But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water…. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced—John 19:34, 37

The victory cry of our Savior sounded forth from the cross, “It is finished!”

It was a cry God’s people long needed to hear. Jesus-Savior by His death on the cross powerfully accomplished the salvation of those given Him of the Father in eternity. At the cross, He saved everyone who looked in faith to Him for that salvation in the Old Testament. He saved everyone who would look back on Him in faith in the New.

Yet, the event of which the apostle John speaks in the verses we examine took place after this cry of victory. It occurred after Jesus had given up His life and died. John includes it in his gospel account because he was yet an eyewitness of a calloused, gruesome act: the soldiers piercing Jesus’ side. It was not enough that Jesus suffered the agony of hanging on the cross. The cruel, heartless soldiers had now bloodied Jesus’ body by means of a spear thrust. John, with others, were spectators of this deed. They now gazed on the bloody form of our Savior.

It was a little after 3 o’clock on Friday afternoon. Since the Jewish Sabbath began at 6 p.m., there was little time left in the day to prepare for the Sabbath day. Besides, the Sabbath day that was soon to be upon the church was a high day, a special Sabbath. It was the Sabbath that brought the Passover week to a conclusion. It was necessary to go home and be ready to approach this day with great joy! The Sanhedrin, therefore, besought Pilate to break the legs of the three transgressors and remove their bodies from their crosses. The true motivation of these evil rulers, however, was the need to get this dastardly deed behind them in order that people would no longer linger around the scene of the cross. The sooner Jesus’ body was gone, the better. The Sanhedrin wanted to move on. They had accomplished what they wanted.

So they come to Pilate to request of him that the legs of those crucified might be broken, so that they might die more quickly and their bodies might then be removed and buried. It was not as if the wicked Jews wanted Pilate to take these men, including Jesus, down from the cross alive! That would defeat the purpose of the crucifixion! But the legs of those crucified served to hold the body erect on the cross. This is what made this kind of death so slow and agonizing. If the legs were broken, however, a man’s body would simply hang by his hands. This would force the chin down against the chest and the one hanging would be unable to breathe. They would soon suffocate and die. This was the purpose of breaking the legs. Besides, it would give the Sanhedrin just one more opportunity to vent their rage against Jesus. Pilate, in response to the Sanhedrin’s request, sent his soldiers to Calvary with the order to break their legs. It was this that gave rise to the horribly cruel and gruesome act of the soldiers.

These hardened soldiers with no pity took their mallets and shattered the bones in the legs of the two thieves. But the soldier that stood before Jesus did not break His legs. He recognized that Jesus was already dead. This must have surprised the soldiers. Rarely would a man die on a cross so quickly as had Jesus. We know, of course, that Jesus was dead because Jesus willingly gave up His life. No man took it from Him, but He willingly laid down His life for His sheep. Of course, to understand this takes a heart of faith. Such faith these wicked soldiers certainly did not have. Seeing that Jesus was already dead, this soldier saw no need to break Jesus’ legs. Instead, her ruthlessly pierced Jesus’ side with a spear.

Now, the term “pierce” does not denote a mere stab of a spear. It refers to being pierced through, that is, a thrust meant to inflict a deadly wound. The soldier thrust his spear deeply into Jesus’ side in order that it might make its way under His ribs and into His heart. If Jesus had not died by means of His crucifixion, He surely would have died by means of this spear thrust. So deeply did the spear penetrate His body that John was able to see the blood flow out intermingled with water. John records exactly what he witnessed: Jesus bled blood and water. It is striking too that John later writes concerning Christ in his epistle in 1 John 5:6, “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood.” That Jesus bled blood and water contains no deep, dark truths. But surely, we cannot help but see in this that the blood of Jesus Christ shed for us on the cross is that which cleanses us from sin. Christ’s blood paid the price for our sins. It removed our guilt and made us righteous before God. Through Christ’s blood we are justified. But that blood has also cleansed us from the filth of sin just as water washes us from the filth of our body. Through Christ’s blood we are sanctified, made holy before God. It was not a mere coincidence that John records this for us, therefore.

