John 19:35-37 - Not one of his bones will be broken

19:35

There were two main reasons for John highlighting this. It was now sometime since the cross, so he wants to make it absolutely clear that Jesus died. Jesus had died rather quickly, it not being unusual for someone to take a few days before they eventually died. Theologically the explanation could be that Jesus “gave up His spirit”, but there was also incontrovertible evidence that He had actually died.

19:36,37

Another reason for John reporting this was that he saw the fulfilment of Biblical passages. The first was that not one of His bones was broken. There are two possible parts of the Old Testament that this could be referring to. One is Psalm 34:20. The other, and perhaps the more likely, is that the Law required that no bones of the Passover Lamb be broken (Ex 12:46 and Num 9:12). Jesus was the ultimate Passover Lamb.

The second reference is to Zech 12:10 where it speaks of them looking on the one whom they pierced.