Morning news June 10
John 19:31-37.
31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
Why this passage? John wants the readers to know he saw it and he (who is an old man at this writing and staking his reputation as an apostle on what he writes) is writing absolute truth. He also quotes Zechariah 12:10, which he later uses in Revelation 1;7, tying the past, present, and future together. He also wants the reader to know this is the perfect sacrifice; the leg bones were not broken even though the Romans did that at crucifixion to secure death. And
note that the "Jews" (John has a problematic relationship here with
whoever is meant as the Jews) wanted the legs broken, but didn't get
this request. Jesus, John reports, was dead, dead, dead, in his physical body. He is writing at a time when heresies were coming up about the non-physicality of Jesus' existence.
Some items you can read:
Controversial
Relationa
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