Alan Fong
3 min read
Alan Fong
3 min read
Alan Fong
3 min read
The Spear that Pierced His Side
Today’s Verse:
But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. ~John 19:34
John 19 is the record of our Lord’s crucifixion on the cross. Four of His last statements on the cross are recorded in this chapter. In John 19:30, Jesus' words, “It is finished,” are recorded, indicating that He finished the work of redemption for every sinner. The final blow to our Lord occurred after He breathed His last breath. A soldier with a spear pierced the side of our Lord to confirm that He was dead. When he thrust that spear into the side, blood and water came out. There would be a permanent wound in the side that spear was thrust into.
We see the weapon.
The spear is a long staff with a sharp, pointed end, typically made of some kind of hard steel. It has been a favored weapon for many years by ancient armies. A spear is a deadly weapon in the hands of an expert. When it makes its mark, a deep, penetrating, and, most often, fatal injury will occur. The spear thrust into our Lord was the final indignity on the cross. Today, we indignify our Lord through an irreverent and disrespectful spirit or through piercing words that accuse, blame, humiliate, or tear down. Let us be careful of our words being weapons that hurt others and our Lord.
We see the wound.
Jesus' side was pierced. On the eighth day after His resurrection, He told Thomas, “Reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” Jesus has the wounds that substantiate His suffering, indignities, and death. We must be careful not to become callous to the intense suffering that He endured. We must remind ourselves that He was wounded for each and every sinner. It is faith in His death for our sins that saves us. Perhaps you are someone who needs to reach hither thy hand and place it into His wounded side to experience the power of salvation in your life.
We see the Word.
“For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.” Psalm 34:20 prophesied that not one of Jesus’ bones would be broken. This is important because most crucified men would have their legs broken to expedite their death. Jesus was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. All Scripture concerning our Lord’s death for every sinner has been fulfilled and nothing left undone. John recorded this incident to testify of its truthfulness and so that all who read and hear of it would believe on Jesus as Savior.
We see the witnesses.
“And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.” At Jesus’ second coming, "every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him" (Revelation 1:7). Every sinner stands guilty of piercing our Lord at the cross. The rejection of our Lord is the ultimate piercing of His side. The greatest heartbreak is the rejection of Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross for salvation. Christ-rejecting sinners will see Him Whom they pierced. On the day that He was pierced, they looked on Him with spite. At His Second Coming, they shall wail and cry. The spear that was thrust into His side teaches us that even when He was dead, He endured humiliation. When you are under pressure and feel defeated, "consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."
Have a steadfast God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 2 Kings 18-19
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