By John 19:31-37
“Since it was the preparation day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a special day). They requested that Pilate have the men’s legs broken and that their bodies be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other one who had been crucified with Him. When they came to Jesus, they did not break His legs since they saw that He was already dead. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows he is telling the truth. For these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: Not one of His bones will be broken. Also, another Scripture says: They will look at the One they pierced.“
One could wonder what kind of hope there was for humanity at this point. The Messiah was put to death. He died sooner than the two common criminals that were next to him. In our super-hero culture, we would expect to see that the strength of Jesus was at least more than the two criminals on either side of him right? Yet Jesus proves again that no one takes his life from him; he has the power to lay it down and take it up again. Jesus gave up his own spirit.
We know how the rest of the story goes. Jesus proves his victory in three days, yet this day is a day of sorrow. This day is a day to remember that without Jesus, there is no hope. We have no hope for forgiveness apart from Jesus. We have no hope for heaven apart from Jesus. We have no hope for joy apart from Jesus. We have no hope of freedom from sin apart from Jesus. Without Jesus, we have no hope. Without Jesus, we are crucified men nailed to a cross with broken legs. No hope.
I am so thankful that God inspired the Bible for us to be our source of truth. John testifies to this by reminding us that his testimony is true, and that he was an eyewitness to these accounts.
- Do you believe that the testimony of Scripture is true?
- Do you believe that there is such a thing as absolute truth?
- Explain the significance of the death of Jesus.
Leading Family Devotions 