John 19:39
“And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Nicodemus, who first met Jesus in secret, brings spices for Jesus's burial.
Context
Nicodemus first appeared in John 3, coming to Jesus by night with questions about rebirth. He had been cautious, careful, afraid. Now he emerges in public, carrying an extraordinary quantity of spices—a hundred pounds, which was a royal amount used for important burials. This abundance suggests both deep devotion and the freedom that comes when love can no longer be hidden.
What Does John 19:39 Mean?
Nicodemus returned. The teacher who came by darkness now walks in the light of mourning. He brings myrrh, used for anointing the dead, and aloes, costly and fragrant. The amount is staggering—a hundred pounds—suggesting this was no ordinary burial. This was a king being laid to rest. In the spices lies both sorrow and sovereignty, both honor and hope.
From the meeting by night to the burial in the garden: Nicodemus's faith matured in silence. He had wrestled with Jesus's words about being born again. Now, over the lifeless body of his rabbi, he understands. Death is not the end but a doorway. In lavishing such care on the corpse, Nicodemus declares a resurrection faith that only makes sense if he expects Jesus to rise.
In the Original Language
smyrna (σμύρνα), 'myrrh' -- a fragrant resin from the myrrh tree; used in anointing and embalming; also symbolizes bitter suffering and death
Application
Nicodemus shows us that spiritual growth often happens in seasons of questioning and confusion, in the dark. And when the moment of ultimate witness arrives, that questioning faith is ready to act with extravagant love. We honor Jesus best not with words but with presence, with the lavish expenditure of what we have.