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Hastening Death

Text: John 19: 31

HASTENING DEATH

The Jews had demanded that Jesus be crucified even though it was on the Day of Preparation (Friday). But crucifixion normally takes longer than a day before death comes. The Jews approached Pilate to instruct the soldiers to break the legs of the prisoners to hasten death.

“Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should 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.”

John 19:31

1. “Preparation Day”

a. This would be Friday.

b. The Sabbath would commence on Friday at sunset.

2. “That Sabbath was a high day”

a. Because it was also the Passover.

b. Thus, it was called “A high day”.

3. To the Jews the Sabbath and the Passover were sacred days

a. To have crucified people in public view was not acceptable.

b. If anyone came close to the dying or dead prisoners, that person would be considered defiled.

i. The Passover cannot be kept by the defiled person.

ii. The Feast of the Unleavened Bread would also not be kept by the defiled person.

4. “The Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken”

a. This was not the usual Roman crucifixion.

b. The prisoners are left to die slowly as a warning to all offenders.

c. The breaking of the legs could possibly hasten death.

i. The shock and the pain could cause a heart attack.

ii. The weakened condition of the prisoners could cause them to die earlier.

d. There is no guarantee that this would hasten death to come more quickly though.

e. This was not kindness in any sense of the word.

f. This was additional pain added to the suffering of the prisoners.

5. “And that they might be taken away”

a. This was the real goal – to have the bodies removed once they are dead.

b. They did not want the bodies to be on the cross because it might spoil the Passover observance.

经文：约翰福音 19：31

加速死亡的过程

虽然当天是预备日（星期五），可犹太人还是要求将耶稣钉在十字架上。 然而被钉十字架的人死亡的过程是缓慢的，有时会超过一天的时间。犹太人找了彼拉多，叫他命令兵丁打断囚犯们的腿，以加速他们死的过程。

“犹太人因这日是预备日，又因那安息日是个大日，就求彼拉多叫人打断他们的腿，把他们拿去，免得尸首当安息日留在十字架上。”

《约翰福音 19：31》

1. “预备日”

a. 这是星期五

b. 安息日将在星期五日落后开始

2. “安息日是个大日”

a. 因为也是逾越节

b. 所以，那日便称为“大日”

3. 对犹太人而言，安息日和逾越节是神圣的日子

a. 在大庭广众前有人钉在十字架上是他们不能接受的

b. 如果有人接近将死或已死的囚犯，那人将被染了污秽

i. 被染了污秽的人是不能遵守逾越节的

ii. 被染了污秽的人也是不能遵守无酵节

4. “求彼拉多叫人打断他们的腿”

a. 这不是罗马帝国钉十字架的一般作法

b. 他们会让囚犯慢慢地死去，好警告所有的罪人

c. 打断腿可能会加速死亡的过程

i. 惊吓和痛楚可能导致心脏病爆发

ii. 囚犯们可能因体弱而早一点死去

d. 但是这并不能确保一定会加速死亡

e. 这不是善良的一举

f. 这其实增加了囚犯们的痛楚

5. “把他们拿去”

a. 这才是真正的目的：在他们死后把他们的尸首拿去

b. 他们不想因尸首钉在十字架上而影响到逾越节的遵守