Verse 31

Then, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies should not stay on the crosses on the Sabbath(for that Sabbath was an especially important one), the Jewish leaders asked Pilate to have the victims’ legs broken and the bodies taken down.

Referenced Verses

  • John 19:14 : 14 (Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover, about noon.) Pilate said to the Jewish leaders,“Look, here is your king!”
  • John 19:42 : 42 And so, because it was the Jewish day of preparation and the tomb was nearby, they placed Jesus’ body there.
  • Deut 21:22-23 : 22 Disposition of a Criminal’s Remains If a person commits a sin punishable by death and is executed, and you hang the corpse on a tree, 23 his body must not remain all night on the tree; instead you must make certain you bury him that same day, for the one who is left exposed on a tree is cursed by God. You must not defile your land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.
  • Josh 8:29 : 29 He hung the king of Ai on a tree, leaving him exposed until evening. At sunset Joshua ordered that his corpse be taken down from the tree. They threw it down at the entrance of the city gate and erected over it a large pile of stones(it remains to this very day).
  • Mark 15:42 : 42 Jesus’ Burial Now when evening had already come, since it was the day of preparation(that is, the day before the Sabbath),
  • John 19:1 : 1 Pilate Tries to Release Jesus Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged severely.
  • Exod 12:16 : 16 On the first day there will be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there will be a holy convocation for you. You must do no work of any kind on them, only what every person will eat– that alone may be prepared for you.
  • Lev 23:7-9 : 7 On the first day there will be a holy assembly for you; you must not do any regular work. 8 You must present a gift to the LORD for seven days, and the seventh day is a holy assembly; you must not do any regular work.’” 9 The Presentation of First Fruits The LORD spoke to Moses: 10 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them,‘When you enter the land that I am about to give to you and you gather in its harvest, then you must bring the sheaf of the first portion of your harvest to the priest, 11 and he must wave the sheaf before the LORD to be accepted for your benefit– on the day after the Sabbath the priest is to wave it. 12 On the day you wave the sheaf you must also offer a flawless yearling lamb for a burnt offering to the LORD, 13 along with its grain offering, two tenths of an ephah of choice wheat flour mixed with olive oil, as a gift to the LORD, a soothing aroma, and its drink offering, one fourth of a hin of wine. 14 You must not eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain until this very day, until you bring the offering of your God. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all the places where you live. 15 The Festival of Weeks“‘You must count for yourselves seven weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day you bring the wave offering sheaf; they must be complete weeks. 16 You must count fifty days– until the day after the seventh Sabbath– and then you must present a new grain offering to the LORD.
  • Josh 10:26-27 : 26 Then Joshua executed them and hung them on five trees. They were left hanging on the trees until evening. 27 At sunset Joshua ordered his men to take them down from the trees. They threw them into the cave where they had hidden and piled large stones over the mouth of the cave.(They remain to this very day.)
  • Prov 12:10 : 10 A righteous person cares for the life of his animal, but even the most compassionate acts of the wicked are cruel.
  • Mic 3:3 : 3 You devour my people’s flesh, strip off their skin, and crush their bones. You chop them up like flesh in a pot– like meat in a kettle.
  • Matt 27:62 : 62 The Guard at the Tomb The next day(which is after the day of preparation) the chief priests and the Pharisees assembled before Pilate