The apostle John wrote, “Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost”, and in chapter nineteen and verse thirty-one of his book John wrote how the Jews beckoned, “Pilate that their legs might be broken” where we read:
The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
The verse reads, “The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) ...” John began with the words, “the Jews therefore” which means “the leaders and people of the Jewish nation by origin, birth or religion then, wherefore and on this account”, “because it was the preparation” or “since and on account that the timing was the making ready, equipping and necessary readiness”, “that the bodies should not remain upon the cross” which means “so the physical bodies of the men who were crucified would not continue, abide, be present or be held continually well known instrument of most cruel and ignominious punishment, borrowed by the Greeks and Romans from the Phoenicians” “on the sabbath day” or “the seventh day of each week which was a sacred festival on which the Israelites were required to abstain from all work”, “(for that sabbath day” which means “because the particular and certain the seventh day of each week which was a sacred festival on which the Israelites were required to abstain from all work” “was an high day” or “existed as an intense in degree, virtue, authority and importance day”). John shared how the “Jewish leaders and people desired for Jesus and the two thieves to be removed from their “crosses” because the day upon which they died was the “preparation” day for the especially important “sabbath”.
The verse continues, “besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.” John added the words, “besought Pilate” or “asked, beckoned and requested of Pilate whose name means armed with a spear and was the sixth Roman procurator of Judah and Samaria who ordered Christ to be crucified” “that their legs might be broken” which means “that the physical legs of Jesus and the two thieves would be rent in pieces or cracked apart”, “and that they might be taken away” or “so Jesus and the two thieves could be carried off”. John shared how the “Jewish leaders” and people wanted “Pilate” to “break” Jesus and the two thieves legs so they would die more quickly and could be removed from their crosses.
When we meditate upon John's words in this verse, we learn how the “Jewish leaders and people” were very interested in keeping their “ritual practice” of passover, and if they left Jesus and the two thieves upon their crosses, they would be detained and in violation of their law. (See Deuteronomy 21:22-23) In order to breathe, a person hung on a cross had to push up with their feet, draw in a breath and lower themselves again. Should their legs be broken, the person would not be able to push up to breathe and would essentially suffocate. The amazing care these Jewish people had for their traditions and laws superseded their ability to recognize that they were killing the only begotten Son of God. As it has been said, “There are none so blind as those who will not see”, and when these “Jewish people” made their appeal to “Pilate” they did not understand how they were fulfilling another prophesy concerning Jesus Christ. (See Psalm 34:20) God allowed His Son Jesus to endure all these things so people could be saved from their sins and granted eternal life with God. Those who are wise will carefully examine what happens with their idea and yield themselves to Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”.
Next time John shares how the soldiers, “broke the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with” Jesus, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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