The Jews therefore did this. “Therefore” is the correct translation. The word “therefore” is a divine therefore. The Jews did this under the power and sovereign control of God, who controls the wicked hearts of men in order that all his good pleasure be done. God carries out his own word. He had spoken of this moment earlier. Long before this event took place, God had declared that it would take place. The cross is God’s word. God brought that cross to pass according to his divine word and made that cross happen exactly as he had determined and for his glorious purpose.

Regarding all the details of the cross of Christ, the Jews did with their wicked hands whatsoever God determined before to be done and which he sovereignly controlled with his hand so that it was done in order to establish and bring about and fulfill his word of truth. As with the detail of Jesus’ piercing, God controlled all the details of the cross.

The Jews were instruments in God’s hands. Wicked. Oh, yes, wicked indeed, but under the sovereign control of the almighty God. Therefore, according to the divine counsel and decree, there was one more act of violence—one more act of malice and one more show of contempt—that had to be perpetrated at the cross against the Lord’s anointed.

In a piece of vile hypocrisy, the religious leaders of that day scrupled over the sabbath day. We read, “The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.” Jesus was dead. The soldiers saw that. They had achieved their end. The thieves the soldiers cared nothing about. The Jews wanted the bodies disposed of and the crosses taken down. The reason was that the Sabbath was near, and they did not want the Sabbath defiled by bodies hanging on the trees all night.

After all, Moses had said,

22. And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:

23. His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. (Deut. 21:22–23)

That sabbath day especially was a high day, which the Jews did not want to defile.

That pretended sanctity of hypocrites was an abomination that the Spirit exposed. He hated the Jews’ religion and held it up for scorn. It is characteristic of hypocrisy that it passes light over monstrous wickedness and scruples about a detail. So the Jews breezed over their monstrous hatred, envy, and desire of revenge, out of which they had murdered an innocent man. They gave no further thought to the wickedness in which they had killed a prophet, a teacher of truth, the Lord of glory, and the savior of Israel. But the Jews were very concerned that the Sabbath be not defiled. It is true that the law said that a body might not remain on the tree all night. But the Jews were concerned about keeping the Sabbath holy, after they had murdered their neighbor, as though God is pleased by a trifle while the second great commandment of the law is transgressed.

Such fools men become in their doctrine of works-righteousness. They are much concerned about the outward keeping of the law, all the while they are ignorant that the law reveals all their sins and that salvation by the law is impossible. The Jews were much concerned with the Sabbath and the outward rest, and they had just murdered the only one who is rest. So foolish is that zeal that goes about to establish its own righteousness, while being ignorant of the righteousness of the cross of Jesus Christ.

Being ignorant of that cross and unbelieving in the face of that cross, it is characteristic of unbelief that it stumbles over the cross of Christ, is offended by the cross of Christ, and will have that cross of Christ removed from its midst as a cause of great wickedness in the land.

So the gospel of Christ has always been slandered. The gospel has been slandered as the cause of evil and defilement in the land. The people must have the law, not the cross. The law will make people righteous, and the law will make the land holy. But such subservience to the law is the result of unbelief in the cross of Christ and offense at the cross of Christ as the only ground and foundation of salvation and offense that desires the cross to be removed and calls the cross the reason for the defilement of the whole land.

In their hypocrisy, ignorance, and unbelief, the Jews asked that Pilate break the legs of the crucified to hasten their deaths. But Christ had died already. So a soldier pierced Christ with a spear.

Pierced!

The events of our text took place after the death of Jesus.

The King James Version translates that the Jews “therefore” did what they did. The word “therefore” connects our text with the preceding context, which says that Christ had taken the last of the vinegar to his lips. Then with a shout that shook hell and all the forces of evil and darkness to their core, Jesus declared, “It is finished!” He brought to their goal and fulfilled all of God’s promises. Jesus accomplished all of God’s will and purpose for salvation. Jesus Christ did it.

