Perfect Sacrifice

Feb 13, 2013

Read Today: Request that legs be broken: John 19:31-32

Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him.
(Joh 19:31-32 ESV)

At the time of the Passover, every man was to go the Temple and sacrifice a lamb for his family. It could not be just any lamb, but one that was not damaged in any way. I could not have a bad leg.

As I read this verses I notice that they did not break Jesus legs. The Jews wanted them to because they needed to speed things up. Their law said that someone could not hang from a tree after sundown. Breaking the legs of someone would shorten the life of a person on a cross because they could not force themselves up to take another breath.

So they broke the two legs of the other two but came to Jesus to break His as well.  Today’s verse stops there, but we know that He was dead already and they did not.

As I live my life I know that I fail, that I would have to bring a sacrifice, a perfect sacrifice, to ask for God to forgive my sins. Jesus brought Himself before God as that perfect sacrifice. His legs were not broken. For that I am thankful.

Read for next time: Soldier pierces Jesus' side; John 19:33-34