The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (129 page)

19:24 They parted my garments:
A quotation from Ps 22:18, a psalm that runs parallel to the entire plot of the Passion narrative.
See note on Mt 27:46
. 
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19:25 his mother's sister:
Possibly "Salome", the mother of the apostles James and John, the sons of Zebedee (Mt 27:56; Mk 15:40). 
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19:26 Woman:
The address sounds impersonal to modern readers but was considered polite in biblical antiquity. •Jesus probably alludes to Gen 3:15, which describes the mother of the Messiah as the "woman" whose offspring conquers the devil (CCC 726, 2618).
See note on Jn 2:4
.
behold your son!:
Jesus honors his Mother by entrusting her to the protective care of the Apostle John, presumably because Mary had no other children to assume the responsibility.
See note on Mt 12:46
. • John is not just an
individual
disciple, he is portrayed by the evangelist as an
icon
of every disciple whom Jesus loves. In this sense, Mary is given to all beloved disciples of Christ, just as every disciple is given to the maternal care of Mary. The assumption here is that family relations are extended beyond the limits of natural lineage, so that every baptized believer has God as a Father, Christ as an eldest brother, Mary as a Mother, and the saints as brothers and sisters (CCC 501, 964, 2679). See introduction:
Themes and Characteristics.
 
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19:28 I thirst:
Recalls Ps 22:15 and Ps 69:21. 
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19:29 vinegar:
Sour wine. This was not the narcotic drink that Jesus earlier refused (Mk 15:23). • The use of
hyssop
to lift the sponge to Jesus suggests a connection with the original Passover, when the Israelites used hyssop branches to smear blood on their doorposts as a mark of divine protection (Ex 12:21-23). 
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19:32 broke the legs:
A mallet was used to crush the leg bones and hasten the processes of death. 
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19:34 blood and water:
Stresses the reality and finality of Jesus' death. • The episode is reminiscent of Num 20:10-13 as read in Jewish tradition. In the original story only water issued from the rock struck by Moses, but in the Aramaic rendition both blood and water gushed forth (
Palestinian Targum
on Num 20:11). Paul similarly interprets this rock as a symbol of Christ, from which flows the spiritual drink of the Eucharist (1 Cor 10:4) and the Spirit (1 Cor 12:13). •
Allegorically
(St. John Chrysostom,
Baptismal Instructions
3, 16-19): the water and blood streaming from the side of Christ are symbolic of the new life we receive in Baptism (3:5) and the nourishment we receive in the Eucharist (6:53) (CCC 1225). It indicates, moreover, that the Church constituted by these sacraments is the bride of Christ that issues from his side, just as Eve came forth from the side of Adam (Gen 2:21-23). In another sense (Tertullian,
On Baptism
16,2), the blood and water signify the two baptisms of martyrdom and Christian initiation. 
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19:35 he tells the truth:
The evangelist verifies the historical facts of the Crucifixion as an eyewitness (19:26). 
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19:36 Not a bone:
A reference to Ex 12:46. • This restriction was part of Israel's Passover legislation that disqualified lambs with blemishes and broken bones from being slaughtered and eaten for the liturgical celebration (Ex 12:5; Num 9:11-12). Jesus, whose bones are left intact, is the unblemished Lamb (Jn 1:29) fit to be consumed in the eucharistic liturgy (6:53-58; CCC 608). 
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19:37 They shall look:
A reference to Zech 12:10. • Zechariah describes a day of mourning for Jerusalem, which will weep with remorse that its sins have pierced the Messiah. It is also a day of compassion, when Yahweh opens a fountain to cleanse the city of its iniquities (Zech 13:1). John may be suggesting, in light of the full context of this prophecy, that there is a close connection between the
piercing
of the Messiah and the
opening
of the fountain of divine mercy. 
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19:38 Joseph of Arimathea:
A wealthy follower of Jesus who provided the tomb (Mt 27:57-60). He is a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, although he did not consent to its condemnation of Christ (Lk 23:50-51; CCC 596). 
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19:39 Nicodemus:
Also a member of the Sanhedrin (3:1). 
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19:40 the burial custom:
For the procedure,
See note on Jn 11:17
. 
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19:42 day of Preparation:
The Sabbath is fast approaching (sundown Friday). By then labor must cease (Lk 23:56), and so corpses must be quickly buried (Deut 21:22-23). 
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20:1 the first day:
Sunday, the first day of the Jewish week.
Mary Magdalene:
A devoted disciple of Christ, who was delivered of demonic possession (Lk 8:2) and whose love for Jesus carried her all the way to the Cross (19:25; CCC 641). 
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20:2 out of the tomb:
The empty tomb is the indisputable fact of Easter morning, as testified to even by the Roman soldiers who guarded the site (Mt 28:11-15). The disappearance of Jesus is the first indication that he has risen as he said (Mt 20:17-19). This is confirmed by several appearances throughout the next 40 days (Jn 20:19-21:1; Acts 1:3; CCC 640).
we do not know:
Presumes that Mary has come to the tomb with other women, as in Mt 28:1, Mk 16:1, and Lk 23:55-24:1. 
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20:4 the other disciple:
John, the evangelist himself. Luke makes similar mention of certain disciples, including Peter, running to the tomb on Easter morning (Lk 24:12, 24). See introduction:
Author.
reached the tomb first:
John defers to Peter by letting him enter the tomb first (20:6). This is more than a polite gesture, as it reflects his deference to the preeminent honor and authority that Jesus has bestowed on Simon (Mt 16:16-19). •
Allegorically
(John Scotus Erigena,
Hom. in Prol. Jn.):
the tomb is the Sacred Scriptures. Peter is faith, which is the first thing we bring to its pages, and John is understanding, which afterward enters and penetrates their meaning more deeply.
Morally,
Peter and John represent the active and contemplative missions of the Church, so that even when contemplatives are the first to arrive at a deeper understanding of the faith, deference is given to the hierarchical leadership, who later defines and promulgates their authentic insights. 
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