For Us

After [seeing to it that his mother would be cared for], when Jesus knew that everything was now accomplished that the Scripture might be fulfilled, He said, “I’m thirsty!” A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop and held it up to His mouth.

When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” Then bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

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. (John 19:28–37)

As a mode of execution, crucifixion was unknown in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 21:22-23 only describes the practice of exposing the corpse of an executed criminal by hanging it on a tree. The Persians apparently invented crucifixion. The Romans merely borrowed the practice, which they found especially useful as a deterrent against rebellion. A placard proclaiming the crime was commonly hung around the condemned person’s neck. There was a degree of variation in how crucifixions were conducted, depending on the whim and sadism of the executioner.

Death by crucifixion was very slow and very painful. It was not uncommon, in fact, for the condemned to survive for several days. Death ultimately arrived from the combination of thirst, hunger, exhaustion, and exposure. And then the dead body was usually left to decay for awhile.

The fact that Jesus died in a matter of hours was out of the ordinary. But a prolonged death was not necessary for Jesus to fulfill his goal. After everything was in place and ready, Jesus announced, “it is finished. ” Then he died for all our sins, for the sins of every human being who ever lived or ever would live. He died, so that we could live forever.

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