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. 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”, and in chapter nineteen and verse thirty-two of his book John wrote how the soldiers, “broke the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with” Jesus where we read:
Then came the soldiers, and broke the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
The verse reads, “Then came the soldiers, and broke the legs of the first, ...” John began with the words, “then came the soldiers” which means “at that time arose and appeared the Roman military warriors and champions”, “and broke the legs of the first” or “and rendered in pieces or cracked apart the physical legs of the first of the thieves crucified with Jesus”. John shared how Roman “solders” rendered in pieces the “legs” of the first of the malefactors who was crucified beside Jesus.
The verse goes on to say, “... and of the other which was crucified with him.” John continued with the words, “and of the other” or “and the Roman soldiers broke the physical legs of the other thief” “which was crucified with him” which means “who was palisade, driven down with stakes and impaled upon a cross alongside him, Jesus”. John shared how the Roman soldiers “broke the legs” of the other thief who was “crucified” on the other side of Jesus.
When we think through John's words in this verse, we learn how the “Roman soldiers” carried out the desire of the Jewish leaders and people who requested that Pilate have their “legs broken”. The Jewish leaders were concerned that they would violate their law if these men were left upon the cross into the evening (See Deuteronomy 21:22-23), and they wanted these men removed as quickly as possible. The “soldiers” broke the legs of the two men who were crucified with Jesus which would prevent them from raising up on the cross so they could breathe. Suffocation was certain to set in quickly, and the men would die. Jesus was next for His legs to be broken, but we shall see what happened when the soldiers came to His body. Jesus endured all these things to provide the salvation of mankind, and anyone who believes and trusts in Him as their personal “Savior and Lord” will be forgiven of their sins and receive everlasting life with God. Let all who consider the details concerning Jesus' death realize that He kept every one of them because He loves every person in the world.
Next time John shares what the soldiers did, “when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already”, 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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