Here's something else that proves Jesus was the Passover Lamb. The lamb was not to have any broken bones. When they were to prepare the lamb, one of the things that was very important was that the lamb was not to have any bones broken whatsoever. John 19:31 says, "Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away."

Crucifixions were horrible. Sometimes they would crucify thousands at a time. It was a horrible thing!

They were attached to the crosses with nails. Because of the weight of their bodies and the way they were on the cross, it was extremely important that their legs and feet have a firm foundation. As their bodies would sag, it would cause their chest cavity to contract in such a way that they couldn't breathe. In order to breathe, they would push themselves up to take a breath and then they would drop back down. Just before they would die of suffocation, they would push themselves back up again and take another breath. When the Word said Jesus breathed His last, it wasn't just recording the fact that He stopped breathing. The Word was revealing prophecy.

Here's what happened. The Jews went to Pilate to request the body of Jesus. The next day was the Sabbath. However, the Sabbath started at 6:00 p.m. that evening. They did not want to leave any of the Jews hanging on the crosses after 6:00 p.m. If they hadn't removed the bodies from the crosses before 6:00 p.m. (the beginning of the next day), they couldn't take them off until a day later.

So, the Jews asked Pilate to break the legs of the Jews being crucified. With their legs broken, they wouldn't be able to push themselves up and take the breath that would sustain their life. They would suffocate, literally strangle to death on the cross. That's what the Jews asked of Pilate. "Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him." (John 19:32)

In other words, the soldiers went to the first thief on the cross and broke his legs. He dropped down, and because he could no longer raise himself to take a breath of air, he strangled and died. They then went to the second thief and broke his legs also. Then they approached Jesus and that takes us to verse 33. "But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs."

Prophecy fulfilled! The sacrificial Lamb had no bones broken. Jesus was the perfect sacrificial Lamb, dying once and for all for your sins. "For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, ‘Not one of His bones shall be broken.'" (John 19:36) "In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones." (Exodus 12:46)

Excerpt from Dr. Larry Ollison's book, "Life is in the Blood."

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