People who Participated in The Gospel of Jesus Christ (John 19:31-42)

There are many people who go to church and are still thirsty. It’s not that they don’t know Jesus Christ but they don’t know a life that is with Jesus.

Let us bless one another, Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. I pray that the great blessing of God, physical, mental, and spiritual be upon those worshiping in the home, the church, and especially out of state. This age we are living in is not happening in isolation but it is connected to what has happened in the past and what is to come. Are all the things of the past, the present, and the future happening coincidentally? People who don’t believe in God will say it’s a coincidence. However, I believe that these things happen according to God’s desire and His Word. I hope that you will find the solution to everything in your life, currently before in God’s Word, and to predict everything in the future according to God’s Word as well. 

It’s possible that among the non believers that there are people who have given up on life because of cancer. I believe it’s not a reason to be in despair, but it’s a reason to believe in Jesus Christ.  I’m sure that there are also people who believe in Jesus Christ but are wondering why they’re facing cancer. Let this be a great opportunity for you to give your entire life up to God. This is an opportunity to change your entire life to be centered on spreading the gospel, proclaiming Jesus Christ, then whatever problem you’re facing will be a great blessing. 

1. Death of Jesus Christ

In today’s scripture, Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross. This situation is not something that happened coincidentally, but it was prophesied for centuries and was fulfilled. 

  1) Time

    (1) Day of Preparation for the Passover (Jn. 19:31)

In verse 31, the time it happened was in preparation for the Passover. In today’s terms, Jesus Christ died on the cross around 9 am on Friday and passed away around 3 pm. Beginning 3 hours after his death, at around 6 pm Friday is the beginning of Sabbath day, Saturday. He passed away faster than the others being crucified. 

    (2) Did not want the bodies left on the crosses (Jn 19:31)

Because Jesus Christ was crucified, once people start to hear about it, there would be murmuring and unrest, so the Jewish people asked Pilate to put down the bodies quickly. 

    (3) Asked to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down (Jn 19:31)

The way for the Romans to confirm whether or not someone was dead was to break their legs with a hammer. In today’s verses, verse 32, the soldiers broke the legs of the people besides Jesus. But in verse 33, since Jesus was already died, they did not need to break his legs. In the previous verse, Jesus said, “I am thirsty,” and this is not a coincidence, either. 

 2) Fulfillment of the prophesied words (Jn. 5:39)

    (1) Did not break His legs (Jn. 19:33)

The Old Testament had already prophesied that Jesus would die saying He is thirsty. 

    (2) Do not break the lamb’s legs (Ex. 12:46, Num. 9:12)

The fact that Jesus died without having His legs broken is also prophesied in the Old Testament and fulfilled. In Ex. 12:46, it says do not break any of the bones of the lamb. These words were fulfilled exactly.  Everything Jesus said was reflected in the exact Word of God.

    (3) Pierced Jesus’ side with a spear (Jn. 19:34)

Because Jesus Christ was already dead, instead of breaking His legs, the soldiers instead pierced his side and spilled out his blood and water. Even this wasn’t a coincidence as well.

    (4) The one they have pierced (Zech. 12:10)

This was also prophesied in Zechariah 12:10, it was prophesied that Jesus Christ would be pierced. Do you think things will happen the way you imagine in the future? Will things just happen randomly?  They will happen according to the word that God has given you. That is why God gives you His word in worship. God wants you to not be confused so He gives His Word based on the Bible. But deep in our hearts, we hold onto things that are not God’s Word–scars and trauma and shocks you received as a child are hidden and rooted in your heart.

There are things that happened to you while you were still in your mother’s room that you don’t remember,  but are hidden in your unconscious. There were things from your parents relayed to you even before you developed a memory.  No matter how hard I try to think, there are things hidden in me that control my actions, thoughts, and heart. But you don’t even know that this is happening according to God’s Word because you are rooted in the ideology that things happen according to human will. Yet, it turns out that Satan is in the background, continuously planting the ideology that you can be like God.  

