John 19:34 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.

NIV: Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

NASB: Yet one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

CSB: But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out.

NLT: One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.

KJV: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

NKJV: But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

Most crucifixion victims died within hours, or days, in unspeakable agony. This could come by infection, thirst, exposure, animals, blood loss, or shock. In most cases, Roman crucifixion ended in suffocation, as victims lost the strength to push against their impaled limbs to breathe. To speed this up, executioners might use a heavy rod to shatter the victim's shin bones. Jesus has been crucified alongside two men (John 19:18), who suffer this fate (John 19:31–32). Jesus had been savagely maimed before being crucified (John 19:1), however, so He has already died (John 19:30). This is obvious enough to the executioners that they don't even make the effort to break His legs (John 19:32).

For whatever reason, one of the attending soldiers decides to be sure Jesus is really dead. A spear thrust is much quicker and easier than a messy blow to the legs, especially when one knows the target is already dead. The result of this attack is a gush of blood and water. John, who describes this scene, was very close to Jesus when it happened (John 19:25–27). The gory, graphic image of bodily fluids pouring out of Jesus' side left no doubt that He was dead. Were Jesus in perfect health prior to this moment, such an injury would have been fatal. In this situation, it's evidence that Jesus succumbed to blood loss and shock as fluid built up around His heart. There is no question, at all, that He's dead.

Among the sillier claims made about Jesus is that He survived the crucifixion. Some claim He then pretended to have been resurrected, or simply escaped. What Jesus experienced, however, was enough to kill Him several times over. Scourging victims often died from their injuries (John 19:1). Infection, shock, and blood loss from crucifixion were fatal (John 19:18). Having a spear impaled through the chest, resulting in a gush of fluid, is an immediately lethal wound. A person left locked in a tomb for three days would have succumbed to infection and dehydration (Matthew 28:1–10). There is no reasonable way to suggest that Jesus survived all these things, only to convince people later that He was a victorious, resurrected Messiah.

Having a first-hand look at this graphic scene, and knowing that Jesus is indisputably dead, leads John to emphasize His own account in the next few verses (John 19:35).

John 19:31–37 graphically confirms Jesus was dead before being taken from the cross. To speed up the execution, allowing the bodies to be buried before the Sabbath, soldiers break the legs of the other condemned men. Jesus, however, is clearly dead already. This is verified when a soldier stabs Jesus through the side with a spear. John notes two Old Testament references which allude to this as part of the Messiah's death. Only John, a direct eyewitness to this part of the crucifixion, includes this detail.

Pilate recognizes Jesus' innocence, but fears the mob assembled by Jewish religious leaders. He attempts to satisfy them by having Jesus viciously whipped and mocked. This only results in more cries for Jesus' death. The governor then shifts to protect his own reputation, ordering Jesus to be crucified on a charge of being "King of the Jews." John is directly present as Jesus is executed. He notes the fulfillment of several prophecies as Jesus dies. Once He is confirmed to be dead, Jesus' body is taken by two friendly members of the ruling council. They hastily bury Him in the borrowed crypt of a rich man.

When Jesus was first brought to Pilate, His innocence was obvious (John 18:36–38). However, the mob refuses to be satisfied with anything less than crucifixion. Pilate gives in to these demands. John, who is present for the entire gory spectacle, notes several instances of fulfilled prophecy (Psalm 22:18; Psalm 69:21; Exodus 12:46; Zechariah 12:10). Jesus is then buried in the borrowed tomb of a rich man (Isaiah 53:9) to complete yet another Old Testament prediction. A guard will be posted to ensure no one steals the body (Matthew 27:62–68), which will only serve to confirm that Jesus' eventual resurrection was a true miracle (John 20:1–8).

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.