And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
John himself stood by and watched a soldier drive a spear into the side of Jesus and saw blood and water come out, and he insists his account is true so that others will believe. He had already died from more than natural causes, so while the soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves who were still alive, they left His bones unbroken and pierced His side instead, fulfilling the Scripture that none of His bones would be broken as required of the Passover sacrifice. This witness establishes that He truly died in a real human body, and not that He only fainted or was laid in the tomb as a mere appearance. The wound from that spear, with the marks of the nails, remains upon Him in glory, and when the wicked dead are raised after the thousand years those who pierced Him will recognize Him by that mark and be filled with terror and remorse.
Eyewitness to Pierced Side
John himself saw a soldier pierce Jesus' side and saw blood and water flow from the wound, and his record is true so that readers might believe. The account of the pierced side and the blood and water is definite eyewitness testimony given to establish the event as truth and to support the fulfillment of Scripture in Jesus' death. It is John's own true report that he was present and beheld the spear wound, set down that people might believe.
Jesus was already dead when the soldiers found Him, dead from a supernatural cause that was a mystery to the people. The two thieves were still alive, so their legs were broken, whereas His legs were left unbroken and untouched. A soldier pierced His side instead, and blood and water came out.
The death was confirmed as fact rather than rumor when the centurion's report assured Pilate that Jesus was dead, by a witness whose testimony was true. That truthful witness proves Jesus truly died in a real body, not that He merely fainted. It likewise refutes the claim that His body was only an appearance or that only the likeness of a body was placed in the tomb. The piercing belonged to a shameful and cruel crucifixion, with nails driven through His hands and His feet even after Pilate declared, I find no fault in Him, because Satan was raging against God and so men treated the Son of God with such suffering. John's truthful witness extended beyond that hour to Christ's life, crucifixion, and resurrection, proclaiming Christ as the risen Saviour even when it disturbed those in power, so that others might believe.
Fulfilled Prophecy and Glory
The eyewitness record is true that blood and water came from the pierced side of Jesus, given so that readers may believe. He was already dead from a supernatural cause when the soldiers found Him, which was a mystery to the people, while the two thieves were still alive so their legs were broken. His own legs were left untouched and a soldier pierced His side instead, and this was done so that the Scripture that not a bone of Him would be broken was fulfilled. That unbroken state fulfills the Passover requirement that no bone of the sacrifice be broken.
The wound made by the spear remains visible in Jesus after His return in glory. The marks left by the nails and the spear that pierced His side remain visible when His attackers behold Him in glory. That visible mark is then part of His glory.
At the end of the thousand years the wicked dead are raised and those who pierced Him see its mark. The marks of that wound remain visible when the wicked dead are raised, confirming that the glorious Son of man before them is the very Jesus they crucified. Those who behold Him in glory are filled with terror and remorse.
John himself stood by and watched a soldier drive a spear into the side of Jesus and saw blood and water come out, and he insists his account is true so that others will believe. He had already died from more than natural causes, so while the soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves who were still alive, they left His bones unbroken and pierced His side instead, fulfilling the Scripture that none of His bones would be broken as required of the Passover sacrifice. This witness establishes that He truly died in a real human body, and not that He only fainted or was laid in the tomb as a mere appearance. The wound from that spear, with the marks of the nails, remains upon Him in glory, and when the wicked dead are raised after the thousand years those who pierced Him will recognize Him by that mark and be filled with terror and remorse.
Eyewitness to Pierced Side
John himself saw a soldier pierce Jesus' side and saw blood and water flow from the wound, and his record is true so that readers might believe. The account of the pierced side and the blood and water is definite eyewitness testimony given to establish the event as truth and to support the fulfillment of Scripture in Jesus' death. It is John's own true report that he was present and beheld the spear wound, set down that people might believe.
Jesus was already dead when the soldiers found Him, dead from a supernatural cause that was a mystery to the people. The two thieves were still alive, so their legs were broken, whereas His legs were left unbroken and untouched. A soldier pierced His side instead, and blood and water came out.
The death was confirmed as fact rather than rumor when the centurion's report assured Pilate that Jesus was dead, by a witness whose testimony was true. That truthful witness proves Jesus truly died in a real body, not that He merely fainted. It likewise refutes the claim that His body was only an appearance or that only the likeness of a body was placed in the tomb. The piercing belonged to a shameful and cruel crucifixion, with nails driven through His hands and His feet even after Pilate declared, I find no fault in Him, because Satan was raging against God and so men treated the Son of God with such suffering. John's truthful witness extended beyond that hour to Christ's life, crucifixion, and resurrection, proclaiming Christ as the risen Saviour even when it disturbed those in power, so that others might believe.
Fulfilled Prophecy and Glory
The eyewitness record is true that blood and water came from the pierced side of Jesus, given so that readers may believe. He was already dead from a supernatural cause when the soldiers found Him, which was a mystery to the people, while the two thieves were still alive so their legs were broken. His own legs were left untouched and a soldier pierced His side instead, and this was done so that the Scripture that not a bone of Him would be broken was fulfilled. That unbroken state fulfills the Passover requirement that no bone of the sacrifice be broken.
The wound made by the spear remains visible in Jesus after His return in glory. The marks left by the nails and the spear that pierced His side remain visible when His attackers behold Him in glory. That visible mark is then part of His glory.
At the end of the thousand years the wicked dead are raised and those who pierced Him see its mark. The marks of that wound remain visible when the wicked dead are raised, confirming that the glorious Son of man before them is the very Jesus they crucified. Those who behold Him in glory are filled with terror and remorse.