This is an excerpt from my book “40 Moments From Christ’s Final Days.” Click here to get it from Amazon using my affiliate link.
Find this moment in: Jn. 19:31-34
For Christians, the cross is central to our entire eternity. For the soldiers at the foot of the cross, however, it was probably another day on the job. And for Romans forced to respect Jewish customs, that day may have been filled with contempt as they waited for sub-human criminals to hurry up and die.
A crucified criminal usually died by suffocation. Because of how they were nailed to the cross, giving in to exhaustion or resting would press the chest upward and open the lungs similar to taking a deep breath. However, because of this upward pressure, they wouldn’t be able to exhale. Thus, crucified criminals would fight to survive by “standing” with their legs until they ran out of energy.
The soldiers, however, didn’t have time to wait. The Jews demanded that they respect their customs, and Deuteronomy 21:22-23 wouldn’t allow criminals to remain on the crosses as they entered the Sabbath. The soldiers were happy to let these criminals suffer, but they had to speed things up due to a time crunch.
So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. (John 19:32-34)
To prevent the criminals from using their legs to relieve pressure on their chests, the soldiers used a mallet or hammer to break their legs in a single blow. We can assume the two criminals around Jesus were still alive since the soldiers found this necessary, and the moment must have been brutal to watch. However, Jesus appeared dead and didn’t need His legs broken, fulfilling His purpose as a sacrificial lamb who never broke a bone.
Out of frustration or dutifulness, a soldier stabbed Jesus just to make sure. This wasn’t a poke to see if He’d react, but a violent stab that went deep enough to pierce into His heart. The water that flowed out with His blood came from a buildup of fluid due to oxygen deprivation, creating a condition called pericardial effusion.[1]
What Jesus suffered as a human being was horrific. What He suffered as God is unthinkable. Knowing that He willingly allowed all of this to save people from the penalty of their sins should leave us in awe.
Stop and think: We often talk about Jesus dying for our sins, but rarely think about the inhuman brutality that God’s creation inflicted on Him. Yet as Galatians 2:20 reminds us, His death didn’t just keep us out of eternal punishment. We also get to live for Jesus today. How does knowing that the all-powerful God of the universe came to the earth and allowed Himself to suffer like this affect how you live for Him?
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[1] Shrier, C. (2002, March 1). The science of the crucifixion. Azusa Pacific University. Retrieved January 15, 2023, from https://www.apu.edu/articles/the-science-of-the-crucifixion/
