After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been finished, in order to finish the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
John 19:28-37
Then the Jews, because it was the day of Preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has borne witness, and his witness is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. For these things came to pass in order that the Scripture would be fulfilled, “Not a bone of Him shall be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
Introduction
Right in the midst of telling us about the crucifixion, John reveals his purpose in writing down his gospel:
And he who has seen has borne witness, and his witness is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe
The entire reason John records any of this at all is so that you, the reader, might believe. And it is John’s aim that in your belief, you might live in Christ (John 20:31). It is no surprise, then, that in his testimony of Christ’s death, he gives reasons for you to believe.
First, John records the completed nature of Jesus’ work on the cross, declaring, “It is finished!” before dying. The sacrifice is once for all (Hebrews 10:10), never to be repeated (Hebrews 10:18). Next, John tells us that he, himself is an eyewitness to these things. And finally, John references two prophecies fulfilled in this moment. First, Psalm 34:20 is given, showing that even though the guards intended to break the legs of every prisoner prior to the Sabbath, they passed over Jesus who had already died. Then John cites Zechariah 12:10, God’s promise of salvation for His people in Jerusalem whereupon He would pour out His Spirit on His people after they look to the One whom they have pierced; a piercing which took place right before John’s very eyes.
Unbreakable bones?
With much difficulty, endless hours have been spent on contemplating and arguing over schemes that balance the accountability of man for his actions and the providence of God in all things. We know that God operates outside of time (Isaiah 43:13), that He hardens hearts (Exodus 7:13), that He is the author and finisher of faith (Hebrews 12:2), and that He holds us each to account for our sin (Ezekiel 18:20).
Churches have split over this matter, with some emphasizing God’s sovereignty more while others emphasize man’s responsibility more. But the plain and simple fact is that scripture emphasizes both of these things. They are both true: God is sovereign over all things including time and history, and everyone is responsible for believing God and coming to Him in faith. God’s sovereignty does not destroy man’s freedom, nor does man’s freedom undermine God’s sovereignty.
This passage holds one of the most elegant examples of how God pre-ordains something without destroying the fundamental nature He placed there to begin with. “Not a bone of Him shall be broken.” (John 19:36; Psalm 34:20)
While issuing this prophecy, the Psalmist did not imagine that His bones could not be broken. Instead, he wrote that they would not be broken. This is providence in action. God, in His wisdom, ordained that these events would transpire precisely as they transpired. And He did so without absolving anyone involved of their role in what took place. Jesus’ bones were as breakable as the two thieves who hung on either side of Him. But His were spared in order to bear testimony to the greatness of our God who transcends all understanding.
Eyewitness testimony
We can know this took place the way it did because the one reporting on the situation was an eyewitness. John tells us as much, emphasizing the fact that his intent is your belief.
A common objection you will find among those who disbelieve the gospel is that the gospels were written so many years after the events that they are inherently unreliable. And while it is true that our earliest parchment fragments of John’s gospel are dated to the early 2nd century, this does not mean that is when John was written. Consider other ancient documents.
Plato is supposed to have lived in the 5th century BC, but the earliest fragments of his dialogues come from a similar time period as the early John fragments: around the 2nd century AD. Homer is said to be from the 8th century BC while the earliest fragments of the Iliad date to the 8th century AD. The relatively late presence of copies of their writing does not indicate these men were not the original authors, nor does it suggest these men somehow did not exist.
Instead, we look to external evidence to verify. Both Plato and Homer are referenced much earlier than the dates of these writing fragments, and so we can be confident they lived and wrote in those earlier dates. Likewise, we can look to early formulations of the gospel found in Paul’s epistles to know that this material was not invented in later centuries. We also know from Acts and from Paul that the apostles confidently referenced both the crucifixion and the resurrection as established indisputable events with living eyewitnesses throughout Jerusalem who could testify.
Knowing this is a firsthand account from John the Apostle is reassuring to its veracity. And this fact should serve to bring you confidence in your faith so that you might be found good and faithful servants when you stand before the Lord.
May the Lord bless you and conform you into the image of His Son.
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