John 19:31-37 The Curse and The Cure
As we read through John 19, we tread on holy ground, sacred narrative of the very hour toward which this Gospel, all of human history, and all of God’s love has been pointing. Jesus, dead on a cross, is both a Curse and the Cure. Scriptural references include Deut 21:23, Heb 12:2, Zech 12:10, Exodus 12:46, Numbers 9:12, Heb 9:22, John 1:29, Heb 10:10, Act 2:24, Romans 6:23, Heb 2:14-15, 1Cor 15:55, 15:57-58 Plus Hebrews 2:9-18, 7:25-27, 9:11-10:31 as an assignment for further study.
“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.””