They will look on the one they have pierced. (John 19:37)
Expanded Passage: John 19:31-37
The scar on my hand is a reminder of a tendon-repair surgery I once had. Some see the scar as the mark of a wound. For me, it is the vestige of healing. Some see disfigurement. I see the restored ability to move my fingers. Some think it is ugly, and I cannot disagree, but it makes me see beauty when I’m holding a pen or playing guitar.
The wound on Jesus’ side is peculiar. He was dead when the injury was inflicted. The Roman soldiers did not need to break Jesus’ legs to expedite his death. The piercing of his side simply corroborated the pronouncement. To the casual observer, this was just another dead body. But the gospel writer saw something else: it was the Passover! Jesus’ bones were not broken because he was the Passover lamb (Ex. 12:46; Num. 9:12). The piercing of his side would open a fountain, as the prophet Zechariah said, to cleanse the people from sin and impurity (Zech. 12:10–13:1).
I have wondered why, after the resurrection, Jesus’ wounds were not completely erased. I am beginning to understand. Some may see marks of torture, but he is showing us signs of healing. Some may see disfigurement, but he is showing us new life. Some may think scars are ugly, but he is showing us that soon, beauty will rise.
Pray that you may see things through Jesus’ eyes.
Luigi Peñaranda is the former director of graduate programs in Spanish at Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University.
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
