The song gets it right, but the commentaries miss it. I've looked at a huge amount of commentaries on John and Zechariah and have not found this link.
When water comes out of Jesus side, the water and the blood are not primarily a medical evidence. They are a fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy and symbolically the end of the temple!. John's gospel says ..
Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water ...
These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.” (John 19:34-37)
He is obviously thinking of Zech 12:10:
They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son...
A few verses on in Zech 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. (13:1)
The key is the two terms used here. They are sin (hattah) and impurity (nidah).
1. How do we deal with sin (hattah)? Blood - universally in the scriptures.
2. How do you deal with impurity (nidah)? Water of cleansing - consistently in scriptures (eg. Numbers 19:13,20,21)
The temple has the function of dealing with sin (blood) and impurity (water). Now instead of daily sacrifice, a fountain is opened up in Jerusalem forever ... not from a temple of stone, but from a temple made from flesh ... out of our Saviour's side. Sin and impurity are now dealt with!
Let's get back to singing (perhaps with even more meaning) ...
"Let the water and the blood, from your wounded side which flowed be for sin the double cure, cleansed me from its guilt and power."
1 comment:
Yay! More! Encore!
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