Repeated words: Fulfilled or completed. Not only the last words Jesus said were, "It is completed," but what He said before was for the fulfillment of Scriptures v.28. What happened to His body fulfilled 2 Scriptures v.36-37. If Jesus' death was predicted by different Bible prophecies, then the purpose is: so that you may believe v.35.
(1) What was the relationship between breaking the legs and the bodies hanging in the cross? v.31b "the Jewish leaders asked Pilate to have the victims’ legs broken and the bodies taken down." (NET) ...breaking the legs of a crucified person was a way of speeding up his death, since the victim could no longer use his legs to push upward in order to be able to draw a breath. This breaking of the legs was called in Latin crurifragium, and was done with a heavy mallet.
(2) Jesus' legs were not broken because He was obviously dead already. However, one of the soldiers still pierced His body v.34. Why? (NET) If it was obvious to the soldiers that the victim was already dead it is difficult to see why one of them would try to inflict a wound. The Greek verb pierced... can indicate anything from a slight prod to a mortal wound. Probably one of the soldiers gave an exploratory stab to see if the body would jerk. If not, he was really dead. This thrust was hard enough to penetrate the side, since the author states that blood and water flowed out immediately.
(3) What does the prophecy, "They will look on the one whom they have pierced" mean? (PNTC) the reason why the people mourn... that their tears have less to do with desperation and despair than with contrition and repentance for their past sins when God mercifully comes and rescues them from their enemies.
Reflection: We may think that circumstances arise and things just happened, e.g. it was the Passover and it was the Sabbath therefore the Jews wanted to break the legs of the criminal hanging on the Cross...etc. However, when another incident happened and a soldier pierced the side of Jesus for no obvious reason we should start to think why?
Reflection: We may think that circumstances arise and things just happened, e.g. it was the Passover and it was the Sabbath therefore the Jews wanted to break the legs of the criminal hanging on the Cross...etc. However, when another incident happened and a soldier pierced the side of Jesus for no obvious reason we should start to think why?
God's plan would be fulfilled. Not that those who killed Jesus or doing these things were innocent, God's words would be fulfilled. Jesus came to die for our sin. He is the Lamb of God.
On one hand, we thank God for His salvation. He was determined to save me. On the other hand, I see the importance of God's Words. His plan for Jesus' 1st coming is fulfilled and so will be the rest of His plan. Are we reading/reflection/obeying His words today?
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