But though all of this is true, our interest lies in the quote concerning this gruesome deed that John cites for us in verse 37. John explains that these things were done to fulfill Scripture: “They shall look on him whom they pierced.” The soldiers pierced the side of our Savior in fulfillment of God’s eternal plan as spoken through the mouth of the prophet Zechariah many years before Christ’s death in Zechariah 12:10. There God says, “They shall look upon me whom they pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” Zechariah here refers to God Himself. God says, “They shall look upon me whom they pierced.” But then God continues, “They shall mourn for him.” And take note: “They shall mourn as one mourns over the death of his firstborn son.” Zechariah prophecies directly about the death of Jesus Christ. God’s people mourned for Him as they witnessed this piercing of Jesus side! They stood aghast with bitterness! Such was in the hearts of those who in faith stood at the cross.

But unbelief stood at the cross too. The psalmist writes in Psalm 22:16 that dogs compassed Jesus about. The wicked enclosed Him. These wicked in their unbelief pierced Him. In verse 13, the psalmist declares that they gaped upon him with their mouths. As they gazed on the crucified Lord their mouths gaped, that is, they opened wide waiting to devour Jesus as a lion tears at its prey. They were fierce in their hatred toward Jesus. These did not mourn in bitterness. They took malicious delight in piercing Jesus.

There are many today too who gaze upon this horrible deed that took place while Jesus’ limp body yet hung on the cross. John bare record to it and his record is true. Through the witness of John recorded for us in Scripture, many are made to see the crucified Savior. They see the blood and water flow from His side.

The unbelieving world looks upon this Jesus whom they pierced. There is no pity for our pierced Savior in their unbelieving hearts. There is no mourning. With cruelty the wicked even today pierce Him through, despising Him, stumbling at the cross of Christ. They speak vehement words of hatred against Him. Today too in our violent, unbelieving world men’s feet are swift to shed blood. Their throat is an open sepulcher; the poison of asps is under their lips. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Unbelief is blinded to this Son of God and the precious work He has performed. In the darkness of that unbelief men and women are untouched by the gospel. With cruelty in their hearts, they gaze on Jesus.

Believers today also gaze upon this spectacle of the cross. But they do not mourn like those faithful followers of Christ at the cross who felt that His cause and kingdom were lost. We are made to see with the eyes of faith that the One who suffered such cruelty at the hands of the wicked is the very Son of God who was born of a woman and dwelt among us. God says in Zechariah, “They shall look upon me whom they have pierced!” When we gaze upon the face of Jesus, we see divinity! We see the Son of God who is pierced! He is God’s only natural Son—the firstborn among many brethren. In the face of Jesus, we see God who has come into our human flesh. In that flesh the Son of God shed His blood on our behalf.

In this is found the very power of the cross! The shed blood of Christ is the power of God unto salvation! You understand that the death of a mere man has no power. Many men have died by spear thrusts and sword slashes. There is no power in such a death. But the shed blood of the Son of God who was born into our flesh, that has power! After all, who else could bear the burden of God’s eternal wrath and pay the price we poor sinners owed to God? Jesus willingly laid down His life for His sheep. No man took it from Him. He did so as the Son of God who was able to give His life and take it again. Through His power as the Son of God He delivered us from the clutches of sin and Satan.

What do you see when you gaze on the blood and water pouring forth from the side of that Man who was pierced? Do you mourn as those few believers who were eyewitnesses of this? Do you doubt the power of the cross?

Gaze into the face of the living Lord who conquered death and the power of Satan and believe. Do not mourn!

This Man whom they pierced, whose blood flowed down His side, is now risen from the dead! Reach forth your hand and touch the wound in His side caused by the spear thrust, and be not faithless, but believing!

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain!

You can access the Spanish version of this article, translated by Jorge Carbajal, by clicking the following link: Contemplando a aquel a quien traspasaron