. Neither his flesh did see corruption.

His flesh did not see corruption. His flesh did not begin to rot in the day. He was raised on the third day. This Jesus hath God raised up, verse 32, whereof we are all witnesses, all of us. Later Jesus will say to the men He's walking with on the road to Emmaus, remember, oh fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.

The gospel message is this as we close. Jesus Christ suffered and died for our sins, that He was buried and He rose again the third day for our justification. He's risen. He is risen indeed, brothers and sisters. He is risen.

He is risen indeed. Do you believe? Do you believe? Do you believe? Let's pray.

Father, we do believe. We do believe, and we thank you for this wonderful, wonderful resurrection day where we join with our brothers and sisters all over the world, all around the globe today, who are praising you and thanking you for the blessed resurrection of Christ. Our Lord Jesus is not in the grave somewhere. All the religious leaders of all the Cults and all the religions of the world can go and visit the tombs of their leaders. Oh God But Jesus is resurrected from the dead.

He is the God man He is resurrected and ascended and at your right hand and interceding for us by His blood at the throne of grace, at the right hand, your right hand, oh Father, even now. And we thank you, God, for the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. We thank you that we are justified in His sight, oh God, whom you have brought to repentance and faith in His holy name. We thank you for the wonderful work that you've done in us by your spirit and we praise you and thank you God for this wonderful, wonderful day when we can celebrate this most blessed event, the resurrection of our Lord Jesus from the dead 2, 000 years ago. Now Lord, as we approach this time of the Lord's table, help us God to remember all that Jesus has done for us and that is our right standing before you God is all on account of what he has done and nothing on account of what we have done.

It's all, all, all because of Jesus. And help us Lord to just believe on him and have joy in believing. For we ask it in his holy name, amen.