John 19 is our passage for today. In our text we see that this was a special Sabbath because it was the Sabbath of Passover week.
As Jesus was dying on the Cross between the two criminals the request was made to break their legs. The reason for the request was to hasten their death.
Because it was the Sabbath of Passover week, bodies were not allowed to remain hanging on crosses because it would defile the land. Typically the decaying bodies would be left for long periods of time but on special occasions they would be taken down. Hence the need for breaking the legs of those dying. What a feeble attempt by the people to clean up the evidence of murder, and make themselves feel better so they could continue with their comfortable lives. Lives spent following rules and regulations. Lives spent trying to keep The Law that they couldn’t keep.
Hypocrites. What hypocrites.
They had just witnessed the total fulfillment of The Law, breaking the power of The Law over them. What they couldn’t do, they had just watched Jesus do for them. The moment He said, “It is finished”, bowed His head before His Father, and willingly gave up His Spirit; all their strivings could cease. Yet they kept at it. They wanted to break the legs of the three crucified men to hurry things up and get on with their regulatory lifestyle.
They missed it and we do too.
We want to clean up our mess. We want to get rid of the evidence of our sin, especially before we go to Church on Sunday, the Lord’s day. Sometimes we are still cleaning up our messes when we pull into the parking lot. We have to hurry, we have to look good and get on with business. We have to follow the rules and check Church off our lists for the week.
Hypocrites. What hypocrites.
It is finished. Jesus has done it all, paid it all, fulfilled it all so we don’t have to. We don’t have to make ourselves or our surroundings presentable. We don’t have to try to clean up the evidence of our sin. That is what His Blood was for. To cleanse us and free us to live for Him, and because of Him, not to impress Him or other people.
Have you ever considered that the ones who crucified Jesus could have literally placed themselves under the cleansing flow of His Blood on that very day? They could have been set free that very day! They chose working rather than resting. They chose rules instead of Grace. They chose bondage instead of freedom.
They missed it and we do too. But we don’t have to.
We don’t have to be hypocrites. We can be Holy because of His blood. We can lay our sin, shame, condemnation, and burdens at His feet. His nail scarred feet.
We must place ourselves under His Blood and accept the forgiveness and freedom He died to give us. Every day is Passover for us, if we will let it be.
Living Free,
Rene’