Everything that was bad in the past will actually become a footstool for you once you have the gospel. The only way you can turn your life around is by knowing the gospel of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t matter what you experienced in the past, once you have Jesus, you are made into a new creation. You no longer live for yourself but you are going into the plan that God has made for you. The deeper these words are rooted in your heart, mind, spirit, and brain, the more you will have assurance. 

   3) Passover lamb

In the Old Testament, they sacrificed the flawless lamb, and in the New Testament they sacrifice Jesus Christ who came and died on the cross. 

    (1) It is finished (Jn. 19:30)

It is finished. The fundamental source of every problem has been finished.  

    (2) Solved all my sins, curses, disasters (Ex. 12:12, Is. 53:5)

All the problems of your past, sin, death, Satan, Hell have been overcome by Jesus. When you face a problem, Jesus made it so that this is no longer a problem to you because Jesus is living within you as King, with power. Depending on how much you are able to believe and enjoy this, your life will determine whether you live your life with the authority of a king or a slave. 

    (3) Overcame authority of the gates of hades, hell, death (1Cor. 15:54)

Jesus has finished all problems in your past, present, and future, but this is hard for you to believe because something else is more deeply rooted in you. Jesus said that it is finished but I still have problems? It’s not a problem, why not?  Jesus Christ has bought my life and he is now my master so why is this a problem for me? 

    (4) Solved problems of past, present, future (Gal. 2:20)

The “me” that says it is a problem has been crucified on the cross, but you keep coming back to life. You’re living this kind of unfair life. Everything is finished: until the day you go to heaven, everything has been perfectly prepared. Jesus is not telling you to suffer a lot on earth and then go to heaven. He says He is with us always, He has prepared everything that you will walk through in your life and then has prepared you to go to heaven. How will you follow and enjoy these blessings? I pray you will receive God’s grace through the word in today’s main scripture, because God guides you forward according to His Word. 

You may have lived your life however you desired but God gives you His word and fulfills it. When the word comes into you, you will receive healing. When you hold onto the Word and go into your field, God will fulfill that Word in your field.  When your business goes into the Word of God, then people will receive healing through your business.  No matter who the Word of God goes into, their lives will be changed. I hope you will throw away any thoughts that disagree with this because those are the thoughts of your old self, and your cursed life that comes from Satan and leads to death. 

2. Those who participated in the death of Jesus

  1) Joseph of Arimathea

    (1) Disciple of Jesus (Jn. 19:38)

In today’s main scripture, it speaks of Joseph of Arimathea and a disciple of Jesus. These were two disciples hidden in Jewish society and they were high elites who weren’t able to reveal they were Jesus’ disciples. I don’t think they had very good faith, because if they revealed themselves as Jesus’ disciples, they may have incurred loss.  But the time schedule they appeared was the time schedule God desired to use them.  

    (2) Secretly a disciple because he feared the Jewish leaders (31)

One of the two was Joseph of Arimathea, and in John 19:38, it says he had hidden that he was a disciple of Jesus Christ, because if you reveal yourself as a disciple of Christ, you will be excommunicated from society, unable to succeed. 

    (3) A prominent member of the Council, who was waiting for the kingdom of God (Mk. 15:43)

In Mark it says he was a member of the Sanhedrin, which means he had incredible power and strength, and he awaited the Kingdom of God. He was part of the group of 70 people who made and executed the laws, meaning he had great authority and strength. Their authority was unparalleled and unrivaled today.  The Sanhedrin had the power to move everything in the community, and when Jesus was crucified, it was by the decision of the Sanhedrin council. The Sanhedrin was voting to crucify Jesus Chirst and Joseph did not participate in that vote. 

