Thomas Aquinas Commentary John 19:28-37

"After this Jesus, knowing that all things are now finished, that the scripture might be accomplished, saith, I thirst. There was set there a vessel full of vinegar: so they put a sponge full of the vinegar upon hyssop, and brought it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up his spirit. The Jews therefore, because it was the Preparation, that the bodies should not remain on the cross upon the sabbath (for the day of that sabbath was a high [day]), asked of Pilate that their legs might be broken, and [that] they might be taken away. The soldiers therefore came, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with him: but when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: howbeit one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and straightway there came out blood and water. And he that hath seen hath borne witness, and his witness is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye also may believe. For these things came to pass, that the scripture might be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced." — John 19:28-37 (ASV)

1. After dealing with the crucifixion and the events that accompanied it, the Evangelist now describes the venerable death of Christ.

   • First, he shows that it was at the appropriate time.
   • Second, its manner: and bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.
   • And third, the piercing of the dead body: then the Jews (because it was the parasceve) … asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

   He shows that the time was fitting for his death, because all things were now accomplished.

   • First, he mentions that Christ knew that all things had been accomplished.
   • Second, we see Christ doing what remained to be done: Jesus therefore, when he had taken the vinegar, said: it is consummated.

2. In regard to the first, he says, afterwards, after the things that had just been mentioned, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished. This means that all that the law and the prophets had foretold about him had now been accomplished: everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled (Luke 24:44); I have seen the end of every consummation (Psalms 119:96).

3. But because another thing foretold in scripture had to be done, the Evangelist adds that Jesus said (in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled), I thirst.

   • First, we see the words spoken by Christ.
   • Then, how his desire could be satisfied.
   • And finally, he is given the vinegar.

4. Jesus said this in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled. The phrase in order that indicates the sequence of events and does not state the cause for why Jesus spoke, for he did not speak in order that the Scripture of the Old Testament might be fulfilled. Rather, things were written in the Old Testament because they would be fulfilled by Christ. If we say that Christ acted because the Scriptures foretold it, it would follow that the New Testament existed for the sake of the Old Testament and for its fulfillment, although the opposite is true. Therefore, it was because these things would be accomplished by Christ that they were predicted.

   By saying, I thirst, he showed that his death was real and not just imaginary. It also indicated his intense desire for the salvation of the human race: God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4); for the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). Indeed, we express our intense desires in terms of thirst: my soul thirsts for God (Psalms 42:3).

5. This desire could be satisfied because there was a vessel that had been put there, full of vinegar. This bowl signified the Jewish synagogue, in which the wine of the patriarchs and prophets had degenerated into vinegar—that is, into the malice and severity of the chief priests.

6. Christ is given the vinegar, for they, putting a sponge full of vinegar on hyssop, put it to his mouth.

   There is a question on the literal meaning. How could they put the sponge to Christ’s mouth, since he was hanging high off the ground?

   This is answered by Matthew, who says that the sponge was put on a reed (Matthew 27:48). Or, according to others, it was put on hyssop, which was long, and this is what Matthew called a reed.

7. As for the mystical sense, these three things signify the three evils that were present in the Jews: the vinegar signifies their ill-will; the sponge, full of crooked hiding places, signifies their craftiness; and the bitterness of the hyssop stands for their malice.

   Alternatively, the hyssop represents the humility of Christ, for the hyssop is a bush used for purification, and our hearts are purified especially by humility: sprinkle me with hyssop and I will be cleansed (Psalms 51:7).

8. The final fulfillment is mentioned when the Evangelist says, Jesus therefore, when he had taken the vinegar, said: it is consummated. This could refer to the fulfillment accomplished by Christ’s death: for it was fitting that the author of our salvation be fulfilled by glory through his passion (Hebrews 2:10). Or, it can be understood to refer to the fulfillment of our sanctification, which was brought about by his passion and cross: for by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified (Hebrews 10:14). Or, it can refer to the fulfillment of the Scriptures: everything that is written of the Son of man by the prophets will be accomplished (Luke 18:31).

9. Then the Evangelist describes the death of Christ: bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.

   First, he mentions the cause of his death: bowing his head. We should not think that because he gave up his spirit, he bowed his head. Rather, because he bowed his head, he gave up his spirit, for the bowing of his head indicated that he died out of obedience: he became obedient unto death (Philippians 2:8).

   Second, the Evangelist mentions the power of the one dying: he gave up his spirit, that is, by his own power. No man takes it away from me, but I lay it down of myself (John 10:18). As Augustine says, we do not have the power to sleep when we choose to, but Christ had the power to die when he willed to.

10. Some think that the phrase, gave up his spirit, implies that man has two souls: an intellectual soul, which they call the spirit, and an animal soul, that is, a vegetative-sensitive soul which gives life to the body and is called a soul in the proper sense. So they say that Christ gave up only his intellectual soul.

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    This is false, both because the assertion that there are two souls in man is listed among the errors compiled in the book The Dogmas of the Church, and because if Christ had given up his spirit and retained a soul, he would not have died. Therefore, since in man the spirit and the soul are the same, we must say that Christ gave up his spirit, that is, his soul.