The Jews had hated and plotted. The Jews had paid and betrayed. Then was the hour of darkness, the time for the prince of this world to do his long-planned deed to snuff out the life of Christ. So they came with the band of soldiers, vagabonds, and ruffians and laid hold on Jesus as on a common thief. The Jews tried Jesus first before the Sanhedrin and observed all the outward commands of the law. That is also characteristic of hypocrisy and unbelief. Hypocrisy and unbelief make sure that everything has the appearance of right. The laws and the way things should be done are most important to unbelief and hypocrisy, but they neglect the weightier matters of the law, such as justice and mercy. So the chief priests, the elders, and all the council diligently sought two false witnesses whom the leaders of the Jews suborned to tell lies about Christ. But the witnesses could not agree. The leaders of the Jews solemnly put Jesus under oath according to the law but only to carry out their malicious purposes to kill him, since he had confessed and denied not that he was the Christ.

The chief priests and elders brought Jesus to Pilate and studiously avoided defiling themselves outwardly by entering the judgment hall, lest they would be unable to keep the passover, all the while they sought the life of their neighbor. They had a law, a law according to which that man had to die because he made himself the Son of God. Even Pilate trembled. Madly, the Jews pressed on.

“Crucify him, crucify him!”

“Would you rather have Jesus or Barabbas?”

“We will have Barabbas, a murderer and brigand, instead of Christ!” Suddenly, the Jews became very patriotic as well. “We have no king but Caesar! If you let this man go, you are not Caesar’s friend because he made himself a king!”

Even Pilate trembled: “Are you a king then?”

“Ah, yes, a king indeed, but my kingdom is not of this world; yet it is a kingdom that controls all others, for even you, Pilate, could have no power, except it were given to you from above.”

Madly, the Jews pressed on.

“Crucify him, crucify him!”

Having vainly washed his hands, Pilate gave the orders to crucify Jesus. Jesus became the plaything of the soldiers, who made up a little game with an old purple robe, a reed, and a crown of thorns to amuse themselves and to mock and smite Jesus. Then they led him away to be crucified. There at Golgotha they nailed Jesus to his cross and two thieves with him, and Jesus in the midst. In his last dig at the Jews, Pilate placed a mocking superscription above Christ’s head: The King of the Jews! The soldiers played a game of dice for Jesus’ clothes. The crowds made him the butt of their sneering. Some passed by with better things to do than cast even a sideways glance at the dying Christ. The world was plunged into darkness. For three hours—away from the prying eyes of wicked men and the mocking voices of unbelieving men—in the darkness God poured out his wrath upon his Son and forsook him there at the cross. And having done all that had to be done, Jesus cried out, “I thirst!” Thirsty from the labors and exertions of accomplishing salvation. With that last bitter draft burning his cracked lips and parched throat, Jesus declared that all was done that God had willed to be done: “It is finished!” And Jesus gave up the ghost.

The Jews, therefore…!

The reason for them was that the Sabbath was nigh. So they besought Pilate that the legs of the crucified be broken. The legs of a crucified one were smashed with a club so that he could no longer support his weight and suffocated. Pilate catered to the Jews and ordered the crurifragium. The soldiers came to the first thief and broke his legs. They came to the second thief and broke his legs. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he had died already. They did not break his legs, but one of the soldiers took his spear and thrust it into Jesus’ side.

Pierced!

That last act of malice against a person whom you have thoroughly destroyed. It is the kick when you are already down. It is that final stab with your words against someone whom you have already demolished. It is senseless and unnecessary and full of devilish malice. The soldiers saw that Jesus had died already. He had given up the ghost. The soldiers had seen Jesus give up the ghost. They had heard him declare two things: “It is finished,” and but a moment later, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” They had seen Jesus bow his head. They had watched as the Son of God passed from life to death. His limp body hung on the cross, torn and lifeless. Because he had died already, the soldiers did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers could not resist a final jab into the side of this King of the Jews.

And from his wound flowed blood and water, not blood only but blood and water.

John saw it. All throughout the events of the crucifixion, the disciple whom Jesus loved beheld those things. John was an eyewitness of those things. He had received from Jesus the word concerning his mother, and from then on she was in John’s care. Then he saw Christ pierced. And of those things, John gave solemn testimony that they are true.

John was not mistaken in what he saw. He was not mistaken in his testimony. He did not make those things up. He was not telling a good story. He was not elaborating or adding things for effect. He saw, and his witness is true. He knew that what he said is true.

Those who were involved in Christ’s crucifixion had done many things to him. Then also those things were done: the soldiers did not break his legs because Jesus had died already; a soldier pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, and out of his side immediately came blood and water.

John spoke the truth!

He meant, first, that those things really happened to Christ and that John had faithfully related the events.

