John 19:32-34
The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.
It’s probable that the physical reason for Jesus’ early death, in comparison to the two beside Him, is probably the severity of His previous beatings – they having left Him too weary to lift Himself up to breath. The overall reason, though, is the fulfilling of Scripture, written hundreds of years before the event. What solace the Christian takes from this knowledge, knowing that the grass will wither and the flower will fade but the Word of our Lord will stand forever.
It is so terribly easy to believe that God has abandoned us in our trials. Worse still, is this evil notion that He is powerless against the tides of evil and wrings His holy hands in discomfort as the forces on earth wrestle and wrangle for power. You’ll see in other religions how they battle to reconcile the evils on this earth, the wars and the sufferings. The Bible is fantastically devoid of confusion on the such matters. Evidence of this is here in great detail.
This passage was not in prophecy and then fulfilled because there is something special about Jesus’ bones. That is the error of much religious nonsense – putting the emphasis on the earth, the flesh, the material, instead of upon the sovereignty of almighty God. This is to show the Lord’s complete control over the moments of history – even those that are dark and in which we are tempted to think He has flown. This whole chain of events has been rolling along in divers directions from the get-go and we can keep backing it up and backing it up. The soldiers at the cross, the Pharisees, Pilate…the list grows and grows and all of the events and circumstances lead all the way to the garden – not Gethsamane, but Eden. It was all God’s sovereign plan. Every detail, every life bears the mark of His will.
We must look deeply at this if we are to have peace and full faith. God is sovereign and He is good. Even when evil strikes us, when riots and violence sweep over our land, when health or finances fail, and we are brought low, are lonely, or destitute, we are not outside the will and power of God. Nothing takes Him by surprise. This is faith. Jesus trusted the Father’s plan even unto death; so should we.
It’s easy to miss that John is careful to point out – guided as he was by the Holy Spirit – that even in this dark, awful moment, God’s plan of redemption moved on. These things needed to come to pass for His glorious ends to be revealed. Scripture was not broken as Christ hung there dead…not even a little. So, we revel in God’s foreknowledge, His unshakeable sovereignty, and, so importantly, all that great love in which He loves us. Do you see it? Right here. He’s dead and He died for you, Christian. His love is shown by this death – proven! And this is no namby-pamby love like the world loves. This is no sentimental song or cheesy romance movie. This is the divine love – backed by the full sovereignty of God. This passage shows us that every detail is in His control or else His love might not be able to win out. So, we rest in this and thank Him for not just His love but His sovereignty too and how they’re inextricably linked, one to the other, and we marvel at all that God is. It’s impossible for us to fully comprehend, but we know it truly and that is faith enough to live and glorify Him no matter what. His bones weren’t broken because Scripture had to be fulfilled. Neither will one hair upon our head perish unless He decrees it.
We know not what paths He has chosen for our personal journey. That is His business alone and the mysteries of our days serve to deepen our faith and love of Him. But we know where that path leads – to the Kingdom, to Him at last, safe and secure where there’s no more sin, death is defeated, all the agonies and fears have abated, and we’re free to know Him for eternity.
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