Blood and Water from His Side

It is written that when the side of Jesus was pierced, “blood and water came out.” This has a hidden meaning. For he himself had said, “Rivers of living water will flow from his belly.” But he poured out blood as well, the blood the Jews asked to be upon themselves and upon their children. So he poured out water to wash believers, and he poured out blood to condemn unbelievers. Yet it might also be understood as a figure of the twofold grace of baptism: the one given by the baptism of water, the other sought through martyrdom in the pouring out of blood; for both are called baptism. But if you ask further why our Lord is said to have poured out blood and water from his side rather than from any other part of his body, I think the woman is signified by the rib in the side. Since the fountain of sin and death came from the first woman, who was the rib of the first Adam, the fountain of redemption and life is drawn from the rib of the second Adam. [a]