John 19:33 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

NIV: But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

NASB: but after they came to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

CSB: When they came to Jesus, they did not break his legs since they saw that he was already dead.

NLT: But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs.

KJV: But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:

NKJV: But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

John has noted several instances where Jesus' crucifixion fulfilled prophetic statements in the Old Testament. Jesus' death without any broken bones is one such fulfillment. A major component of Passover symbolism (1 Corinthians 5:7) is the sacrifice of a spotless lamb, with explicit care taken not to break bones (Exodus 12: 43–46; Numbers 9:12). Psalm 34:20 makes a similar reference, and this is the verse John will cite in this passage (John 19:36). To speed up this round of executions (John 19:17–18), the governor has agreed to break the legs of the crucified victims. This would make the condemned suffocate in a matter of minutes, rather than hours or days. The two men on either side of Jesus are killed in this way (John 19:32).

Jesus, however, was scourged with a Roman flagrum prior to being crucified (John 19:1). This multi-headed whip was woven with lead weights, rocks, glass, or hooks, and could easily kill a victim. When the soldiers come to hurry Jesus' death, it's clear He's already dead (John 19:30). Perhaps at the request of Pilate (Mark 15:44), the Roman executioners will leave no doubt (John 19:34).

John 19:31–37 graphically confirms Jesus was dead before being taken from the cross. To speed up the execution, allowing the bodies to be buried before the Sabbath, soldiers break the legs of the other condemned men. Jesus, however, is clearly dead already. This is verified when a soldier stabs Jesus through the side with a spear. John notes two Old Testament references which allude to this as part of the Messiah's death. Only John, a direct eyewitness to this part of the crucifixion, includes this detail.

Pilate recognizes Jesus' innocence, but fears the mob assembled by Jewish religious leaders. He attempts to satisfy them by having Jesus viciously whipped and mocked. This only results in more cries for Jesus' death. The governor then shifts to protect his own reputation, ordering Jesus to be crucified on a charge of being "King of the Jews." John is directly present as Jesus is executed. He notes the fulfillment of several prophecies as Jesus dies. Once He is confirmed to be dead, Jesus' body is taken by two friendly members of the ruling council. They hastily bury Him in the borrowed crypt of a rich man.

When Jesus was first brought to Pilate, His innocence was obvious (John 18:36–38). However, the mob refuses to be satisfied with anything less than crucifixion. Pilate gives in to these demands. John, who is present for the entire gory spectacle, notes several instances of fulfilled prophecy (Psalm 22:18; Psalm 69:21; Exodus 12:46; Zechariah 12:10). Jesus is then buried in the borrowed tomb of a rich man (Isaiah 53:9) to complete yet another Old Testament prediction. A guard will be posted to ensure no one steals the body (Matthew 27:62–68), which will only serve to confirm that Jesus' eventual resurrection was a true miracle (John 20:1–8).

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.