Why was Jesus dead for 3 days?

My answer to this question is as explained in the below post

But I had to further comment to the same in response of Williams comment which said

”They broke the legs to slowly kill the victims of crucifixion. Not because they would sprint off like an Olympic runner. Come on. If those Romans put a railroad sized spike through your feet, you wouldn’t be able to stand. People died on the cross by having their legs broken. Not by being nailed to a cross (your family fed and watered you). You could last for weeks, maybe indefinitely. They killed them to make room for more victims. It was easy to bribe people not to kill you. It was also dangerous. I have a feeling that Pontius Pilate was partially behind this.”

Interesting thoughts…

Let’s see how the Bible responds.

Luke 23:54 (KJV) - And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.

So the crucifixion concern was related to religious leaders not wanting Sabbath infringements rather than making room for more people. Had this crucifixion been like many others and taken place on Sunday or Monday then you would perhaps have a point but with the crucifixion of Jesus and the two thieves, the issue at hand was more focused on not having a Sabbath violation.

But what about the legs being part of this equation?

John 19:31 (KJV) - The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

Again we see a direct concern related to Sabbath adherence rather than making room for more to be crucified.

Along with that, this is also a dramatic way of fulfilling prophecy.

Psalm 34:20 (KJV) - He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

If you look into the above passage you will find it is about Jesus unless you are willing to suggest that the breaking of a bone is a sign of someone being lost but then there is great confusion when it comes to the first thief who was told he would be in Heaven and then had his legs broken.

So we can conclude on this aspect that the issue at hand was the day rather than space.

Now, what about the lasting indefinitely by being fed from family?

Matthew 27:48 (KJV) - And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

Apparently, Jesus' family didn’t care about His dietary needs?

John 19:25 (KJV) - Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

At least they cared enough to show up for the event. Given that Jesus could feed 5000 with 2 fishes and 7 loaves that were a boys lunch surely someone would have a morsel or liquid of some sort more than vinegar, no?

Further, these crucifixions were done by one of the most brutally vicious powers ever to exist which had no intention of speeding up torture but rather prolonging it would be their style.

Here was their mindset prophesied.

Jeremiah 31:15 (KJV) - Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.

And realized.

Matthew 2:16 (KJV) - Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.

When it came to the crucifixion of Jesus they would not have any interest in speeding things up but prolonging them would be their style.

I will give you that there is nothing directly that states that they took them down from the cross but neither is anything said about this being done to speed things up.

However, prior to the legs of Jesus being broken we do find this.

Mark 15:43-44 (KJV) -

43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

44 And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.

Thus clearly indicating that crucifixions normally took much longer than a day to complete. Indefinitely? Not likely.

You stated that people died on crosses by having their legs broken.

Do we have any evidence of this either biblically or historically?

My mind goes forward to capital punishment practiced today. Are those guarding such people going to allow their family to keep them alive indefinitely? Our mindsets today are much different and up til now kinder from the time of the Roman regime though I’d not be surprised to find that quickly changing as we enter into the days ahead.

“I have a feeling that Pontius Pilate was partially behind this.”

Do you mean the Pontius Pilate that said this?

Matthew 27:22-23 (KJV) -

22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

Do you mean the Pontius Pilate that did this?

John 19:19-22 (KJV) -

19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was Jesus Of Nazareth The King Of The Jews.

20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.

21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.

22 Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.

Do you mean the Pontius Pilate that faced this that evening?

Matthew 27:19 (KJV) - When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

Your welcome to believe what you will but I personally don’t see it based on the correlating evidence available. Pilate certainly wanted to ensure that the crucifixion was completed in full to fulfill the desires of the religious authorities but beyond that, his position is more than a little clear.

Matthew 27:24-25 (KJV) -

24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

In closing, I will absolutely say that there is nothing directly within God’s Holy Word to suggest that they took the bodies down. However, there is equally no concrete evidence that they did this to speed up the rate at which the crucified would die. All we can do is combine the correlating evidence from whence to make our conclusions. Based on the evidence brought forward I find myself more than a little challenged with the friendly Roman regime theory.