What is the meaning of John 19:35? The one who saw it has testified to this, John is speaking as the literal eyewitness who stood at the cross (John 19:26–27). • He is not repeating rumor; he “saw” the soldier pierce Jesus’ side and the blood and water flow (John 19:34). • The same writer later says, “This is the disciple who testifies to these things and wrote them down” (John 21:24). • His language echoes 1 John 1:1-3, where he reminds believers he has “seen with our eyes…touched with our hands.” • By stepping forward in the first person, John satisfies the biblical requirement for eyewitness confirmation (Deuteronomy 19:15) and anchors the crucifixion details in verifiable history. and his testimony is true. John insists on the reliability of what he records. • Jesus had already said, “You sent to John, and he has testified to the truth” (John 5:33); now the apostle bears that same mantle of truthful witness. • Peter uses similar language: “We did not follow cleverly devised myths…but were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Peter 1:16). • The statement guards the church against later claims that the cross event was symbolic or spiritual only; the facts occurred exactly as written. He knows that he is telling the truth, John appeals to his own conscious certainty. • Like Luke, who wrote “having carefully investigated everything from the beginning” (Luke 1:3), John writes with settled conviction. • The wording underscores personal responsibility: if he were exaggerating, God would hold him accountable (Proverbs 12:22). • Acts 1:3 notes that Jesus presented Himself “with many convincing proofs”; John offers one of those proofs—the flow of blood and water—to show Jesus truly died, countering any future claim that He merely swooned. so that you also may believe. The purpose moves from John’s certainty to the reader’s faith. • John’s entire Gospel was written “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). • Faith is always built on God-given evidence (Romans 10:17); eyewitness testimony is part of that evidence. • 1 John 5:10-13 links believing the testimony about the Son to possessing eternal life—exactly what John desires for his readers. summary John 19:35 is more than a footnote; it is a solemn certification. The apostle, standing at the cross, affirms with absolute honesty that Jesus truly died, that his record is historically accurate, and that these verified facts are written so every reader can confidently place personal faith in the crucified and risen Son of God. |
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