John 19:31-37
But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. – John 19:34
After Jesus was crucified, what happened next might have seemed reasonable at the time—but was actually full of deep irony. The next day was a special Sabbath during the Passover week, and in order to avoid defiling the land (see Deut. 21:22–23), the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses overnight. So they asked Pilate to hasten the deaths by breaking the legs of those crucified (v.31), so the bodies could be taken down before the Sabbath began. Once the legs were broken, the person could no longer support themselves, and death by asphyxiation would come quickly.
The most striking irony is this: while trying so hard to follow the law outwardly—avoiding defilement of the land—they were, at the same time, plotting the death of an innocent man, their true Messiah! Outwardly, they seemed pious, but in truth, they were committing a great sin. Dear brothers and sisters, are we not sometimes like the religious leaders of that time? We may appear devout on the outside, but our hearts grow further from God—without us even realising it.
The soldiers followed the command and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead, so they did not break His legs. Instead, one soldier pierced His side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out (vv.32–34). There are two medical explanations for this: one is that the spear pierced the heart, causing fluid from the pericardium and blood from the heart to flow out; the other is that trauma to the chest caused a separation of serum and blood, both of which were released when His side was pierced. Either way, John’s account makes it clear—Jesus had truly died. He didn’t faint. He wasn’t pretending. He gave up His life for us. His love was not symbolic—it was real, costly, and sacrificial.
The one who witnessed all this—likely John himself—testified to it (v.35), and he wrote it down so that we might believe. This was not a fictional story, but a real, historical event. His intention wasn’t just to share information but to call for a response: to believe in Jesus, the One who gave His life for us.
Later on, some have seen the blood and water from Jesus’s side as symbolic of the sacraments—Communion and baptism. Perhaps that can serve as a helpful reminder of how Jesus established these signs for us. But more importantly, the blood and water were a clear sign that He truly died—answering the doubts of those who questioned whether His death was real. He really did die—but that wasn’t the end of the story. We know He also truly rose again.
The author concludes by showing that none of this was random—it was all in fulfilment of Scripture. Just like the Passover lamb whose bones were not to be broken (Ex. 12:46), not one of Jesus’ bones were broken. He is the true sacrificial Lamb. And the piercing of His side fulfilled the prophecy: “They will look on the one they have pierced” (Zec. 12:10). One day, all nations will look upon the One who died for us. Dear brothers and sisters, we can do that even now—look to His cross, reflect on His love, and let our hearts be touched and transformed once again. Will you do that today?
Prayer:
Lord, may Your love pour over me and set me free. I surrender myself to Your loving embrace. I choose to rest in You. You are my Lord, and I will forever dwell in Your arms. You are mine, and I am Yours. Amen.
After Jesus was crucified, what happened next might have seemed reasonable at the time—but was actually full of deep irony. The next day was a special Sabbath during the Passover week, and in order to avoid defiling the land (see Deut. 21:22–23), the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses overnight. So they asked Pilate to hasten the deaths by breaking the legs of those crucified (v.31), so the bodies could be taken down before the Sabbath began. Once the legs were broken, the person could no longer support themselves, and death by asphyxiation would come quickly.
The most striking irony is this: while trying so hard to follow the law outwardly—avoiding defilement of the land—they were, at the same time, plotting the death of an innocent man, their true Messiah! Outwardly, they seemed pious, but in truth, they were committing a great sin. Dear brothers and sisters, are we not sometimes like the religious leaders of that time? We may appear devout on the outside, but our hearts grow further from God—without us even realising it.
The soldiers followed the command and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead, so they did not break His legs. Instead, one soldier pierced His side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out (vv.32–34). There are two medical explanations for this: one is that the spear pierced the heart, causing fluid from the pericardium and blood from the heart to flow out; the other is that trauma to the chest caused a separation of serum and blood, both of which were released when His side was pierced. Either way, John’s account makes it clear—Jesus had truly died. He didn’t faint. He wasn’t pretending. He gave up His life for us. His love was not symbolic—it was real, costly, and sacrificial.
The one who witnessed all this—likely John himself—testified to it (v.35), and he wrote it down so that we might believe. This was not a fictional story, but a real, historical event. His intention wasn’t just to share information but to call for a response: to believe in Jesus, the One who gave His life for us.
Later on, some have seen the blood and water from Jesus’s side as symbolic of the sacraments—Communion and baptism. Perhaps that can serve as a helpful reminder of how Jesus established these signs for us. But more importantly, the blood and water were a clear sign that He truly died—answering the doubts of those who questioned whether His death was real. He really did die—but that wasn’t the end of the story. We know He also truly rose again.
The author concludes by showing that none of this was random—it was all in fulfilment of Scripture. Just like the Passover lamb whose bones were not to be broken (Ex. 12:46), not one of Jesus’ bones were broken. He is the true sacrificial Lamb. And the piercing of His side fulfilled the prophecy: “They will look on the one they have pierced” (Zec. 12:10). One day, all nations will look upon the One who died for us. Dear brothers and sisters, we can do that even now—look to His cross, reflect on His love, and let our hearts be touched and transformed once again. Will you do that today?
Prayer:
Lord, may Your love pour over me and set me free. I surrender myself to Your loving embrace. I choose to rest in You. You are my Lord, and I will forever dwell in Your arms. You are mine, and I am Yours. Amen.