“The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake 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 brake not His legs; but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true; and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of Him shall not be broken.”PTUK June 30, 1892, page 200.2

In the instruction concerning the Passover lamb and, the Jews were particularly warned never to let a bone of it be broken. Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12. That lamb typified Christ, for Paul says: “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” 1 Corinthians 5:7. Now in the natural order of events, the legs of Jesus would have been broken, for this was the general custom in hastening the death of those who were crucified, and it was done to the two thieves. But the astonishingly speedy death of Jesus made this proceeding unnecessary, and thus the scripture remained unbroken.PTUK June 30, 1892, page 200.3

The burial of Jesus is thus described:-PTUK June 30, 1892, page 200.4

“When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple; he went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.”PTUK June 30, 1892, page 200.5

Thus was fulfilled the following prophecy:-PTUK June 30, 1892, page 200.6

“And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.” Isaiah 53:9.PTUK June 30, 1892, page 200.7

A casual reading of the above text would lead one to think that Christ made His grave both with the wicked and with the rich. On this text Barnes has the following comment, which brings out very beautifully the exactness with which the prophecy was fulfilled:-PTUK June 30, 1892, page 200.8

“Hengstenberg renders it, ‘They appointed Him His grave with the wicked (but He was with a rich man after His death); although he had done nothing unrighteous, and there was no guile in His mouth.’ The sense, according to Him, is that not satisfied with His sufferings and death, they sought to insult Him even in death, since they wished to bury His corpse among criminals. It is then incidently remarked, that this object was not accomplished.... The word rendered ‘he made,’ from nathan, is a word of very frequent occurrence in the Scriptures. According to Gesenius, it means, (1) to give, as (a) to give the hand to a victor; (b) to give into the hand of anyone; ... (g) to give into prison, or into custody.... The notion of giving, or giving over, is the essential idea of the word, and not that of making, as our translation would seem to imply; and the sense is, that He was given by design to the grave of the wicked, or it was intended that He should occupy such a grave.”-Barnes on Isaiah 53:9.PTUK June 30, 1892, page 200.9

The comment is extended at some length, but this is sufficient for our purpose. It is the most probable thing in the world that the Jews, who had insulted Jesus when alive, in every conceivable manner, and had subjected Him to the most ignominious death, should designed to put upon Him the further indignity of being cast out without burial, justice was done with criminals. The first step toward this they took in ordering His legs to be broken; but as this design was frustrated, that the prophecy might be fulfilled, so was the other, and He had a most honourable burial. Instead of being thrown out among criminals, as His enemies designed, He was with the rich in His death. So impossible is it for men to frustrate the designs of God. “Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee; the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restraint.” Psalm 71:10.PTUK June 30, 1892, page 200.10

One more prophecy we have to notice, and it is a bright beam of light shining from the throne of God, through the tomb, presaging the glorious exaltation to the right hand of God. David said:PTUK June 30, 1892, page 200.11

“I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope. For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16:8-11.PTUK June 30, 1892, page 200.12

This was fulfilled in the short stay of Jesus in the tomb, which did not allow corruption to begin. The apostle Peter made this very plain on the day of Pentecost, when, after repeating the words quoted in the preceding paragraph he said:-PTUK June 30, 1892, page 200.13

“Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, He would raise up Christ to sit on His throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell, neither His flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens; but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on My right hand, Until I make Thy foes Thy footstool.” Acts 2:29-35.PTUK June 30, 1892, page 200.14

Thus we have briefly traced, both in prophecy and in corresponding history, the life of Christ from His birth in the manger to His exaltation to the throne of the Majesty and the heavens. We have only noted a few of the more prominent prophecies, yet all can readily see that their exact fulfilment furnished the apostles with an overwhelming argument to prove that the Jesus whom they preached was the Christ.PTUK June 30, 1892, page 200.15

The Jews were rejected because they did not know the time of their visitation; because in their hardness of heart and blindness of mind, they misapplied in disregard of the prophecies which would have made them wise unto salvation. If such was their fate, what will be our lot, if we do not take good heed to all the prophecies which pertain to His second coming, in power and great glory, at “the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21), when He shall “give to every man according as his work shall be”? E. J. W.PTUK June 30, 1892, page 200.16

June 16, 1892

July 14, 1892