Jesus' Side Pierced by Spear

John 19:31; 31. Romans left the bodies of their crucified victims to rot upon their crosses; Jewish law required burial of executed persons before night "that thy land be not defiled." (Deuteronomy 21:22-23.) It is now Friday afternoon; both the Sabbath and a holy paschal day are about to commence; death and burial must take place before sunset.

John 19:31; Their legs might be broken] At this point, to slay the suffering victims with a sword would have been an act of mercy. But compassion was no part of crucifixion; death must come in the most agonizing and painful way. The Jews sought not only to kill but to torture their victim.

John 19:34; 34. Forthwith came there out blood and water] Why does John, as though he were recording some great miracle, tell us that both blood and water flowed from Christ's pierced side, and then add his solemn certification that he spoke the truth in so stating? It appears that the Beloved Disciple was showing how one of the great doctrines of revealed religion, that of being born again, rests upon and is efficacious because of the atonement. As the inspired record recites, men are "born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit" thereby becoming mortal souls. To gain salvation they must thereafter "be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood," meaning the blood of Christ. (Moses 6:59.) Thus when men see birth into this world, they are reminded of what is required for birth into the kingdom of heaven.

John 19:34; Since this spiritual rebirth and consequent salvation in the kingdom of heaven are available because of the atonement, how fitting it is that the elements present in that infinite sacrifice are also water, blood, and spirit. Accordingly, when men think of the crucifixion of Christ, they are reminded of what they must do to be born again and gain that full salvation which comes because of his atonement.

John 19:34; John, who was eye witness to the water and blood gushing from Jesus' side after his spirit had left his body, later wrote of being "born of God" through the atonement in these words: "Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. . . . Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. . . . And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood." (1 John 5:1-8.)

John 19:36; 36. A bone of him shall not be broken] For nearly fifteen hundred years Israel sacrificed paschal lambs, taking care not to "break a bone thereof" (Exodus 12:46), all looking forward to this time, the time when the Lamb of God would be sacrificed without a broken bone. "He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken," the Psalmist wrote. (Psalms 34:20.)

John 19:37; 37. They shall look on him whom they pierced] In speaking of his Second Coming, Christ said through the mouth of Zechariah, "They shall look upon me whom they have pierced." (Zechariah 12:10.) This Messianic utterance shall find fulfillment in the appearance of the resurrected Lord to the descendants of his ancient covenant people when he returns in glory. They will then say: "What are these wounds in thine hands and in thy feet?" His reply: "These wounds are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was crucified. I am the Son of God." (D&C 45:51-52; Zechariah 13:6.)

John 19:37; That the spear wound was of major proportion, one that would have slain him had he not already voluntarily given up his life, is evident from his statement made to the Nephites after his resurrection, "Thrust your hands into my side." (3 Nephi 11:14.)