John 19:36-37

John 19:36-37

[36] For  were done,  that  the scripture  should be fulfilled,  A bone  of him  not  be broken.  [37] And  again  another  scripture  saith,  on  him whom  they pierced. 

What does John 19:36-37 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

In John 19:36, John could have had any of three passages in mind: Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; and or Psalm 34:20. The first two specify that the Israelites were not to break the bones of their Passover lambs. Elsewhere Paul and Peter described Jesus as the Passover Lamb ( 1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:19), and this figure is prominent in John"s Gospel as well (cf. John 1:36; et al.). Psalm 34:20 describes the righteous man by saying that God would not allow anyone to break his bones (cf. Luke 23:47). The first passage seems best since its fulfillment was more literal, though admittedly it involves the Passover typology.
This quotation has spawned the theory that Jesus died at the same time the Jews were slaying their Passover lambs. This view seems untenable since all the evangelists presented the Last Supper as a Passover meal. There have been several attempts to harmonize these views and to explain how there could have been two Passovers on successive days. [1] None of these explanations is convincing to me. It seems better to view the Passover meal as happening on Thursday evening, Thursday being the fourteenth of Nisan, which was the normal day for the Passover. Even though Jesus" death fulfilled the Passover typology it apparently did not coincide exactly with the Jews" sacrifice of their lambs for their Passover meals. That happened the afternoon before Jesus died.
WednesdayThursdayFridayApril1Midnight3:00 a.m.6:00 a.m.9:00 a.m.Noon3:00 p.m.April2The Jews slew their Passover lambsMidnight3:00 a.m.6:00 a.m.9:00 a.m.Noon3:00 p.m.April3Jesus was crucifiedJesus died14Nisan6:00 p.m.Midnight15 NisanThe Jews ate their Passover lambs6:00 p.m.Midnight16 Nisan
In John 19:37, the prophecy in view is clearly the one in Zechariah 12:10 (cf. Revelation 1:7). Jesus quoted this verse in the Olivet Discourse ( Matthew 24:30). There He stressed a different part of it. The piercing of God"s coming Shepherd happened when Jesus died on the cross (cf. John 10:11). The Gentile nations will look on Him whom they have pierced when He returns at His second coming (cf. Revelation 1:7). Both Jews and Gentiles were responsible for Jesus" death.