Text: John 19:32-36
32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
THE CROSS AND THE SPEAR: PIERCING THAT BRINGS LIFE
Memory Verse: Titus 3:5 “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
A firefighter arriving at a home that looks fine on the outside with the wooden walls still standing, and the windows are clean. But deep inside the house, a hidden fire smoulders in the walls ready to destroy everything if left untreated. A good firefighter does not walk away because things seem okay from the street. He breaks in, tears through the walls, and sprays water deep into the heart of the blaze. It is messy. It is loud. But it is the only way to save the house.
This is how God deals with us. In John 19:34, when Jesus was pierced on the cross, blood and water flowed out. This was not just a medical detail, it was a spiritual declaration. The blood speaks of forgiveness; the water speaks of cleansing. Both are needed. And both only come when something is pierced. God’s Word is like that firefighter’s tool. When preached with truth and love, the Holy Spirit uses it to break through the surface, through habits, pride, and false peace to extinguish what is secretly destroying us. The cutting hurts. It disrupts. But it rescues. That is conviction. It is not judgment; it is mercy in action.
Ephesians 5:26 tells us that we are made clean “by the washing with water through the word.” But first, the Word must enter. If we never allow truth to expose us, we never allow grace to heal us. A gentle message that avoids hard truths is like ignoring smoke in the walls, danger remains, hidden. This is why we must not fear strong preaching or Spirit-led conviction. Just like fire cannot be put out without a bold response, sin cannot be broken without piercing truth. The cross shows us this: salvation comes through wounding. Healing flows from where Christ was pierced.
If the Word is cutting your heart, do not pull away. Lean in. It means God sees the fire and He is rescuing you. Let Him break through, pour in His Spirit, and restore what has been burning. And remember comfort without confrontation is not love. True love runs into burning buildings. True love pierces. True love saves.
COVENANT GATE HYMNALS 20; SS&S 134: JESUS, KEEP ME NEAR THE CROSS
- Jesus, keep me near the cross,
there a precious fountain,
free to all, a healing stream,
flows from Calvary’s mountain.
Refrain
In the cross, in the cross,
be my glory ever;
’til my raptured soul shall find,
rest beyond the river.
- Near the cross, a trembling soul,
love and mercy found me;
there the bright and morning star
sheds its beams around me.
- Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
bring its scenes before me;
help me walk from day to day,
with its shadows over me.
- Near the cross I’ll watch and wait,
hoping, trusting ever,
’til I reach the golden strand,
just beyond the river.
Today’s Prayer
- Lord, pierce my heart with the truth and cleanse me through Your Word and Spirit.
- Help me preach the full Gospel boldly, never watering down Your message of repentance.
- Father, awaken others to true conviction, leading them to healing through Jesus’ blood and truth.
