But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may [come to] believe.
John 19:33-35
Isn't it amazing that it is in this scene that John names himself "present" in the writing of the Gospel? Until this point, he refers to himself in the third person as "the Beloved Disciple".
I was with middle-schoolers one Sunday in Advent during Religious Ed classes and we started looking at John's Gospel. One of them spoke how he had a hard time with the Gospel of John because "John is just full of himself. Calling himself "beloved" and all. What makes him so special?" A good point was raised. But it misses the boat.
What I explained to the students, was the amazing gift that happens by John's naming himself as "the Beloved Disciple" is revealing all of our belovedness and not calling attention to himself. His writing, instead of excluding, actually includes us in the Gospel narrative.
That he would choose this moment though, to say "I was there" is pretty amazing. Because Jesus has died. John was there at the Transfiguration, the feeding of the 5,000 let alone any other miracle or amazing point of Jesus' life and ministry! Yet in the midst of all that, he chooses this point *after* Jesus has died to say "This is really happened!" .... but what the "this" John is referring too?
That was the question Mark Shea (author and blogger) asked, wrote a book then gave a talk at my church titled "Making Senses out of Scripture" (I recommend reading it!!). I love what he discovered and shared.
Mark Shea spoke about the significance of the scene, likening Jesus with Adam. How Adam went into a deep sleep and then from his side, God made his wife, who was later named Eve. Through our first parents, life was given, but so was death as sin entered humanity.
In Jesus, what had gone wrong, is made new and set straight. Like Adam, Jesus also went into a deep sleep. Death. His side was likewise opened. Why? This is the moment John exclaims with excitement. It was because John was witnessing the birth of the Bride of Christ - the Church! The Church was already established by Christ with the giving of the keys of the kingdom to Peter. Peter was to be left as Master of the Palace, but it wasn't until the blood and water flowed from Jesus' side that the Church as the Bride of Christ was "born".
John, writing to the Church who was loosing the last of the eye-witnesses who knew Jesus ... the Church who was suffering persecution and perhaps struggling against loosing hope ... John was writing to her, reminding her that she is indeed Beloved of God, and to stand firm. Hold onto the teachings and keep spreading the Good News.
What John wrote almost 2000 years ago holds true for us today. His testimony still holds true, and we are beloved. When we were truly at our worst, God was at his best, and loved us to the very end, swallowing up our sin so that its grasp on us could be severed. FOREVER!!
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