John 19:31-33

Expanded Bible

³¹ This day was Preparation Day [^Cfor the celebration of Passover; 12:12], and the next day was a ·special [high; ^Lgreat] Sabbath day [^Cspecial because it occurred during Passover]. Since the ·religious leaders [^LJews] did not want the bodies to stay on the cross on the Sabbath day, they asked Pilate to order that the legs of the men be broken [^Cso they would die quicker] and the bodies be taken away [Deut. 21:22–23]. ³² So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man on the cross beside Jesus. Then they broke the legs of the man on the other cross beside Jesus. ³³ But when the soldiers came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.