    (4) Rich man (Matt. 27:57), Dedicated a new tomb (Jn. 19:41)

Joseph in Jn. 19:41 devoted himself to buy a tomb or grave for Jesus Christ, because wealthy people would buy burial plots. This was not a coincidence. In Isaiah 53:9, this is prophesied: it says that Jesus was buried near rich people, and that was Joseph. Why did God give Joseph the blessing of economy in advance? So he could participate in Jesus’s burial. If you cannot decipher this properly, because of your great inheritance you will be cursed. 

  2) Nicodemus

    (1) Brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds (Jn. 19:39)

In Jn. 19:39 Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes about 75 pounds. They have to clean the corpse then cover it in spices and strips of linen. 75 pounds is about 34 kg and it was a very high price. Nicodemus had purchased all these substances for the burial of Jesus Christ with the quantity meant for kings. All of Jesus’s disciples were poor at the time. There was not anyone who could pay for a burial. However, these two people believed in Jesus Christ but didn’t reveal it until after He was crucified. Joseph goes to Pilate and asks if he can take the body of Jesus. Since he was such a powerful man of the Jewish community, Pilate allows him to take Jesus’ body. Once he reveals himself as a disciple of Christ, everyone will know of this fact. 

    (2) A member of the Jewish ruling council (Jn. 3:1)

Nicodemus was also a Jewish leader and he goes to find Jesus in the night in John 3 because he was afraid of being seen. All the teachings he learned from Jewish synagogues were not an answer for his life. Religion is not the answer for people, it is just a strategy that mankind uses to try to live. The fact that you try to do anything with your life is wrong in itself.  It must be the gospel where Jesus Christ comes to this earth and dies on our behalf; religion is not enough.  Because we cannot do anything on our own, God had to send Jesus to be with us. 

Nicodemus asks Jesus how he can be born again. Even though he was an elite that taught God’s Word, he was very thirsty. There are many people who go to church and are still thirsty. As they go to church for a long time, they become more religious, but they still don’t know the gospel.  It is not that they don’t know Jesus Christ but they don’t know a life that is with Jesus as they are putting themselves before Him. “I have to do something with my life, how can I live for God?”  In reality, it’s not really for God; it’s for themselves. I have been crucified on the cross with Christ, there is no life to live outside of that. Knowing our ability is not enough, Jesus resurrected and now lives within us because we cannot do that on our own. 

At first Nicodemus did not understand. This is typical of elites: the more you have learned the harder it is to understand this because you try to understand based on the knowledge you’ve learned. But you cannot understand God through knowledge or by deeply analyzing the Bible. You can only understand the Bible if you receive working and inspiration from the Holy Spirit. Your life will only change when Jesus Christ comes to the earth, dies on the cross, and resurrects for you, personally.  Even today the word of God has to come upon us and move us in order for us to change. Religion says that regardless of what the Word says, I will live my life. 

    (3) One who is on Jesus’ side (John 7:50-52)

In John 7, Nicodemus stands by Jesus’s side while all the others are persecuting him for his teachings. Today after Jesus’s death, he completely reveals himself. There are many like this in the world. They don’t want to talk about Jesus because they are embarrassed or they think they can’t drink anymore. “I’m embarrassed to talk about Jesus Christ because of the things I did in my past.”  Then stop doing those things. If it’s embarrassing for you to drink and proclaim Christ, then stop drinking. If you’re embarrassed to proclaim Jesus Christ because you have a dirty mouth, stop doing that. What’s important is that you live centered on Christ, but because you live centered on yourself, you’re embarrassed no matter what you do.

  3) Those who devoted to God’s time schedule

These are the two kinds of people who are revealing themselves according to God’s time schedule. I hope this can be a time schedule for you as well. God has a time schedule for everyone. “Oh, this person is like a non-believer, I can’t tell if they believe or not when they go into the field.” One day that person will change according to God’s time schedule. 

