Stingrays

“But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.” [John 19:34]

The stingray, sometimes called a “pancake shark,” is a unique fish that looks like a flat, flying wing, and can be found in temperate coastal waters worldwide. It’s hypnotic to watch stingrays swim as they undulate their bodies like a wave or gently flap their sides like wings. They spend the majority of their time partially buried in sand, with only their eyes peering out. There are more than 65 varieties of stingrays. Their coloration commonly mimics the seafloor, camouflaging them from their hungry relatives, the sharks. Depending on their habitat, rays can live up to 25 years.

Like sharks, stingrays have electrical sensors called ampullae located around their mouths. These perceptive organs pick up the electrical impulses of potential prey that might include any small sea creature. The largest stingray is a rare freshwater version found in the Mekong River that can grow to over 20 feet long and weigh over 1,000 pounds. This is only surpassed by the stingray’s deep-water cousin, the manta ray. One of these gentle giants was found to be 25 feet across and weigh about two tons.

Stingrays, normally gentle creatures, are named for their menacing barb, or stinger, located near the base of the whip-like tail. The largest spikes can grow 15 inches, but most are about half that long. With the tip as sharp as a spear, and with serrated edges, the barb can easily pass through skin and even penetrate bone. Larger stingrays have even been known, when frightened, to drive their spines through the hulls of wooden boats. The barb is covered with a sheath of toxin that is injected into a wound, which can be deadly to humans. In 2006, Steve Irwin, the “Crocodile Hunter” who spent his life protecting animals, died in a freak occurrence after his heart was pierced by a frightened stingray.

Did you know that the Bible tells about someone else who had His heart pierced? It says that after Jesus died on the cross, “one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear” (John 19:34). Blood and water poured from the region of His heart. Before His death, His heart was pierced in another way – through our transgressions. Sin stings. Isaiah 53 says that Jesus “was wounded for our transgressions… and by His stripes we are healed” (verse 5). That’s why He came to Earth – to take away the sting and heal us.