The Cairo Debate — Page 62
"from the sixth hour until the ninth," the sun was covered, the earth quaked, the rocks were riven how did the people standing 'far off' observe these incidents? Either their watching is a cooked up thing or the story of darkness all over the world is a lie. In the light of sound enquiry both of these assumptions are wrong. To some extent the silence of Matthew and Mark on the matter, and John's omission of the spreading of darkness lend support to our view. (12) Were Jesus' legs broken?. The synoptic Gospels impart no information. . Only John after relating the Jews' demand transmits : "So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him; but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his (Jn. 19 32-33). legs. ". Since it was the day of Preparation of the. Sabbath the Jews could watch no longer. The. Messiah was not dead yet. In the later part of the same day they demanded from Pilate the breaking of Jesus' legs, the permission of which he readily granted. Afterwards the Jews went home. The matter of breaking the legs of Jesus was left completely in Pilate's hands. As we have noted Pilate in his heart of hearts wanted Jesus to outlive. Most probably when he despatched his centurion 62