3. Those who participated in the proclamation of the Gospel

  1) Old testament

The work that these people did was so precious because in order for Jesus to resurrect, it had to be from a tomb, so this is why they participated in His burial. John 5:9 says the Old Testament was written to testify about Jesus Christ. Why? It was a documentation of Jesus who is to come but hasn’t come yet. How did those who came before Christ receive salvation? As evidence that they believed in Jesus Christ, they had to sacrifice animals as atonement for their sins; this was the method for them to live with God. After Adam and Eve sinned against God, they were embarrassed and they covered themselves with leaves. That is religion. I try to hide my life and my shame with ethics and morals and good works. Religion is where you try to hide your shame with your prayers and good works.  Later on, God covers their shame with animal hide. God needs to completely cover our shame. 

The fig leaves will reveal everything when they wither up. With the efforts of mankind we cannot do it. It must be by the incident of the cross where the Lamb comes and dies for the sins of all mankind that God can cover our sin completely. The Israelites were able to continuously enjoy the blessing of being with God through sacrifices, and all the people within this flow were used. 

What will happen in the future? Will there be more pandemics? The Bible says that there will be more pandemics and disasters. Some people are afraid to hear those words, and that’s the sign they have lost hold of the gospel.  The point of the Bible is saying that despite these disasters, earthquakes, famines, and epidemics the Lord is with you always, and He is with us until the ends of the age, and that is how they can receive life. This is the reason you need to study, work, and live your walk of faith. These epidemics and wars have nothing to do with you. 

Even in the past, there were such disasters, epidemics, and wars. The only way for these disasters to be irrelevant to you is to go into the covenant of the Word of God, and God is with you always. Even if these things continue to happen, it won’t matter.  In Matt. 20:24 it says this will only come to an end once everyone has heard the gospel. 

    (1) Noah (Gen. 6:14)

In the time of Noah, Noah went into the flow of that covenant.  Everyone drowned in the flood but Noah created an ark long before the flood and survived. Just like for us, we had no choice but to die in our sin, but God has provided a way through Jesus Christ in advance. Noah devoted every day of his life to building the ark on a mountain. Everyone else in that age was enjoying their lives like the people of today, getting married, having parties, but all those people ended up dying.  

    (2) Moses (Ex. 3:18)

It was Noah and Moses who stayed in the flow of this historical covenant. For 80 years, Moses had nothing to show in his life but he went into the covenant flow. He was used as a representative and the one who was able to save the Israelites from the 10 disasters of Egypt through the blood of the Passover lamb. 

    (3) Abraham (Gen. 12:2-3, Jn. 8:56)

Even before Noah, God blessed Abraham by saying through him, all nations would be blessed. At first Abraham was confused because he was concerned about eating and surviving. He even brings his nephew Lot as an insurance policy because he was getting old and he needed someone to take over his work, but they began to fight, so he makes a complete resolution in the covenant of God.  

Before that point, even if you believe in God you will feel anxiety over physical needs. You will say, “Believing in God is one thing but I still need to eat and survive,” but God continues to give you a sign. One day Abraham makes a complete resolution in the covenant, saying, “Wherever you go I will go in the opposite direction,” to hold onto the covenant of God. At that moment, when Abraham makes the resolution to be within the flow of the covenant and to enter into the land of Canaan where Jesus Christ would be born to save all mankind, God tells him to look in all directions, north, south, east, and west and tells him, “I will give you all this land.”

    (4) Obadiah (1 Ki. 18:12-13)

In the years of King Ahab, he was an Israelite king but his wife was an idol worshipper, so all Israel became an idol-worshiping nation. Obadiah was a governor working under King Ahab and he was completely devoted to God. In 1 Kings 18:12-13, Obadiah was the one who connected Elijah to King Ahab so they could have an ultimate battle between Elijah and the false prophets. Obadiah also participated in the work of God by hiding 100 prophets in caves with his money and his powerful devotion. 

Have you ever tried to feed and house 100 people? Do you have a house like that?  You don’t, so you have no idea how powerful and able this person was. We can’t even have two people come over to my house, but Obadiah fed, clothed, and provided shelter to 100 people.  He was giving all of his material wealth and power to be used by God. All of these people who participated in the work of the gospel were prepared by God. 

