Blood & Water

The Roman soldiers approached Jesus hanging on the cross. Observing that He had already died, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear. Out of that wounded side poured blood and water (John 19:34). Many people have heard that Jesus shed His blood on the cross, but few realize that water also flowed out. What is the significance?

Man was created as a vessel to contain God (Rom 9:21, 23; 2 Tim 2:21; 2 Cor 4:7), but because of the fall of man, sin entered into man. Sin damaged, corrupted, and contaminated this vessel. Man was like a bottle that had fallen into the mud. Would you drink from a dirty bottle? Of course not. Before drinking from it, you would thoroughly clean it. The blood of Jesus cleanses us, the vessels of God, from all sin (1 John 1:7, 9). How wonderful that all of our sins can be washed away and our vessels made clean!

However, even after the bottle is cleaned, it still needs to be filled before one can take a drink. For this reason, water poured out of His side. In the Bible, flowing water represents the Spirit (John 7:37-39). After cleansing the vessels, God’s intention is to fill them with this water, His Spirit, as seen in John 7:38­—“He who believes into Me, as the Scripture said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.”

Just as a Coca-Cola bottle fulfills its purpose by being filled with Coke, so man is most satisfied and at peace when he is filled with God. By opening ourselves to Jesus Christ, our vessels can be cleansed by His blood and filled with His Spirit. This is the significance of the blood and the water.

Have you ever experienced the cleansing blood to be filled with the living waters of God? If you have not or if you are unsure, please pray this simple prayer: