November 23, 2023
Life Changing Experiences
(Some information may be too graphic for small children)
“And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, ‘Not a bone of Him shall be broken.’ And again another Scripture says, ‘They shall look on Him whom they pierced.’” John 19:35-37 (NASB)
There are things in this world that we wouldn’t normally believe, but if we saw it for ourselves, we might be a little more inclined to believe. This is because we witnessed something for ourselves. I remember years ago in our former house my wife was cleaning out the closet to make room for more clothes (again). When she began I was kneeling beside her to help move heavier items. Our bed was directly behind the closet horizontally to the closet. When my wife picked up a box, a palmetto bug jumped off the box. I hate these things. They are gross and they make my skin crawl. I remember trying to get away from it so I scaled the bed, landing on the opposite side of the bed (a queen size). I don’t know how I did it, but I managed to scale a 5-foot bed without ever touching it. No one would believe me if I told them though, but I experienced it for myself.
“And he who has seen has testified…” John uses phrases like this throughout his letter: “the disciples whom He loved” (19:26); “whom Jesus loved” (13:23); “the other disciple whom Jesus loved” (20:2); “that disciple whom Jesus loved” (21:7); “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (21:20); and the usage of the word “we” is used in 1 John 1:1-4. Why would John use these phrases? John identifies himself as a witness to all of these events in his letter(s). John goes on to say, “he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.” “This personal witness disproves the theory of the Docetic Gnostics that Jesus did not have a real human body.”[1] John furthers his witness to share the fulfillment of scripture by Jesus. “Not a bone of Him shall be broken. And again another Scripture says, ‘They shall look on Him whom they pierced.’” MacArthur adds, “John quoted from either Exodus 12:46 or Numbers 9:12, both of which specify that no bone of the Passover lamb may be broken. Since the NT portrays Jesus as the Passover Lamb that takes away the sins of the world (1:29; cf. 1 Cor. 5:7; 1 Peter 1:19), these verses have special typologically prophetic significance for Him. The quote in v. 37 comes from Zech. 12:10, which indicates God Himself was pierced when His representative, the Shepherd (Zech. 13:7; cf. Zech. 11:4, 8, 9, 15-17) was pierced. The anguish and contrition of the Jews in the Zechariah passage, because of their wounding of God’s Shepherd, is typologically prophetic of the time of the coming of the Son of God, Messiah, when at His return, Israel shall mourn for the rejection and killing of their King (cf. Rev. 1:7).”[2]
If you know me, I wouldn’t recommend toying with me in the future playing a prank with a bug like that. You might end up with a little more than you bargained for if you did. I know from my experience I have seen them in the finest restaurants in town at night after they close. One night I saw an entire room move when I turned on a light inside one after an alarm call. My experience was life-changing when I see one. John’s experience too was life-changing…
[1] Robertson, A. T. (1933). (Jn 19:35). Broadman Press.
[2] (MacArthur, John, 1997).