31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.” ~ John 19:31-37
It was "the day of Preparation" which was the day before the Passover, before the Sabbath. And it was not just an ordinary Sabbath, it was Passover Sabbath. And the Jewish religious leaders wanted the dead bodies of the crucified removed before the Sabbath began. They went to Pilate, seeking permission to speed up the death of the men on the crosses by breaking their legs.
We read in v.32, “The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other.” This was done so that they would die by asphyxiation. Since these men were crucified with their legs bent, they would be able to push themselves up by their legs, pushing themselves up by the nails which were driven through their feet, in order that they may be able to breathe. In order to prevent them from being able to push themselves up and thus remain alive, they came by to break their legs. Thus, asphyxiation would come much sooner.
And so, they came by to hasten death. But when they came to the Lord Jesus, He was already dead. We read in v.33, "But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs." This happened so that Numbers 9:12, which reads, "They must not leave any of it till morning or break any of its bones. When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations," would be fulfilled.
Numbers 9:12 along with Psalm 34:20 was fulfilled at that moment. Not a bone of the Passover lamb should be broken, and the Lord Jesus was the perfect fulfillment of the Passover Lamb. Psalm 34:20 reads, “he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.”
According to v.33, when the Roman soldiers came by to break the legs of the Lord Jesus, they saw and testified that He was already dead. And, so that no doubt would remain whatsoever that He was dead, according to v.34, “Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.” This, too, fulfills prophecy.
In Zechariah 12:10, we read, "They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son." The Prophet Zechariah said that the Messiah would be pierced, that someday in the future, the Jews would look to the one who was pierced and believe.
Notice that according to v.34, the soldier saw blood and water come forth from the Lord Jesus' side immediately. This is yet another proof that the Lord Jesus was dead. When we die, medical experts tell us, the pericardium which surrounds our hearts, fills with water. When the spear was thrust in the Lord Jesus' side, the water flowed along with the blood.
In v.35 we learn that the Apostle John was the eyewitness to these things. In v.35, we read, “The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.” According to John 20:31, John wrote these things so that we would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, we may have life in His name.
These Roman soldiers were trained executioners who would make no mistake about a criminal's death. Pilate ordered the legs broken, and they would not dare disobey him unless absolutely sure that Christ was already dead. These hardened Roman soldiers were the first witnesses to Christ's death. In a similar way, we witness the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ in the fulfillment of all of these prophecies of His death.
