“Silent witness: a spear”
John 19:34
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus.
In an article entitled, Tiny Movie Cameos by Super Famous People, the author, Jacob Shelton, writes: “Some actors have perfected the art of making a cameo. They can drop in and blow your mind in five minutes or less, and still make it home in time for dinner.”
Take, for example, a movie called, There’s Something about Mary. Look closely, and you’ll see, of all people, Brett Favre. Remember the movie Happy Gilmore? For just a moment, you’ll see Bob Barker. Basketball superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar appeared in Airplane! Even Madonna snuck in for a quick scene in a Bond film called, Die Another Day.
It’s strange, but not all that unusual, for actors, celebrities, and even directors, to make a cameo appearance.
Seventeen years ago, back in 2004, when Mel Gibson filmed the movie, The Passion of the Christ, he decided to make a cameo appearance too. In fact, he made two. Though you never see his face, you see his feet, as Mary Magdalene reaches out to Jesus.
And there’s one more. It happens at the cross. As soldiers stretch out Jesus’ arms to crucify Him, it’s Mel Gibson’s hands that are driving in the nail.
Why did he do it? Because he wanted to show that he, first and foremost, held himself accountable for Christ’s death.
I’ll read the words of John chapter 19: “Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness--his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth--that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: ‘Not one of His bones will be broken.’ And again another Scripture says, ‘They will look on Him whom they have pierced’” (John 19:31-37).
Historians tell us that, at first, the Roman army was not an incomparable and unstoppable fighting machine. That wouldn’t come till much later. At first, it was little more than a part-time Greek army--tradesmen and farmers who went back to their shops and fields after a quick summer campaign. It wasn’t until years later that it became such a skilled and efficient organization.
Just after the time of Christ, a writer by the name of Flavius Renatus described the qualifications of a Roman soldier. He said, “Let, therefore, the youth who is to be chosen for martial tasks have observant eyes, hold his head up, have a broad chest, muscular shoulders, strong arms, long fingers and calves and feet hard and knotted with muscles. Whenever you find these marks in the recruit, do not be troubled about his height. It is more useful for soldiers to be strong and brave, than big.”
In basic training, soldiers ran long distances, climbed over walls, and carried heavy packs with full armor on. In summer, they were required to march eighteen miles in five hours. If their camp was near water, every recruit had to swim, some of them even in their armor, so they could fight on the other side.
Even more, each soldier was expected to swear an oath of allegiance and obedience to his commander. If he ever failed to carry out his general’s orders, at the least he’d suffer flogging. If he dared to desert, they’d cut off his right hand.
And while a Roman soldier’s armor was legendary, so were his weapons. Dressed in a helmet, a breastplate, leg and arm guards, a belt, a tunic, and boots, he wielded the most formidable of weapons. There was a dagger, a short sword, a javelin, and probably the most important of all, a spear. It was one of the deadliest and most devastating weapons of all.
It was six-and-a-half feet long. Its rod was made of ash. Its head was made of iron.
And it’s that spear of which John spoke in chapter 19.
Strangely, the scene was quiet. Jesus was dead. His mangled body hung limply on the cross. His mother was weeping, His friends were grieving, the tongues of His mockers finally stopped wagging as they returned home to join in their Passover celebration. They breathed a sigh of relief that this so-called Messiah, this troublemaker, was finally out of the way. And Pilate silently congratulated himself that his decision, at least for the time being, satisfied the crowds. Sure Jesus was dead, but at least he managed to keep the peace and keep his job.
Now Annas and Caiaphas didn’t want to appear callous, but in just a few hours, the Sabbath would begin. And Old Testament law made it perfectly clear that anyone who suffered death by crucifixion must be interred by sunset, especially if the day that followed was sacred. So after discussing the matter amongst themselves, they sent a message to Pilate, asking him to kindly and quickly dispatch these three.
Which takes us to the words of our text: “So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear” (John 19:32-34).
