“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 that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe.” – John 19:34-35
Here, John wants us all to know one thing for certain…Jesus was absolutely, completely dead on that cross. John saw it with his own eyes and there was no mistaking it. The Romans made sure Jesus was truly dead and He was. Stabbed in the side with a spear, there was no moaning or groaning. Just the pouring out of blood and fluid. This is important to know and believe – Jesus truly died on that cross.
His death matters because of what happened just a few days later. Jesus came back to life. Jesus rose from the dead, physically alive, eating and fellowshiping with His followers. Many hundreds of witnesses would be able to verify this fact personally for decades afterward. However, the power of those appearances lies in the assurance that Jesus had been truly dead.
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the most important event in all of human history! It’s the proof that His sacrifice on our behalf was sufficient and accepted by God. Our sins have been paid for. We just need to believe in Jesus as Lord to be saved. We can rationally and confidently believe – because He is the One Who died and rose from death.
We can believe in life after death for ourselves because Jesus led the way. We can believe in everything Jesus ever said and did, because He rose from the dead. We can believe Jesus is truly the Son of God because He rose from the dead. There is no greater truth or better good news and it all begins with the confidence that Jesus really did die for you on that cross!