Christ Our Passover
John 19:31–37
They did not break his legs. John 19:33

The fact that Jesus’s bones were not broken points to him as the Passover Lamb slain for the sins of his people. Psalm 34:20 tells us, “He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” This is the verse John refers to. But if we are candid, we must admit that a careful reading of this psalm does not at once suggest that this verse should be applied to the Messiah. It refers rather to the righteous man about whom David is writing. What is wrong then? Is this a case of invention on John’s part? Not at all. It is true that he is referring to this psalm, but he is thinking of something greater. He is remembering that in the institution of the Passover it was explicitly indicated that not a bone of the Passover lamb should be broken. Exodus 12:46 declares, “It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones.” Again Numbers 9:12 says, “They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break any of its bones.” This seemingly pointless detail in the Passover ritual and this seemingly pointless detail in the death of Jesus combine in God’s providence to identify Jesus as the Passover Lamb through whom we have a spiritual deliverance.

Every Jew knew the significance of the Passover. This was the event in which God delivered the people from their slavery in Egypt. God had said that on this night he would bring the last of his ten great judgments upon Egypt, a judgment in which the firstborn of every household would be killed. God would send his angel to slay the firstborn throughout the whole land. The Jewish homes would be spared only if they followed these instructions. They were to take a lamb, which was to have been kept in the home for three days and was to be without blemish or spot, and were to kill it. Then they were to take the blood of the lamb and spread it upon the doorposts and lintel of the house. The angel of death would come, but wherever he would see the blood he would “pass over,” and the inhabitants of that house would be spared. This was the great national event and festival that the Jews were beginning to remember the day that Jesus of Nazareth was killed. What John is indicating (and God who speaks through him) is that Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of that important Old Testament figure. We are sinners. We deserve to die. The angel of God’s judgment is coming. But Jesus has died in our place. His blood has purged our sin; now, because of his death, the angel of judgment will pass by all who trust in him.

Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865

Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.