The Piercing of Christ's Side: Symbolism and Significance
In John 19:34, we read that after Jesus died on the cross, a Roman soldier pierced His side with a spear, and "immediately blood and water came out." This moment, though brief, carries deep theological and physiological significance, offering us insight into the completion of Christ’s sacrifice and the fulfillment of prophecy.
Which Side Was Christ Pierced?
While the Bible doesn't explicitly specify which side Jesus was pierced on, there’s a logical and practical reason to believe that the soldier would have pierced His right side. Crucifixion was a brutal form of execution, leaving Jesus' body slumped on the cross. The soldier, likely right-handed, would have found it easier to approach Jesus from His right side, thrusting the spear upward at an angle to reach the chest area and possibly the heart. The positioning of the body and the soldier's dominant hand make it highly probable that the right side was pierced. This is important because it aligns with the later revelation of blood and water flowing from that side, which holds both theological and physiological implications.
Blood and Water: What Does It Mean?
The flow of blood and water from Jesus’ side is rich in both symbolism and physiological significance. Theologically, the blood represents Christ’s sacrificial death for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28), while the water signifies cleansing and purification, symbolizing the Holy Spirit who renews and gives life (John 3:5, Titus 3:5). These elements point to the full scope of salvation—physical, spiritual, and eternal—secured by Jesus' death.
From a physiological perspective, the presence of both blood and water strongly suggests that the soldier’s spear pierced the pericardial sac, the membrane surrounding the heart. After death, the heart stops pumping, and fluids—such as blood and serous fluid—accumulate in this sac. When the spear punctured the side, it would have entered the pericardium, causing the separation of these fluids. Blood would have been the thicker, more viscous liquid, while the watery fluid would have come from the accumulated serous fluid, a natural part of the body’s response to trauma. This separation supports the idea that the heart or the area around it was pierced, reinforcing the completeness of Christ’s death.
Jesus Gave Up His Life
It is crucial to note that the spear did not cause Jesus’ death. Rather, Jesus willingly gave up His life for the salvation of humanity. In John 19:30, Jesus declared, "It is finished," and "He bowed His head and gave up His spirit." His death was not a result of the crucifixion itself, but a voluntary act of surrendering His life. As He Himself said in John 10:17-18, "I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself."
A Profound Symbol
The piercing of Jesus’ side fulfills Old Testament prophecy (Zechariah 12:10) and illustrates the completeness of Christ's work. His heart was pierced not just by the soldier’s spear but by the weight of the world’s sin. As blood and water flowed, it symbolized the provision of life—physical, spiritual, and eternal—offered through Christ’s death on the cross. In Scripture, the blood of Christ is often tied to the theme of redemption. In Hebrews 9:22, we are reminded, "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." The blood that poured from Jesus' side represents His sacrificial death as the ultimate atonement for sin, fulfilling the Old Covenant sacrificial system and establishing the New Covenant. This aligns with 1 Peter 1:18-19, which states, "you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold...but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."
The water, on the other hand, carries rich symbolism of purification and the Holy Spirit. Jesus referred to water as symbolic of spiritual rebirth in John 3:5 when He told Nicodemus, "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." The water flowing from Christ's side speaks to the cleansing power of His sacrifice, washing away sin and renewing believers through the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). Additionally, in John 7:37-39, Jesus promised that "whoever believes in Me...out of his heart will flow rivers of living water," referring to the Holy Spirit, who would be given to believers after His ascension.
Thus, the blood and water flowing from Jesus’ side not only marked the physical reality of His death but also pointed to the spiritual realities that His death achieved: the cleansing from sin, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, and the new life granted to all who believe in Him.