Not One of His Bones Was Broken

“He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” – Psalm 34:20

This verse is quoted directly in John 19:36, as John narrates the moment when the soldiers come to break Jesus’ legs—but don’t. At first glance, it might seem like a small detail. But the apostle is inviting us to look deeper—into the very heart of redemptive history.

This line from Psalm 34 doesn’t just point to Jesus’ crucifixion; it reaches all the way back to the first Passover. In Exodus 12:46, God commands that not a single bone of the Passover lamb is to be broken. The same instruction appears again in Numbers 9:12. To modern ears, this might sound like a mere ritualistic detail. But in light of the Gospel, it becomes clear: this was a prophecy.

God didn’t randomly decide to redeem His people from Egypt with a series of plagues. Each plague had a purpose and He crafted the final plague in particular with exquisite theological precision—the death of the firstborn, with a substitute lamb providing shelter from judgment. The lamb wasn’t just part of the ritual. It was a living prophecy of the One who was to come.

The historical Passover was deliberately designed to map onto the Passion Week. The lamb was to be brought into the home for several days before the sacrifice—just as Jesus entered Jerusalem and remained among the people, teaching in the temple courts, before His crucifixion. Every detail, down to the unbroken bones, was part of God’s script.

Psalm 34 speaks of God’s protection of the righteous sufferer. Though the righteous may be afflicted, God is near to the brokenhearted and delivers him out of all his troubles. Jesus, the Righteous One, was brutally tortured, humiliated, and executed. But as the Psalm says—not one of His bones was broken.

This is more than a fulfillment of a physical detail. In Hebrew thought, bones symbolize the very core of a person—the innermost strength, identity, and integrity. Think of God asking Ezekiel, “Son of man, can these dry bones live?” Bones are where resurrection begins.

Jesus was crushed in body, but unbroken in spirit. He bore the full weight of evil, and yet His faithfulness remained intact. He passed through death and was raised in glory. His “bones” were kept—not just literally, but theologically. His obedience was whole. His core was unshaken.

When the world looks hopeless, when evil seems to triumph, this verse reminds us: God is able to deliver even when it seems impossible. Jesus didn’t escape suffering—He entered into it fully. And yet He was not broken. And because He was not broken, neither is our hope.

The Passover wasn’t just a rescue mission in Egypt. It was a preview. God was always preparing the world for the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. Not one of His bones was broken—because God’s plan was never fractured. It was perfect from the start.