    This also destroys the error of those who say that the human souls of those who have died do not go directly after death to paradise, hell, or purgatory, but remain in the grave until the day of judgment. For our Lord immediately gave up his spirit to the Father, from which we see that the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God .

11. Now we see the piercing of Christ’s body:

    • First, the act itself.
    • And then, the certainty of what the Evangelist tells us: and he that saw it, has given testimony.

    With respect to the first, he does two things:

    • First, we see the intervention and intention of the Jews.
    • Second, how this is partially accomplished.
    • Third, how this was accomplished with regard to Christ.

12. With respect to the first, he says, because it was the parasceve, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the Sabbath … the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

    In Deuteronomy, we see that it is a precept of the law that the bodies of the dead who had been hanged for crimes were not to be left hanging until the morning, lest the land be defiled and to blot out the disgrace of those who were hanged, for this kind of death was regarded as most disgraceful: a hanged man is accursed by God (Deuteronomy 21:22–23). Although the Jews did not now have the authority to inflict this punishment, they still tried to do what they could. And so because it was the Preparation day, they asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away, so that Christ’s body and those of the others would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, which was a very solemn day, and particularly this Sabbath during the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. They were careful to keep the law in small matters, but they ignored it in important things: you blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! (Matthew 23:24).

13. He says how this was done in part: the soldiers therefore came; and they broke the legs of the first thief, to whom they had come first, and of the other that was crucified with him, with Jesus. This shows their cruelty: you eat the flesh of my people (Micah 3:3).

14. Why does the Evangelist add, but after they had come to Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs? Surely Jesus was crucified between the two others?

    We should say that one soldier went to one of the criminals and another soldier went to the other one to break their legs, and when they were done with this, they both came to Jesus. We are told why they did not pierce his side: because when the soldiers saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

15. To make sure that Jesus was dead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear: but one of the soldiers with a spear, opened his side. It deserves notice that he does not say “wounded” but opened, because in his side the door of eternal life is opened to us: after this I looked, and lo, in heaven, an open door! (Revelation 4:1). This is the door in the side of the ark through which those animals entered who were not to perish in the flood (Genesis 7).

    This door is the cause of our salvation; and so, immediately there came out blood and water. This is a remarkable miracle, that blood should flow from the body of a dead person, where blood congeals. And if someone says that this was because the body was still warm, the flow of the water cannot be explained without a miracle, since this was pure water.

    This outpouring of blood and water happened so that Christ might show that he was truly human. For human beings have a twofold composition: one from the elements and the other from the humors. One of these elements is water, and blood is the main humor.

    This also happened to show that by the passion of Christ we acquire a complete cleansing from our sins and stains. We are cleansed from our sins by his blood, which is the price of our redemption: you know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things, such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot (1 Peter 1:18). And we are cleansed from our stains by the water, which is the bath of our rebirth: I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be clean from all your filthiness (Ezekiel 36:25); on that day there will be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness (Zechariah 13:1). And so it is these two things which are especially associated with two sacraments: water with the sacrament of baptism, and blood with the Eucharist. Or, both blood and water are associated with the Eucharist because in this sacrament water is mixed with wine, although water is not of the substance of the sacrament.

    This event was also prefigured, for just as from the side of Christ, sleeping on the cross, there flowed blood and water, which makes the Church holy, so from the side of the sleeping Adam there was formed the woman, who prefigured the Church.

16. Now the Evangelist shows that these events are certainly true:

    • First, from the testimony of the Apostle himself.
    • Second, from a prophecy in the scriptures: for these things were done that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

17. He does three things regarding the first point:

    1. He mentions the credentials of the witness, he that saw it has given witness, and this is John himself: that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you (1 John 1:3).
    2. He affirms that this testimony is true, his testimony is true: I am speaking the truth in Christ, I am not lying (Romans 9:1); you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:32).
    3. He asks us to believe: and he knows that he speaks the truth, that you also may believe: these are written, so that you may believe (John 20:31).

18. This truth is not guaranteed only by the testimony of the Apostle; there is also a prophecy of Scripture. Thus he says, these things were done that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Here again, the phrase that the Scripture might be fulfilled indicates the sequence of events. The Evangelist cites two authorities from the Old Testament. One refers to his statement that they did not break his legs and is found in Exodus: you shall not break a bone of it (Exodus 12:46), that is, the Passover lamb, which was a prefiguration of Christ, because as we read in 1 Corinthians, Christ, our Paschal lamb, has been sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5:7).

    It was commanded that the bones of the Passover lamb should not be broken in order to teach us that the courage of the true Lamb and unspotted Jesus Christ would in no way be crushed by his passion. The Jews were trying to use the passion to destroy the power of Christ’s teaching, but his passion only made it stronger: for the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). This is why Jesus said before: when you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he (John 8:28).

19. The second authority refers to his statement, one of the soldiers with a spear, opened his side, and is taken from Zechariah: they will look on him whom they have pierced. Our text of Zechariah reads: they will look on me whom they have pierced (Zechariah 12:10). If we join the statement of the Prophet to what the Evangelist says, it is clear that the crucified Christ is God, for what the Prophet says, he says as God, and the Evangelist applies this to Christ. They will look on him, he says, at the coming judgment. Or, they will look on him when they have been converted to the faith, and so on.