December 9 / John 19:31-37

John 19:31-37

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of His bones will be broken.” (v. 36) Whenever I see the Gospel writers quoting the Old Testament, my first inclination is that they are quoting from Isaiah or the Psalms. And so with this quotation… However, not true. This quotation comes from the Pentateuch, from Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12. The reference is to the Passover lamb which is to be sacrificed as a remembrance of the Jews’ departure from Egypt. The lamb is sacrificial – the blood of the lamb was spread on the doorposts of the Jewish people so that the Angel of Death might pass over their houses and leave the residents alive. The death of these lambs saved the Jewish people. Now we see John applying this quotation to Jesus as fulfillment of Scripture – but I wonder if John understood the full implications of Jesus’ death, that Jesus was that one sacrificial “lamb”, that His death meant salvation for all humankind, for all time. Or did John just see Scripture being fulfilled? Intriguing…

But the one other thing about this quotation is that neither Jesus nor His followers could make it happen. It was something that a Roman soldier did that yielded the “blood and water” outcome – with no broken bones. The only way that we can argue against this Scriptural fulfillment is to say that John was lying, that it didn’t really happen. But that’s the same argument that critics pose for all of Jesus’ miracles, that these are just stories made up by Jesus’ followers – for whatever reason! But if that’s what critics want to believe, that’s their choice. Personally, I know Whom I have believed!

Slava Bohu!