This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.  1 John 5:6

Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. John 19:34

Verse 6 reminds us of what John saw when the Roman soldier, assuming Jesus was dead on the cross, thrust his sword into Jesus’ side just to be sure he is dead, because the Sabbath was at hand.  A corpse could not hang there on the Sabbath.

John saw a remarkable thing.  When the soldier withdrew his sword, water and blood gushed forth together.  The appearance of Jesus’ blood mixed with body water does not strike a casual reader as noteworthy, certainly not in the culture in which I live. For John it was a divine revelation absolutely loaded with meaning.  In John’s writings the blood was for cleansing and the water was for giving life.  John saw that dual flow as he stood with Mary and other women on that dreadful day of crucifixion.

He may have pondered its meaning as, perhaps, we should today.  He refers to it as a phenomenal insight into truth, that is, that cleansing and infilling go together, always!  They are twin blessings from God, always working together.

The Greek world was rampant with philosophies and religions.  We recall the writings of Plato and Aristotle and others.  They sought water, wisdom.  They came close to finding it. They left out the need for new birth, however, for cleansing and brokenness.  Their philosophies stressed self-improvement.  Just water, we might say.  But we know that the answer is not in correct philosophy but in knowing that God loves us and invites us to be cleansed by the Blood of Jesus so that God can enter our lives and make us anew, cleansed and filled.

The way I see it, the blood stands for cleansing, water stands for new life and ongoing refreshment.  We need both and both are available in fullness because Jesus died for us. They are ours as a free gift of God.