Read John 19:31-37. Circle the word(s) that stand out to you. What is the Lord saying to you?
31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”
Reflections on the Word.
Flatline. The absence of a rising of the chest. No brain waves. No pulse and no resuscitation possible. The doctor or medical person will record the time of death.
Sunset was coming. According to Jewish custom, no hanging person’s body can remain through the night. The Jews and the Romans knew that crucifixion was a slow death. It probably would take days for a person to die by crucifixion alone.
To speed the process, the legs were broken so that the person would suffocate, being unable to get air into their lungs.
Is it possible that Jesus slipped into a comma or faked his death? I am sure there were at least some people who have been crucified that attempted it to escape death. In Jesus’ case, however, there were Roman soldiers who were tasked with ensuring the deaths of Jesus and the two thieves.
The text says this, “But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true” (NIV).
I would imagine that the soldiers were surprised that Jesus was already dead. Did they see that his chest didn’t rise anymore? Did they poke at him to see if he was still alive. Jesus didn’t respond but the soldier’s job was to be certain of His death. He pierced the side of Jesus whereby blood and water flow out. The piercing itself would have been a death blow. But the separation of blood and water was proof that He had already died. There was no faking Jesus’ death.
Who is this man who saw what the soldier did to the body of Jesus? Was it John or someone else? Was John recording the testimony of the person who saw the piercing of Jesus’ body, or did he see it himself? While we are uncertain of the identity of this witness, the text states that the witness was credible person. Whether it was the credibility of this witness, or the soldiers report, Pilate and religious leaders believed that Jesus was dead (Matthew 27: 57-66)
It is very difficult to see the passing of a loved one. One may see the last grasp of air and the releasing of it. Or hear the doctor verify the death and notation of the time of death. Few individuals want to share that experience. We politely say, “She or he passed away quietly.”
I wonder how the women felt when they saw that Jesus was dead. I wonder how I would feel if I were there witnessing His death. What emotions would I have, or would I be numbed or be in denial? What thoughts and feelings would you have if you were there?
The shedding of tears is a way to express our grief. The tearing of one’s garment was another way to express it. How do you express your sorrow when a loved one dies? Let us not hide our emotions but express our profound loss of our loved ones. There is grief, but we are comforted with the hope of the coming resurrection.
-Kingston