Passover: As John considers the two confirmations of Jesus’ death, he shows us that Jesus truly is our Passover and that He is the coming Judge. The former is seen in Jesus’ unbroken legs. Jesus should have undergone the Roman crurifragium and had His legs smashed by an iron mallet, but He was spared because the soldiers saw plainly that He was already dead. Jesus’ unbroken legs became Rome’s confirmation of His death. John also points out that this also confirmed Jesus as the Passover Lamb, because God in His providence never allowed that sacrifice to have any of its bones broken (Ex. 12:46). If Jesus be our Passover, we must clean out the old leaven of sin and live holy lives.[1] We who take shelter under the blood of the Lamb are to eradicate sin (1 Cor. 5:9-13) and become a pure bride prepared for her groom, the Lamb.[2]
Judge: One of the soldiers thrusted his spear through Jesus’ side to further ensure His death. The hand-sized spear wound (John 20:27) was yet another confirmation that Jesus died. The providence of God was in this also, and John shows that the spear wound was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10. One day the remnant of Israel will mourn how they pierced the LORD the Judge and Savior. John expands this prophesy further and applies it to the nations who will one day grieve similarly (Rev. 1:7). Indeed, all who refuse to trust and obey Christ will one day bitterly grieve the shocking realization that they spurned and wanted dead the very God who stands as Judge over them. Jesus indeed is the coming Judge (John 5:22; Acts 10:42; 17:31; 2 Tim. 4:1).