(Today’s audio reading on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4MzCatkGbNON7riNCkvm43)
But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. (John 19:33-34)
On first hearing, it seems that the spear in the side on the cross was a bit of overkill? It seems way too harsh to make a jagged wound, with blood and water coming out, proving that He was dead after having announced it. But then again, was there anything about this spectacle that was humane? Maybe the spear in the side was the soldiers’ routine to put a final exclamation point on the life of the dead prisoner.
And why does it say water was flowing out? Was it related to the water in the pericardial sac around the heart? The American Medical Association published a study in 1986 by three doctors on the medical aspects of the crucifixion. They looked at what the release of water probably meant in terms of the collection of water and fluid around the heart after he had suffered beating and trauma.
Regarding this spear jab, I find myself saying to the crucifixion gang: “You’ve already killed him. With nails, beatings, thorns, hanging up with arms extended. He was on the verge of asphyxiation anyway (which some historians say is most likely the usual way the prisoner died—he just couldn’t breathe any more). Isn’t that enough? I mean he’s already dead, right? This feels like the ultimate act of piling on.”
In terms of historical facts related to crucifixions, I can’t locate anything that says that a spear in the side of the one who just died was part of normal protocol. Even so, was this spear jab some kind of cruel crucifixion ritual, and once finished, the soldiers could go home and tell their wives how it went that day at the office? “And oh by the way, what’s for dinner? I’m famished. This crucifixion duty is wearing me out…there was this one guy we had today—he said he was King of the Jews, if you can imagine!—everybody is talking about him…maybe you saw it on the news. But maybe you didn’t…it got real dark for about 3 hours.”
But for some reason, they took just one more “shot”. One more thrust at him. One more opportunity to take advantage of the Son of Man, Son of God, hanging there in open show. The Scripture says that they knew he was dead—so were they just making doubly sure? Or were they just being extra mean? (Sort of like what we read of other murder victims; they found 15 gunshot wounds to the chest—wouldn’t one or two have been enough? For some reason, the bad guy just kept unloading.) Or were they showing their frustration that it took so long? Wasn’t this move to pierce the side just another step towards the excess of the abuse? Did the dead body of Jesus have to go through this final bit? The spear jab showed at the least that he was, in fact, dead.
I don’t have answers to these many questions I’ve raised on this particular action. But the words of the Easter hymn continue to resonate in my heart: “See from his head, his hands, his side….Sorrow and love flowed mingled down.”
“Father, we acknowledge that your Son was pierced for our transgressions, and while it tends to leave us speechless, again today, we say thank you.”
Freddy Boswell 