Please note that these were well-seasoned and highly-experienced soldiers of Rome whose duty it was to crucify insurrectionists. They knew what they were doing, and they knew death when they saw it, plain and simple.
And after breaking the legs of the first one, and then the other, they came to Jesus. But as they stood at the foot of His cross, they knew full well that He was already dead. But just to be sure that there was no doubt, a soldier stepped back a pace, held his lance midway down the shaft, drew it back, then jabbed it into His side.
Now we really don’t know what, at that moment, was going on in that soldier’s mind. Did he think, “Obviously, this one’s already dead, so there’s really no point in breaking His legs. But just to be absolutely, positively sure, I’ll thrust my spear into His side instead.” We don’t know.
But what we do know is that, in that moment, he unwittingly fulfilled the Word of the Lord. For as it says in the words of Psalm 34: “He keeps all His bones; not one of them is broken.”
And so it was done. Pilate sentenced Him, men mocked Him, chief priests shouted crucify, and a soldier thrust a spear into His side. And through it all, the flawless, guiltless, sinless Lamb of God dies, and yet one more prophecy is fulfilled.
As one author put it, “The cross rests like a diamond on the time-line of history. Its tragedy summons all sufferers. Its absurdity attracts all cynics. Its hope lures all searchers. For there, suspended on its beams is the greatest claim in all of history--a crucified Carpenter claiming to be God on earth. Divine. Eternal. The death-slayer. Never has timber been regarded so sacred. History’s hinge.”
No wonder the apostle Paul once wrote to the Corinthians, “Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, the power of God and the wisdom of God” (I Corinthians 1:22-24).
Suppose, for a moment, that a man went to a blacksmith, and said to him, “I’d like you to make me a long and heavy chain. And I’d like it done next week. I’ll pay you in cash--no check, and no credit card.”
Though the blacksmith was pressed with many other jobs, for the sake of such a large amount of money, he agreed to drop everything he was doing and to give it his all till he got the job done.
The following week the man came back. “It’s a fine chain,” he said, “but I can see that it’s not long enough.”
“But it’s the length you ordered,” said the blacksmith.
“I know, but I’ve decided I want it longer. Work on it for another week, and I’ll pay you.”
Encouraged by the praise and the promise of full payment, the blacksmith reluctantly went back to work, heating up his furnace, beating the red hot metal on his anvil, and steadily adding link to link.
Then a week later, just as he promised, the customer came back. But just as he did before, he praised the chain, but again insisted that it was still too short. He said he needed more links.
The blacksmith said, “Then you must pay me. I can do no more. I’ve used virtually all of my iron and all of my coal, and I’m weary of this work. I won’t add a single link to this chain until you pay me for what I’ve done.”
“No,” said the customer, “just a few more links and it’ll be perfect. Just one more week. Then when you’ve completed the work to the proper length, you’ll be paid in full.”
The blacksmith sat down and groaned. He had already done so much. He had committed so much time and strength and iron into making this chain. But he had to finish it to get his money. So, scraping everything together, with his last ounce of strength, he worked for one more week.
And when that week passed, carefully, the buyer examined the chain. He said, “It’s excellent. You’ve worked hard and long. Your skill is clearly evident. You shall do no more. You can have your wages.”
But instead of taking a wad of money out his pocket, he motioned to the men who were with him to overpower the blacksmith, wrap the chain around him, and throw him into his own furnace.
Sin is just like that, for though it promises much, it demands much--a little more money, a little more dedication and effort, another week, another month, another year. But in the end, its reward is death, as each sin is another link in a chain that can lock you up forever.
You can serve sin, but the day will come when you’ll pay the price.
So how thankful we are, how blessed we are, to hear the words of the prophet: “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and by His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5).
Merciful God and Lord, as we stand at the foot of the cross to view our Lord’s suffering and death, we know that it was our sin that put Him there. Help us, by Your great grace and mercy, to live as Your children, knowing all that He’s accomplished for us. This we ask in His name. Amen