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John 19:31-37 (ESV)
31 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”
Have you ever done “do it yourself” projects at home? I remember trying to install a light fixture in my house when I found a little surprise. As I opened the box containing the fixture, I expected to find that there were several steps that I needed to take to assemble the light fixture itself before I installed it in the ceiling of the room. However, to my surprise, I found that the light fixture was almost completely assembled. I was puzzled by this and thought to myself, “This can’t be right,” and carefully went over the instructions to make sure that the fixture was assembled correctly, and sure enough, it was.
That’s the thought that popped into my mind as I read this passage. In verse 33, the soldiers come to break the legs of Jesus only to find that He is already dead. This is surprising to the soldiers because crucifixion was not a quick process—just the opposite. Crucifixion takes a long time, so the soldiers are surprised to find that Jesus is already dead.
The reason that the soldiers are going to break the legs of Jesus and those who were crucified with Him, is because it was the Passover, and the next day was not just a normal sabbath day, it was a very special one in that it was the Day of Preparation, the first day of the Passover week.
In the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 21:23), it was forbidden to leave executed people hanging overnight because it would pollute the land, so the Jewish leadership asked Pilate to have them taken down.
Pilate didn’t go through all that trouble to crucify Jesus and these two men to leave the job half-finished so he ordered the breaking of their legs. Please remember that crucifixion was a brutal, torturous way to die that could take several days as the person slowly suffocated. The breaking of a crucified person’s legs would quickly speed suffocation.
Only when they came to Jesus, they found that He was already dead, and this puzzled the soldiers. Jesus should not have died so quickly, so, just to make sure that Jesus was dead, a soldier stuck his spear into Jesus’ side. This would either kill Jesus or confirm that He was already dead (the soldiers did this because if Jesus was faking His death and the soldiers let Jesus go, it would cost them their own lives).
All this, John tells us (for he is present and testifying to these things), is to fulfill two scriptures.
The first (verse 36, not one of his bones will be broken) is either from Exodus 12:46 or Psalm 34:21 (or both). When the Passover lamb is sacrificed at the altar, the instruction from Exodus is that not one of its bones is to be broken. John’s point is that Jesus is the ultimate Passover Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and not one of His bones is broken in all that He suffered.
The second (verse 37), is from Zechariah 12:10. The Lord is speaking saying that He will pour out a spirit of grace mercy for the people of Jerusalem when they look on the one whom they have pierced. The pouring out is something that happens when blood and water flow mingled together from Jesus’ side.
In and through all that Jesus endures and through the death of the Word become flesh, the only Son of God given to the world, the Lord is fulfilling His promises: redeeming, reconciling, forgiving, and delivering.
For all, and for you.
God bless you and know that you are constantly in my prayers.
Scott
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