John 19:31-37
His Side Was Pierced
Read the passage
31It was the day of Preparation, and the next day was a High Sabbath. In order that the bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed.
32So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and those of the other.
33But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.
34Instead, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.
35The one who saw it has testified to this, and his testimony is true. He knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.
36Now these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of His bones will be broken.”
37And, as another Scripture says: “They will look on the One they have pierced.”
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The Sabbath is approaching, and the authorities want the bodies removed from the crosses. The soldiers break the legs of the men crucified beside Jesus. When they reach Him, they see that He is already dead and leave His legs unbroken.
A soldier pierces His side with a spear, and blood and water flow out. The account pauses to insist that the person who saw this has testified truthfully. The purpose is personal: the testimony is given so that the reader may believe.
John connects what happened with Scripture. The unbroken bones recall the instruction about the Passover lamb in Exodus 12:46 and the protection of the righteous sufferer in Psalm 34:20. The pierced one is described in Zechariah 12:10. John presents Jesus' death as the fulfillment of Scripture.
The passage does not explain the bodily cause of the blood and water. We do not need to supply a medical theory to hear its testimony. The soldiers find Jesus dead, His side is pierced, and an eyewitness speaks of what he saw. The resurrection that follows will be the raising of One who truly died.
Questions
1 Why do the soldiers leave Jesus' legs unbroken?
AnswerThey see that He is already dead. They have broken the legs of the men crucified beside Him.
2 What happens when a soldier pierces Jesus' side?
AnswerBlood and water flow out. The passage emphasizes that an eyewitness has testified to what happened.
3 Why is this testimony given to the reader?
AnswerIt is given so that the reader also may believe. John connects the unbroken bones and pierced side with the fulfillment of Scripture.
4 How does this account help us understand the resurrection we will read about next?
AnswerJesus was truly dead. The resurrection is God's victory over death, not simply the recovery of someone who had never died. We receive that news through the testimony handed down to us.
What This Means for Us
Christian hope concerns what happened to Jesus. The eyewitness asks us to believe testimony about His death, and John will go on to tell us of His resurrection. Our hope has a subject and a history; it does not rest on how hopeful we feel today.
If someone asks about a difficult detail, stay with what the passage says. It tells us about blood and water without explaining their physical cause. Admitting that limit does not weaken the clear claim that Jesus died.
Read verse 35 again and notice its invitation to you. Thank God for the witnesses through whom you have heard about His Son, and ask for faith to receive their testimony.
Prayer
Father, thank You for the testimony to Jesus' death and for the Scriptures that help us understand it. Keep our faith rooted in what You have done through Him. Help us speak accurately about Your word and receive its witness with trust. Amen.