John 19:31-36 as the Fulfillment of
the Passover Lamb
This blog and the three following blogs are an interpretation of the Biblical text of John 19:31-36 as the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb in the Exodus account found in the Old Testament in the books of Exodus (12:9) and Numbers (9:12). The Passover Lamb in the Exodus typologically depicts the death of Jesus on the cross as the propitiation of humanity’s sins. Jesus subsequently fulfills the words of John the Baptist in John 1:36: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” As the Passover Lamb freed the slaves of Egypt from the death angel, so the Lamb of God frees humanity from the slavery of sin (Rom. 6:6).The believer will be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, hence, will escape the second death (Rev.13:7-8).
TypologyTypology is the study of parallels between how the Old Testament Scripture promises are fulfilled in the New Testament. The themes of promise and fulfillment are visible throughout the Old Testament. God’s interchange with His people through the Old Testament prophets depicted how He would handle them in the future. Typology is linked to God moving throughout salvation history in fulfilling His promises to His people. Through the historical evidence in Scripture, scholars have linked the typological activity of the Old Testament to the fulfillment in the New Testament. Coupled with this thought is the final fulfillment in the antitype, which is superior to the original type. Therefore all the types would point to the antitype found in Christ. Due to the superiority of the antitype there are some noticeable differences in the Old Testament type and the New Testament antitype. The type is reflecting the antitype which finds its fulfillment in Christ (2 Cor.1:20).
HISTORICAL AND LITERARY CONTENT
The authorship of John is formally anonymous and historically attached to the four canonical Gospels with the title “According to John.” The writer is of Jewish descent, and the proof of this is in the text of the Gospel in the special knowledge, literary style, and religious faith of the writer. He was from a Palestinian background, was an eyewitness to the events that he recorded, and was an apostle of Jesus. The “Word became flesh” theme of this Gospel also coincides with the Word theme in 1 John and the book of Revelation, therefore is evidence of the authorship of the apostle John.
Starting in the thirteenth chapter, the author
identifies himself as “the beloved disciple.” Irenaeus testifies in his work Against
Heresies that John delivered the Gospel to the elders with whom he
associated. One of these associates was Polycarp of Samaria who resided in Asia
Minor. John possibly was associated with Polycarp when he was a resident of
Asia Minor in the city of Ephesus. Church tradition suggests that John lived in
Ephesus. However, it is not mentioned in the Biblical
text that he lived there.
One may question the historicity of the Gospel
because of the mystic nature within it, and the seemingly contradictive nature
compared to the Synoptic Gospels. However, this writer concurs with C. K.
Barrett when he affirms that the mystic and contradictive nature only is a
witness to the depth of John’s mind and that the historical Jesus transcends
the constraints of time and space. The date of the
Gospel could be anywhere from AD 55 to AD 95, but because of the evidence in
John 21:23 indicating the longevity of John’s life, this would indicate the
later date. D. A. Carson holds to an AD 80 date of authorship.
Day of Preparation
Verse 32 reveals that it was the day of preparation. According to Dr. Constable this quotation “the day of preparation” is unique to the fourth Gospel. However, Leon Morris suggests that this name was given to the Friday before the Sabbath, implying it was a well-known term of that day. The Jews went to great lengths on the Friday preceding the Sabbath in order to avoid work on the Sabbath. This would place all the work on the day before the actual meal. Morris concluded that the day of preparation became a very significant day, because all the arrangements for the feast had to be finished before sunset when the Sabbath day began. This was not only the Sabbath but a special Sabbath that landed during the Passover. It is important because it also included the second Paschal day which took place on this particular Sabbath.
Hoskins, Paul, Jesus as the Fulfillment of the Temple in the Gospel of John, Class handout, The Gospel of John I-Term, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Fort Worth, Texas, Winter 2007)
D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Apollos, 1991), pg. 68.
B. F. Westcott, The Gospel According to St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), pgs. vi, x, xviii, xxi.
C. K. Barrett, The Gospel According to St. John; An Introduction with Commentary and Notes on the Greek Text (London, England: S. P. C. K, 1955), pgs. 83-88. This writer has visited modern-day Turkey which is the Biblical Asia Minor and indeed there are ruins of a church in the town of Ephesus named after St. John. He supposedly was buried in this church that bears his name. Mary’s house is supposedly there as well, which would also imply his residence in the town of Ephesus knowing that he had charge of the Lord’s mother (John 19:26-27).Ibid, page 85.
C. K. Barrett, Essays on John (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster Press, 1982), pg. 131.
Carson, The Gospel According to John, page 82.
Dr. Thomas L. Constable Soniclight.com, 2005, www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/John.pdf. (accessed 1/13/07).
Leon Morris, Expository Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1991), page 672. This writer finds it interesting that the Biblical text in Exodus 12:8 and Numbers 9:11 reveals that God makes it a mandate that the Passover Lamb be slaughtered at twilight, and then Jesus gave up His spirit just before twilight in John 19:30.
Thank you for taking the time to read my contemplations.
With Much Joy,
©Darla J. Smith
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