Subject One Hundred Twenty

THE BLOOD AND WATER OF THE CROSS

Scripture: John 19:34-37

1. Men’s twofold need
   1. Men have sins. Because of this they need the forgiveness of sins.
   2. Men also are destined to die. For this reason they need the eternal life, the life of God. Elaborate more on this point.
2. The Lord’s twofold salvation
   1. Since men have sins, the first aspect of the Lord’s salvation is redemption.
   2. Since men are destined to die, the second aspect of the Lord’s salvation is to give men a life that will never die, an eternal life.
3. The twofold meaning of the cross
   1. The Lord’s salvation is by means of the cross. Without the cross there is no salvation.
   2. The first aspect of the salvation of the cross is redemption, the forgiveness of men’s sins. This is why the Lord shed His blood on the cross. The blood is for redemption. The blood is the price for redemption to redeem men from under the condemnation of the law. The blood speaks to men that the crucified Christ has already borne their sins before God. The shedding of the blood declares that men’s sins may be forgiven.
   3. The second aspect of the salvation of the cross is the releasing of the Lord’s life. This is why on the cross not only blood, but also water came out from the Lord. Originally the Lord’s life was in the Lord Himself; it could not enter men to be men’s life. The death on the cross caused the Lord’s body to be broken and through this, the life within Him flowed out. Now, men only have to receive Him to obtain His life.
4. How to receive the twofold salvation of the blood and water
   1. Confess that you are sinful as well as in death.
   2. Believe that the Lord Jesus died and resurrected for you. Confess that His blood has redeemed you from your sins. Also realize that His resurrection life causes you to have God’s life.
   3. Receive Christ as your personal Savior.