One of the soldiers was not content to determine the death of Jesus by observation alone, so he thrust his spear into the side of Jesus, producing a flow of blood and water, which, according to some, indicates that Jesus died of a ruptured heart. Their reasoning is that when a heart is ruptured, its contents flow into the pericardium and the blood settles into “clot and watery serum” which give the appearance of blood and water. Whether this is true or not, the spear thrust did prove two very important things: the body that Jesus was inhabiting was a real human body and it was now very dead.

Much has been made of the significance of the blood and water flowing from the side of Jesus. There was a Jewish belief that the body consisted of half water and half blood. This is furthered by F.C. Burkitt: “According to (1 John 5:6-8) the living personality has in it three elements, viz. spirit, water, blood. From the ‘water’ we are begotten, by the ‘blood’ we are sustained, and the ’spirit’ or breath is the immaterial element that enters at birth and leaves at death. The spirit quitted Jesus when He died (John 19:30), leaving behind the water and blood of a human body, the existence of which was demonstrated to the onlookers by the spear-thrust of the soldier” (The Gospel History and its Transmission, Edinburgh, 1907, p. 233, n. 1).

1 John 5:6-8  This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.  For there are three that testify:  the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.

John 19:30  When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Others see symbolism with the sacraments of baptism and communion or a more mystical application. There is even a tradition that the soldier’s name was Longinus and that he had some “distemper” in his eyes but was cured instantly when some drops of the blood of Christ sprinkled out upon him.

However, the meaning of the water and blood is more likely found in the book of John. In (John 1:13) John writes that children of God are not born of “bloods” but of God. This thought is further expounded in (John 6:53-56). Real life does not come from human ‘bloods’ but from His blood. The rebirth is also connected with water (John 3:5, 4:10-11, 14, 7:38-39). The two are connected in the new life we have in Christ (Heb 10:22). The blood is for atonement and the water for purification and by the two of these we receive justification and sanctification.

John 1:13  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

John 6:53-56  Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.

John 3:5  Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

John 4:10-11  Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”  “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?

John 4:14  but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 7:38-39  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Hebrews 10:22  let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Note that Jesus is the reality of the type shown in the desert when God told Moses to strike the rock so that water would flow forth from it (Ex 17:6, Zec 13:1, Isa 12:3, 1 Cor 10:4).

Exodus 17:6  I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Zechariah 13:1  “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.

Isaiah 12:3  With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

1 Corinthians 10:4  and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

Jesus is our “Rock of Ages”.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Could my tears forever flow,
Could my zeal no langour know,
These for sin could not atone;
Thou must save and Thou alone:
In my hand no price I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

Augustus M. Toplady

The flowing of blood and water from the side of Jesus reminds us that real life only comes through Christ’s death. Barrett says that “the real death of Jesus was the real life of men.”