    (5) Isaiah (Is. 7:14)

We don’t even have to talk about Isaiah, and the members of the Early Church in the New Testament, when they reached 16 years of age, they had to have a coming-of-age ceremony like a bar mitzvah and make a confession of faith, but they believed in Jesus Christ. 

  2) New Testament

    (1) Disciples of the Early Church

When they are asked the question, they can’t answer honestly. They either had to lie or confess they believed in Jesus Christ, then it would be like being ex-communicated from society, their children wouldn’t be able to go to college, they wouldn’t be able to get a job; they would live their entire lives as beggars. Even when trying to purchase a home, the real estate agent would stay far away from these people. They can’t even get a credit card. Then what would happen? They have to rely on their savings to survive. 

When the persecution became too intense, they had to run away to live in caves and catacombs. Why did they choose this life? It’s because this is more important than life.  I’m not saying that you have to become beggars or poor to believe in Jesus, but the gospel is more important than those. The members of the Early Church participated in these works of God. 

    (2) Business people of Rom. 16

If you look in Rm. 16, you can see how the members of the Roman church were able to devote and participate in the church in their homes. The representatives of those were Priscilla and Aquila who were able to stake their lives for Paul’s ministry. Everywhere Paul went, Priscilla and Aquila gave all their material possessions and staked their lives for God. 

    (3) Disciples who are not named

There were countless people who weren’t even recorded in the Bible. These people did not live this way because they weren’t smart; they were quite smart and they properly understood where to stake their lives. Generation by generation these people staked their lives for the work of the gospel of God.

  3) Present and future 

That gospel has come to us today, but the churches continue to close down and people have lost the value of religion. If anything, they say the gospel isn’t an answer, but transcendental meditation is an answer in America; even the hospitals treat using this. This age of mental illnesses is on the rise and people can’t find the answer in churches, even if they should have the answer, so they go to transcendental meditation and to hospitals. 

    (1) Those who have the Gospel – Save myself

These people when they go to church are just told to beg for blessings in the world, but they already have these things, so they do not find the answer in the church. But churches proclaim, “If you don’t live according to the Word of God, you die,” and people don’t like that.  Because the churches are proclaiming religion and prosperity-based faith, these people are not able to get the answer. People in the churches tell them if you don’t believe this, you will die, but they hate listening to that so they leave. But Jesus died because we cannot do this on our own, and that’s not enough, so He had to come to live within us. Because we cannot do anything on our own, Christ lives in us to give us His grace, strength, and power to do His work.  But because we keep telling people to do something, they get annoyed and leave. 

In transcendental meditation, you listen to music and let everything down, lie down on a mat; you don’t have to do anything. This is from Buddhism a thousand years ago, “lay everything down,” and when you let everything go, you let go of the scars of your past and receive healing. Because the churches are saying, “Give me this or do this,” people are leaving for transcendental meditation. 

    (2) Those who devote to the church that heals through the Gospel

We have to properly proclaim the God-given gospel.  The members of the church have to properly understand, enjoy, and hold onto the gospel.  When this gospel goes astray, the age continues towards destruction. We cannot receive salvation of our souls through transcendental meditation. Beginners of meditation won’t understand but those who have done this for decades will understand. Meditation is actually about having a spiritual connection. 

Have you studied yoga?  The real motive of those poses is to unite with God. Religions in the East have been developed with these practices for thousands of years. Buddhism is about emptying yourself. Siddhartha sitting under the tree happened thousands of years before Jesus came to the world and continues even now, but whenever someone comes to church, they just try to get handouts. Elites already have everything they want and they’re still going crazy, but this is all the churches talk about, so the churches don’t give the answer to them.

