Blood and Water

How does the blood of Christ wash away our sins? How do we accept the cleansing that God requires? How is it possible for us to be actually washed and cleansed by the blood of Christ today? To find the answer, we must go back to the cross.

After Jesus died on the cross, "one of the soldiers pierced [Jesus'] 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 tells the truth--that you also may believe" (John 19:34,35).

John, a disciple of Jesus, witnessed a miracle below the cross-- a flow of blood and water! It is amazing that water and blood could flow from someone who has died and be abundant enough to be seen distinctly from a distance. So John had to stress that his account was true.

This miracle is significant because Christ poured out his blood along with water, and so he opened a fountain of cleansing. This historical event is the basis of the cleansing effect of baptism, which involves water. The blood that flowed from the cross two thousand years ago still washes away sins today during baptism.