John 19:31-37 31Therefore, since it was the day of Preparation, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, because that Sabbath was a high day, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he had already died, and they did not break his legs. 34But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35The one who saw has borne witness; his witness is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 36For these things happened so that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”
John recounts another activity that happened as Jesus hung on the cross. He notes the day Jesus died on because of what takes place next. It is also an important calendar marker. The Synoptics note the hour, while John takes a different perspective, likely intentionally. The day of Preparation refers to the day the Jews prepared for the Sabbath, making this Friday afternoon. The non-Jews might be confused by all the Jewish regulations, and so John explains it in verse 31. His goal appears to be once again to show how Jesus fulfilled Scripture. The event in these verses is another proof that Jesus is the Son of God predicted in the Old Testament.
The Jews were more concerned about keeping their Sabbath than compassion towards the dying victims on the crosses. Based on their interpretation of Deuteronomy 21:22-23, they did not want to desecrate their holy day by having a dying man on the cross. In some ways, this could be interpreted as another insult to Jesus, who is the Lord of the Sabbath. Their plan was to ask Pilate to have the soldiers break the legs of the victims. The Romans left the crucified hanging on a cross until they died, which could take days. Breaking the legs would expedite the dying process. The Jews had to go all the way back to the Praetorian and get Pilate’s attention, who then would have to send word back to Golgatha.
We must feel compassion for the victims of the ancient Roman method of crucifixion, even if those people were guilty of great crimes. Dying on a cross was cruel and painful. Then, to have the guards come and break their legs was enough to bring death quickly. The way they did this was to use a big ballet and crush the victim’s legs, which would lead to great bleeding, and thus lead to death. When the soldiers came to Jesus, they did not crush his legs with a hammer because he had already died. We must be thankful that he did not die from broken legs but because he entrusted his spirit to the Father.
Verse 34 is gruesome. John included it as proof that Jesus was dead. Medical people have debated about what exactly the soldier pierced that would cause fluid to escape from Jesus’ body. Whatever the case, this was not a soft tap but a deep pierce of the body cavity. It was obvious that Jesus was dead with such a cruel action. John, as the beloved disciple who was watching nearby, gives his personal witness in verse 35 of this activity. The reason for his testimony is given in verses 36-37: what happened to Jesus was no accident but had been predicted in Scripture. The first quotation could have come from Psalm 34:20, though it has some similarities to Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12. Verse 37 comes from Zechariah 12:10. Jesus was the bridge from the old covenant to the new. The Old Testament pointed to him, and the New Testament reflected back on him. The blood that flowed represented the life of Jesus. It was through this blood that sin is forgiven and cleansed (Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Revelation 1:5).
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