John 19:33

"Therefore the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with him;"

Key Reflection

In John 19:33, when the soldiers arrived to break the legs of the crucified criminals, they found that Jesus had already died, a detail significant for multiple reasons. This action of breaking the legs was a common practice to hasten death and ensure the victims did not linger on the cross. Since Jesus was already dead, this act served as additional confirmation, fulfilling Scripture (Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12) that "not a bone of him will be broken," pointing to his divine nature and the fulfillment of prophetic texts.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 33. Saw that he was dead. Saw by the indications of death on his person, and perhaps by the testimony of the centurion, Mt 27:54. The death of Jesus was doubtless hastened by the intense agony of the garden, and the peculiar sufferings endured as an atonement for sin on the cross. Comp. Mt 27:46. __________________________________________________________________

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