But when people like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were followers of Christ. They were in the Jewish Church, and they were leaders in the community.  You can only be a leader in the Jewish community if your actions are very clean, pure, and holy, and they had to be applauded by other people. Paul was like that too, but this wasn’t an answer for them, and the more they did these things, the crazier they became because the core of it was about living for yourself. They put the words of the Jewish teachings on themselves, but their central motives were still for themselves.

The gospel says that I have died and Christ comes to me and lives within me as my Master. It sounds like such a small difference but if you realize this, it will become an answer for your entire life. What must we do?  We need to just hold onto this gospel that has been given to us on the cross. By law, we have received salvation. Let’s say your child goes to college and you buy them a car. Then they should use the car right? But say they’re happy to have received the car but they never use it. It’s like saying you’re saved but never using it. You say you’re saved but that’s it; then you live however you want. You need to hold onto this gospel, meaning you are using it and enjoying it. 

You have to hold onto it and enjoy the life where you are no longer your master but the Lord is, then nothing is a problem. Depression is a problem but it’s not a problem. The Lord will take care of that.  Your future belongs to the Lord. Satan works because you keep trying to hold onto and move your future. Transcendental meditation is not an answer to this; it’s still about you trying to control your own life, and the deeper you get into this, the more you’ll be seized by Satan. That is why from the beginning God gave us the word of Holy Meditation. You have to go deeply into this, to empty yourself and fill yourself completely with the word of God. Then you will be revived, healed, and the fate of your life will be changed. 

We must enjoy and relay this complete gospel. “Oh I’m sure someone else will relay it.” No, God has given this to you so you must do this. The church is the place that raises people up and heals people with the gospel. But everyone’s heart is collapsed because of the things we hear from the world. We are always deceived by the things and lies of the world. If we have this, and people come to the church, we use the gospel.  The church is the place to save the world. The reason the curses and disasters came upon the Jews is because they saw themselves as the only chosen people, and the rest of the world was not. Of course, if you’ve received the gospel, then the church is the place for you to enjoy and relay it.

    (3) Those who live for the proclamation of the Gospel in field of the world

Now everything in my life, my studies and work, is used for the gospel. That’s why He said it is all finished.  If our thoughts are turned back to the word, we will go into the life that God has prepared for us. 

    (4) Those who proclaim the Gospel to the multi-ethnic, future generation

This must be relayed to the future generations and multi-ethnic people. 

Conclusion

1. Those who have and enjoy the Gospel of Jesus Christ

That’s how this perfect and complete gospel will be relayed to the next generation.  

2. Those who devote to the church for the Gospel

Those who devote to this are simply going into the plan God has already made; it is not our devotion. There are people who avoid just this because of what is already imprinted within them, the value system that avoids God’s plan. 

3. Those who are used in the work of relaying the Gospel to the world

That is what holds onto this person and pushes them into their fate. This state is relayed into their future generations exactly. This is why God created worship and gives us the grace of His Word. 

Prayer

Throughout the rest of the week, I hope your life will also go into the work of the gospel of saving lives just like Joseph and Nicodemus. Let us hold onto the Word that God has given us and pray.

Offering Prayer

God, we thank You. Thank you for giving us the grace of salvation so that we can enjoy, hold onto it and relay to others the gospel of Jesus Christ that Jesus has finished it all on the cross. We return our material blessings as offering. We pray that everywhere this offering is used, people who are dead will be revived and you will save this church and the 237 nations. We believe that you will work with the blessings of the economy so we can use the offering for tithe, thanksgiving, temple construction, missions, and the future generations. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray, amen.

Benediction

God, we thank You. Thank you for giving us the gospel and the grace to enjoy and relay this gospel.

Now may the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the unlimited love of God, the indwelling, working, guidance, and communion of the Holy Spirit, be upon all the people of God who have experienced the crucifixion of Christ and wish to participate in relaying it, upon the multi-ethnic people and the next generation, upon all their businesses, jobs, and studies they are doing, upon the heads of all the members of the church who are suffering from mental, physical, and spiritual diseases, be with us from now until forevermore always, amen.