The Flow of Blood

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

THE FLOW OF BLOOD

John 19:31-37

31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken,"   37 and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."  

NIV

The day of preparation, Friday, the day our Lord was crucified and shed his blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Here again, is the hypocrisy of the Jews, the Pharisees, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law. After making sure they got Jesus killed by the Romans, they were concerned about being ceremonially clean by not having men left on the cross all say Saturday, their Sabbath, which was also the day of the celebration of the Passover. They wanted to make sure the men would die Friday, so they asked Pilate to have the legs broken, This would make it impossible for them to lift their weight off their arms, giving them a chance to breathe better, at least until they tired so much they could no longer do that, and they finally suffocated. However, when they came to do just that, Jesus was already dead, so not a bone of his was broken. What is interesting is that in the first Passover in Egypt, they were given instructions not to break any of the bones of the Passover Lamb. But also so the scripture would be fulfilled as it is mentioned in Exodus, Numbers and Psalm 34 that not a bone should be broken. Of course, Exodus and numbers are both the instructions about the Passover Lamb. Jesus is the ultimate Passover Lamb, who was sacrificed for the forgiveness of our sins. His blood also had to actually been spilled, and although he was flogged and most likely bleed in that process, this piercing of his side while he still was on the cross was truly his blood being poured out for the remission of sin, for again, without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. From this horrible process of death, we have been redeemed. This proves to us just how much God loves us. Who else would suffer that much for us? Although it is true that everyone who has ever served in military service could have and would have given their lives to defend our land, our country, our freedoms if called upon to do so, and it is very meaningful and they are due great respect, their lives, or deaths do not secure our salvation, our being forgiven of our sins, and given eternal life. It is also true their service only applies to this country, whereas Jesus’s death on the cross applies to all mankind throughout the ages and it is a spiritual matter, a matter of the heart and the condition of life itself. Without Jesus, we would be eternally lost, without hope, for without Jesus, death would bring the most horrible end. Thank you, Jesus! We can live filled with the hope you gave us, filled with your peace, filled with your comfort and joy and your eternal life. It is your blood, the flow of blood that has given us the forgiveness of our sins. Thank you, Jesus.