I'm publishing this a bit late, mainly because I needed to complete ideas that were in my head but I hadn't noted down.
6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (ESV)
In v6-8 We are told that Jesus came by the water and the blood, commentators agree that it is difficult to understand what John meant here and therefore differ on the meaning of this some refer to Johns gospel and the fact that he witnessed water and blood flowing from Jesus side when the spear was thrust in, some understand it is referring to water which cleanses us from sin and blood which gives us new life. Others draw an inference of the water to Jesus' baptism where the Spirit came upon him and the blood referrring to his death on the cross. I've always understood it as pointing to the fact that Jesus was born as a man in the virgin birth (through water as we are all born), and through his blood and death and resurection became the firstborn of many by His blood. John is using phraseology here which was understood clearly at the time of writing, and since it is God's word is meant for then and now, but although the meaning of the water and blood may not be perfectly clear to us what is clear is that somehow there is a threefold testimony, the Spirit the water and the blood. I just want to point out that whilst we look now through this lense dimly, if we trust what is written, we can know that in time to come we shall see clearly and understand.
In v 9-12 we are shown that the testimony of God regarding our belief in Christ, and therefore our eternal life, is given to us by himself, yes he may use men as agents of bringing us to a realization of faith, but the belief we find in ourselves is something He puts there and if it is He that testifies these things we can have complete assurance that they are true. Conversely if we do not believe this testimony we are viewing God as a liar, in other words if we do not believe we are sinning. Matthew Henry notes of such an unbeliever: "He must believe that God did not send his Son into the world, when he has given us such manifold evidence that he did, or that Jesus Christ was not the Son of God, when all that evidence relates to and terminates upon him, or that he sent his Son to deceive the world and to lead it into error and misery, or that he permits men to devise a religion which, in all the parts of it, is a pure, holy, heavenly, undefiled institution, and so worthy to be embraced by the reason of mankind, and yet is but a delusion and a lie, and then lends them his Spirit and power to recommend and obtrude it upon the world, which is to make God the Father, the author and abettor, of the lie." We need to recognise that unbelievers actively disbelieve, it isn't some kind of accident that happens to them, that we should pity, but it is a deliberate choice they make, a deliberate choice that calls God a liar, a choice that in their own eyes makes them wiser than God, and therefore is pure idolatry putting oneself in the place of God. Plainly and clearly in v11 and 12 we are told that the only way to have life is through God's one and only Son, Jesus Christ, any other way is false and by implication leads to death. But Oh the glorious realisation that if God gives us this testimony, and His son is given to us, it is for eternity and cannot be taken away. If you haven't already, I plead with you now, accept God's testimony, and His son, and recieve the life He means for you to have.
6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (ESV)
In v6-8 We are told that Jesus came by the water and the blood, commentators agree that it is difficult to understand what John meant here and therefore differ on the meaning of this some refer to Johns gospel and the fact that he witnessed water and blood flowing from Jesus side when the spear was thrust in, some understand it is referring to water which cleanses us from sin and blood which gives us new life. Others draw an inference of the water to Jesus' baptism where the Spirit came upon him and the blood referrring to his death on the cross. I've always understood it as pointing to the fact that Jesus was born as a man in the virgin birth (through water as we are all born), and through his blood and death and resurection became the firstborn of many by His blood. John is using phraseology here which was understood clearly at the time of writing, and since it is God's word is meant for then and now, but although the meaning of the water and blood may not be perfectly clear to us what is clear is that somehow there is a threefold testimony, the Spirit the water and the blood. I just want to point out that whilst we look now through this lense dimly, if we trust what is written, we can know that in time to come we shall see clearly and understand.
In v 9-12 we are shown that the testimony of God regarding our belief in Christ, and therefore our eternal life, is given to us by himself, yes he may use men as agents of bringing us to a realization of faith, but the belief we find in ourselves is something He puts there and if it is He that testifies these things we can have complete assurance that they are true. Conversely if we do not believe this testimony we are viewing God as a liar, in other words if we do not believe we are sinning. Matthew Henry notes of such an unbeliever: "He must believe that God did not send his Son into the world, when he has given us such manifold evidence that he did, or that Jesus Christ was not the Son of God, when all that evidence relates to and terminates upon him, or that he sent his Son to deceive the world and to lead it into error and misery, or that he permits men to devise a religion which, in all the parts of it, is a pure, holy, heavenly, undefiled institution, and so worthy to be embraced by the reason of mankind, and yet is but a delusion and a lie, and then lends them his Spirit and power to recommend and obtrude it upon the world, which is to make God the Father, the author and abettor, of the lie." We need to recognise that unbelievers actively disbelieve, it isn't some kind of accident that happens to them, that we should pity, but it is a deliberate choice they make, a deliberate choice that calls God a liar, a choice that in their own eyes makes them wiser than God, and therefore is pure idolatry putting oneself in the place of God. Plainly and clearly in v11 and 12 we are told that the only way to have life is through God's one and only Son, Jesus Christ, any other way is false and by implication leads to death. But Oh the glorious realisation that if God gives us this testimony, and His son is given to us, it is for eternity and cannot be taken away. If you haven't already, I plead with you now, accept God's testimony, and His son, and recieve the life He means for you to have.
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