Typology of the Forbidden Broken Bones in the Lamb

Typology of the Forbidden Broken Bones in the Lamb

It is Jewish law, according to Deuteronomy 21:22, a body of an executed man will make the land unclean, therefore should be taken down and buried before sunset. However, the Romans probably would have left the bodies on the cross as a reminder to anyone who would dare rebel against Rome. Moreover, breaking of the leg bones hastened the death of the criminals, causing death to relieve them of their agony.

The Passover Lamb in Exodus 12 and Numbers 9 typifies what Jesus did on the cross. Jesus, having already given up His Spirit in v. 30, had already died before the soldiers came to break the legs of the crucified victims in v. 32. They did not have to break Jesus’ legs in order to hasten His death. The result of not breaking Jesus’ legs in v. 33 corresponds well with Psalms 34:20, which states that God will not allow the  bones of the righteous to be broken.         This is true of Jesus and God’s loyalty to His Son, but the emphasis of the text seems to be based on the sacrificial act of Christ. John’s Gospel is not the only Biblical evidence that is in the New Testament of Christ as the antitype of the Passover Lamb. Paul and Peter refer to Jesus as the Passover Lamb. In 1 Corinthians 5:7, Paul warns his readers to clean out the unleavened bread because believers are now leavened bread, made out of a new lump of dough, just as Christ as our Lamb also has been sacrificed. In 1Peter 1:19, Peter refers to Christ as the Lamb without spot or blemish, redeeming the believer from their futile ways.

There is a debate on whether or not Jesus was sacrificed exactly when the priest would be sacrificing the lambs in the temple. Whether it was earlier, later, or the exact time seems to make little difference in the faith of the believer. Moreover, the believer’s confidence would be in the sacrifice, not on the timing of it.

 

Rudolf Bultmann, The Gospel of John, trans. G. R. Beasley-Murray (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster Press, 1971), pg. 676.

Robert Kysar, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament, John (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1986), pg. 291.

Morris, Expository Reflections on the Gospel of John, pg. 674. According to Morris, Jesus’ scourging could have been harsher than the other two victims because He died sooner. However, this writer sees God’s provisional plan for His righteous (Psalm 34:20) in the hastier death of His beloved Son (Matt. 3:17).

Constable, Soniclight.com, pg. 287.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my contemplations.

With Much Joy,
©Darla J. Smith
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