Pierced, No Broken Bones – John 19:31-42

GotQuestions.org gives a good explanation of the chronology of Jesus’ celebration of Passover with his disciples, his arrest and crucifixion, and the customs surrounding the Day of Preparation.  Jesus ate Passover on the correct night, Thursday, was arrested and crucified on Friday, buried, and rose Sunday, the day after the Sabbath.  Two secret disciples “defile” themselves by handling Jesus’ dead body, risking also being discovered as his disciples.

Since it was the Preparation Day of Passover, and so that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (because it was a high Sabbath), the Jews asked Pilate if their legs could be broken so they could be taken away.  So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and the other who was crucified with Jesus.  But when they came to Jesus they saw he was already dead and did not break his legs, but rather one of the soldiers pierced his side with a long spear, and immediately blood and water came out.  And the one who saw this has borne testimony, and his testimony is true and he knows he is speaking the truth, so that you also may believe.  For these things happened that the Scriptures might be fulfilled, “None of his bones will be broken.”  And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they pierced.”

After this Joseph from Arimathea asked Pilate, since he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, that he might take Jesus body.  Pilate permitted him, so he came and took his body.  And Nicodemus also came, who had come to Jesus by night the first time, and he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 75 pounds worth.  So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices according to the Jewish custom for burial preparation.  Now there was near the place where he was crucified a garden, and in this garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.  So because it was the Day of Preparation for the Jews and the tomb was close by, they laid Jesus there.  (John 19:31-42)

Deuteronomy 21:22,23 requires that the body of an executed criminal must not hang on a tree overnight, and especially since it was the Sabbath associated with the Passover (which was Thursday night), this Friday crucifixion must be over before sundown.  Pilate gives permission to hasten the deaths of those crucified, so the soldiers break the legs of the men on either side of Jesus so they can’t push themselves up and breath.  But Jesus is already dead, so a soldier pierces his heart to make sure and, as would be expected with congestive heart failure, there is water mingled with his blood.  Jesus had a real human body.

Psalm 34:20, in describing the ideal follower of Yahweh, says exaggeratedly that not one of his bones will be broken due to God’s protection.  Jesus, the fulfillment of the ideal follower of Yahweh, fulfills this literally, and in keeping with the requirement of the Passover lamb that its bones aren’t broken (Exodus 12:46).  Zechariah had predicted that when Yahweh came to earth to establish the kingdom, Israel would look on Him whom they pierced (12:10).  But how can Yahweh be pierced?  By His taking on human nature and dying by crucifixion, and specifically by this spear piercing.

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, both members of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish court) and Pharisees, participate together in preparing Jesus’ body for burial.  Joseph provides his own tomb (we learn this from the other Gospels) and Nicodemus provides the spices in lavish abundance for the wrapping of the body.  They have become believers and are in danger of making that clear by these actions.  The tomb is near the place of crucifixion in a garden and provides a ready place for burial before sundown.  So Jesus will be in the tomb part of Friday, all day Saturday, and part of Sunday, which in Jewish reckoning makes for three days.  It’s Friday, but Sunday is coming.

Discussion Questions

1. How would you describe your culture’s preparation for burial and burial customs?
2. Why do you think John makes such a big deal of blood and water coming out of Jesus side when pierced by the spear?
3. Jesus could not have manipulated things somehow to get the predictions fulfilled concerning his bones not being broken and being pierced.  How do these prophecies serve to demonstrate that he is Messiah?
4. Touching a dead body required cleansing by a sacrifice of a heifer and a ritual bath.  Why do you think Joseph and Nicodemus did the burial preparation for Jesus rather than use servants to do so?
5. Do you think there is any significance to Jesus being buried where he was?
6. Have you kept your discipleship to Jesus secret from anyone, and if so, why?