Commentary on the Gospel According to John John Calvin (continued)
John Calvin greatest crimes without any hesitation; for, in order to a strict observance of their Sabbath, they are careful to avoid outward pollution; and yet they do not consider how shocking a crime it is to take away the life of an innocent man. Thus we saw a little before, that they did not enter into the governor's hall, that they might not be defiled, (John 18:28,) while the whole country was polluted by their wickedness. Yet, by their agency, the Lord carries into effect what was of the greatest importance for our salvation, that, by a wonderful arrangement, the body of Christ remains uninjured, and blood and water low out of his side.
And it was the great day of that Sabbath 516 Another reading more generally approved is, and that Sabbath-day was great; but the reading which I have adopted is supported by many manuscripts that are ancient and of great authority. Let the reader choose for himself. If we read {ἐκείνου} in the genitive case, ({ἐκείνου} {τοῦ} {σαββάτου} of that Sabbath) the word Sabbath must be understood to denote the week; as if the Evangelist had said, that the festival of that week was very solemn, on account of the Passover. Note, the Evangelist speaks of the following day, which began at sunset. But, if we choose rather to read {ἐκείνη}, in the nominative case, {ἦν} {γὰρ} {μεγάλη} {ἡ} {ἡμέρα} {ἐκείνη} {τοῦ} {σαββάτου}, and That was the great day of the Sabbath, the meaning will be nearly the same in substance; only there would be this difference in the words, that the Passover, which was to take place on the following day, would render that Sabbath more solemn.
33. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was already dead. That they break the legs of the two robbers, and after having done so, find that Christ is already dead, and therefore do not touch his body, appears to be a very extraordinary work of the providence of God. Ungodly men will, no doubt, say that it happens naturally that one man dies sooner than another; but, if we examine carefully the whole course of the narrative, we shall be constrained to ascribe it to the secret purpose of God, that the death of Christ was brought on much more rapidly than men could have at all expected, and that this prevented his legs from being broken.
34. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear. When the soldier pierced Christ's side with his spear, he did so for the purpose of ascertaining if he was dead; but God had a higher object in view, as we shall immediately see. It was a childish contrivance of the Papists, when, out of the Greek word {λόγχε}, which means a spear, 517 they manufactured the proper name of a man, and called this soldier Longinus, and, to give an air of plausibility to their story, foolishly alleged that he had been formerly blind, and that, after having received his sight, he was converted to the faith. Thus they have
516{ἦν} {γὰρ} {μεγάλη} {ἡ} {ἡμέρα} {ἐκείνη} {τοῦ} {σαββάτον}. "A very solemn festival; namely, as being not only an ordinary Sabbath, but the extraordinary one on the 15th of Nisan. For {ἐκείνη}, very many MSS., Versions, and early Editions, have {ἐκείνου}, which is received by most Editors from Wetstein to Scholz, with the approbation of Bishop Middleton." — BloomfieId.
517"Du mot Gree lonchi, qui signifie une lance."