John meant, second, that those things were the revelation of the truth of Christ’s death, the real reality of his death, and the meaning and purpose of his death.

A soldier pierced Jesus in malice.

God pierced Jesus for a sign.

For those things were done that the scripture should be fulfilled.

The soldiers did not break Jesus’ legs because the scripture should be fulfilled, which said, “A bone of him shall not be broken.” The reference is to a small detail in the law of Moses about the passover lamb. The lamb that brought salvation to the Israelites in the land of Egypt and was the ground and power of their deliverance from Egypt had to be eaten whole. Not a bone of that lamb could be broken. So said the law in Exodus 12:46: “Neither shall ye break a bone thereof.” So also Moses commanded in Numbers 9:12: “Ye shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it.”

And a soldier pierced Jesus’ side because the scripture said, “They shall look on him whom they pierced.” So God had spoken by the prophet Zechariah in Zechariah 12:10: “I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”

Those things were done in order that the scripture should be fulfilled.

So those things are the word of God. The cross—all the events of the cross, everything that happened at the cross—is the word of God. In the beginning the word of God made all things. The word of God brought all things into existence and gave all things their beings and shapes and offices. So the word of God, the living and abiding word of God, brought the cross into existence and brought every detail of that cross to pass. God said, “Let there be a cross.” And God said about every detail of that cross, “Let it be.” And it was. Because the cross is the word of God, and every detail is God’s work, therefore, Jesus said, “It is finished.”

Therefore those things happened in order that the scripture should be fulfilled. The explanation of those things is not merely the hypocrisy and hatred of the Jews or the gratuitous violence of the Roman soldier, but the explanation is God and the word of God who said, “Let the cross be.”

And more specifically that word of God was the promise of salvation. God spoke those little details about the passover lamb, “A bone of him shall not be broken,” as a promise concerning Christ. It was a solemn oath and testimony of God: “A bone of him shall not be broken!” That is a promise. And again, God spoke a promise in that detail of Christ’s death, “They shall look on him whom they pierced.”

They shall! Promise!

And God fulfilled that promise. Those things happened so that every promise of God be yes and amen in Jesus Christ. If God fulfilled those miniscule details regarding the cross of Christ, every promise of God concerning salvation and his covenant of grace was fulfilled at the cross of Christ. All God’s promises are yes and amen in Christ.

And of that reality, that all the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ, God gave a sure and certain sign: when the soldier pierced Jesus, out came blood and water.

Because not a bone of his was broken, Jesus Christ is the true passover lamb of God. He is the one whom all of those Old Testament passover lambs figured. That was spoken of Christ—not of the mere lambs that Israel ate—but of Christ. And so when the soldiers did not break Jesus’ legs, and God says that fulfilled his word about the lamb, then God declares Christ to be the true passover lamb. He is the lamb of God. Christ our passover was sacrificed for us.

And when the soldier pierced Jesus, it became clear who Jesus was. God! God speaks in Zechariah 12:10: “They shall look upon me whom they have pierced” (emphasis added). The one whom they pierced is God in human flesh.

And because he is the lamb of God and because he is God in the flesh crucified for us, his death is satisfaction. When the soldier pierced Jesus with the spear, that fact became perfectly plain to anyone with eyes to see because out of him came blood and water.

By water and blood is meant the whole perfection of righteousness and holiness. All that is necessary for redemption, satisfaction, righteousness, holiness—in short, for perfect salvation—is found in Christ. All things are cleansed in the law by blood. Blood is the cleansing power. And the cleansing power of blood is made plain by the water that accompanied that blood.

Blood and water came out of Jesus by the wonder of God’s grace so that we may know that in Jesus Christ alone is found all that is necessary for our salvation, that perfect cleansing from all sin and the right to eternal life.

Blood, because Jesus Christ made the full and complete satisfaction for sin that delivers us from our pharaoh, who is the devil, and delivers us into the spiritual land of Canaan. Jesus Christ is the true passover lamb.

Water, because when the blood of Christ is applied to us, it cleanses us from all sin. That blood when applied to us washes us as water washes away the filth of the body; so Christ’s blood is the only power that is able to wash away our sins. He fully accomplished our salvation.

He washes us from the guilt of sin, from that sense of impending doom and judgment from God, which is ours on account of our transgressions, whether committed before or after believing, whether original or actual. All our guilt is washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ. He alone is our propitiation. And he fulfilled the whole law of God and fulfilled all righteousness for us.

