So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the [men] ... who had been crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows he is telling the truth—that you also may believe .... Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb ... They laid Jesus there. (John 19:32-35, 41a, 42b)
John sounds terrified, at least to me. He is describing something he finds strange and scary—how water and blood came out after a soldier used a spear to pierce Jesus' side. Medical doctors will tell you blood had pooled around Jesus' heart, and the red blood cells had separated from the clear, watery serum. John is no doctor, and he probably doesn't understand all that is going on. But he is absolutely set on telling us what he saw, so "that you also may believe."
Because of John's eyewitness testimony, we can be certain that Jesus laid down His life on that cross for us—for real, and not as some fake or sham. He truly paid the price for our salvation. Nothing remains of our sin. And we who trust in Him will live forever—just as Jesus Himself has risen from the dead, and gives us joy, peace, and life.
WE PRAY: Thank You, Lord, for letting us know what really happened, so we can trust in You. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* Have you ever been a witness in a court case?
* Why are eyewitnesses important?
* Why does it matter if Jesus really died or not?
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Today's Bible Readings: Deuteronomy 17-19 Luke 5:17-39
To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"