Why blood and water came out of the side of Jesus

Why did blood and water come out of Jesus' side

when He was pierced?

The Roman flogging or scourging Jesus endured

prior to being crucified normally consisted of 39

lashes, but could have been more (Mark 15:15;

John 19:1).

The whip used, called a flagrum, consisted of

braided leather thongs with metal balls and pieces

of sharp bone woven into or intertwined with the

braids.

The balls added weight to the whip, causing deep

bruising and contusions as the victim was struck.

The pieces of bone served to cut into the flesh.

As the beating continued, the resulting cuts were

so severe that the skeletal muscles, underlying

veins, sinews & bowels of victims were exposed.

This beating was so severe that at times victims

would not survive in order to go on to be crucified.

Those who were flogged would often go into hypo-

volemic shock, a term that refers to low blood

volume. In other words, the person would have

lost so much blood he would go into shock. The

results of this would be:

1) The heart would race to pump blood that was

     not there.

2) The victim would collapse or faint due to low

     blood pressure.

3) The kidneys would shut down to preserve

     body fluids.

4) The person would experience extreme thirst

     as the body desired to replenish lost fluids.

There is evidence from Scripture that Jesus ex-

perienced hypovolemic shock as a result of being

flogged;

As Jesus carried His own cross to Golgotha (John

19:17), He collapsed, and a man named Simon

was forced to either carry the cross or help Jesus

carry the cross the rest of way to the hill (Matthew

27:32–33; Mark 15:21–22; Luke 23:26).

This collapse indicates low blood pressure.

Another indicator that Jesus suffered from hypo-

volemic shock was that He declared He was

thirsty as He hung on the cross (John 19:28),

indicating His body’s desire to replenish fluids.

Prior to death, the sustained rapid heartbeat

caused by hypovolemic shock also causes fluid

to gather in the sack around the heart and around

the lungs.

This gathering of fluid in the membrane around

the heart is called pericardial effusion, and the

fluid gathering around the lungs is called pleural

effusion.

This explains why, after Jesus died and a Roman

soldier thrust a spear through Jesus’ side (prob.

His right side, piercing both the lungs and the

heart), blood and water came from His side just

as John recorded in his Gospel (John 19:34).

Source:
http://www.gotquestions.org/blood-water-Jesus.html