He is our righteousness!

He washes away the pollution, dominion, and shame of sin. His blood cleanses us from the filthiness of sin. His blood sets us free from the dominion of sin, and his blood takes away all the shame of sin.

He is our sanctification!

To be washed in his blood is salvation, full and free.

So that we might believe, John recorded what he had witnessed and testified that it is true.

Regardless of the reason men did what they did, God determined it, God spoke of it beforehand, God controlled those events, and God had them recorded so that you might believe.

The purpose is to give a testimony—a solemn eye-
witness testimony—of the value of the sacrifice of Christ, so that you and I might believe in him and his cross as the only ground and foundation of our salvation.

When John said, “That ye might believe,” he meant a real apprehension of Christ as the fulfillment of the whole law and the Lord in whom is found perfect satisfaction for sin and perfect cleansing from sin.

This we receive by faith.

John witnessed and solemnly testified of this fact, that out of Jesus’ wound came blood and water, so that you might believe.

That you might believe because faith in the cleansing blood of Christ is the only instrument by which the power of Christ’s blood is applied to you. Do nothing but believe! John’s witness is true!

Believe because faith is not working for salvation. By faith we are united to Christ, and by faith all that is his becomes ours. By faith we rest and rely on Christ alone and him crucified for salvation. That is faith’s very nature. Faith will not do for salvation, but faith will only rest and rely on Christ.

That you might believe this sign: when Jesus was pierced, out of his side came blood and water. That you might believe that, John testified of it. That our faith might rest for salvation on nothing and on no one but Christ Jesus and him crucified.

Whoever believes has the same assurance as John mentioned: he knows that these things are true. John knew because he saw. Faith knows because faith brings with it the Spirit’s testimony of the truth of Christ’s death. The Spirit’s witness is indubitable. He confirms true believers in the truth of Christ so that their faith might rest in him alone and not vacillate. No matter the greatness of sin, Jesus Christ is salvation to everyone who believes in him.

Either Jesus Christ is salvation to everyone who believes in him, or John is a liar. So is every faithful minister of the gospel now and throughout history. So is every true church of Jesus Christ now and throughout history. If out of the pierced side of the one whose legs the soldiers did not break came not blood and water, if those things are not true, then God, most of all, is a liar. If that blood and water did not signify full salvation to everyone who believes in Christ, and only to those who believe in Christ, then God is a liar.

Either Christ Jesus is the only way of salvation to everyone who believes; either righteousness is to him who works not but believes that God justifies the ungodly; either salvation is not of him who wills nor of him who runs but of God who shows mercy; either Christ is of God made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; either all of our salvation is found in Christ Jesus alone and is received from him by faith alone without works; either salvation is all of God’s sovereign and particular grace; either one glories in the cross of Christ alone for salvation; either God is first and man never is first; either your works—also your repentance—are not the way to forgiveness; either faith is not your doing for salvation; either these things are true or Christianity is the greatest hoax that has ever been perpetrated upon the human race.

Those are the options. God is true. Or God is a liar. God is all true in all that he says, and we must believe his word and depend on it for time and eternity alone, or God is a liar.

Understand that is always what is at stake when the truth is at stake. That is what is at stake in every controversy throughout history over the truth of the word of God. God is true and his word is true and his promise is true and all is fulfilled in Christ, or God is liar. And one cannot depart from the truth of God’s word one iota without trampling the whole thing underfoot and tearing the whole thing to shreds. It is always this: Is man and are all men liars, or is God a liar?

There are many things about which men may disagree, but the truth of God is not one of them. What that truth is is not a matter of interpretation; it is not a matter of words; it is not a matter of perspective; it is not a matter of intention or situation. The truth of God is a matter of faith. One either believes it, or one says that God is a liar. When the truth is at stake, this then is the issue: Is man and are all men liars, or is God a liar?

For God testified concerning his Son and his cross. God brought forward his eyewitness. The eyewitness recorded all those events of the cross. He set them down to testify that they are true. Christ is the true passover. He is the only ground and foundation of salvation. Either all of our salvation is found in Christ and we receive this from Christ by faith alone, or God is a liar. When the soldier pierced Jesus, John solemnly testified to you that out of Jesus’ side came blood and water. Believe that testimony unto your salvation.