59. 1Jn 5_6-8 The Divine Testimony

The Divine Testimony Concerning Jesus Christ

1Jn 5:5-12 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 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.

# Introduction

The Apostle John writes with pastoral urgency and theological precision. Throughout this epistle, he labors to strengthen true believers while exposing false teaching and counterfeit religion. John is not interested in superficial Christianity. He is not interested in emotional enthusiasm detached from truth. He is concerned with certainty—certainty concerning eternal life, certainty concerning Christ, certainty concerning salvation.

As John approaches the close of this letter, he directs our attention to the supreme object of saving faith: Jesus Christ Himself. The great issue before the church is not merely morality, religious sincerity, or spiritual experience. The great issue is the identity of Jesus Christ.

Who is Jesus? Is He truly the eternal Son of God? Is He truly the promised Messiah? Did He truly come in human flesh? Did He truly die an atoning death? Did the divine Christ remain united to the human Jesus at the cross?

These questions were not merely theoretical in John’s day. False teachers had infiltrated the churches. They denied the full truth concerning Christ. Some claimed that the divine “Christ-spirit” descended upon Jesus at His baptism but departed before the crucifixion. In this false system, the divine Christ did not truly suffer and die.

John writes to utterly destroy such error. He presents before us a threefold testimony given by God Himself concerning His Son. The Spirit, the water, and the blood unite in perfect agreement to proclaim the truth concerning Jesus Christ. This passage is deeply theological, but it is also deeply practical. Our salvation rests upon the true identity and finished work of Christ. If we are wrong about Christ, we are wrong about everything.

John teaches us here that God has not left humanity without witness. Heaven itself testifies concerning Jesus Christ.

The Spirit testifies.

The water testifies.

The blood testifies.

And all three agree.

This morning we will consider five major truths from this passage: 1. The Person Declared 2. The Means Identified 3. The Witness Confirmed 4. The Testimony Unified 5. The Agreement Declared

I. The Person Declared — “This is He” (v. 6a) “This is he who came…”

John begins with a declaration concerning the person of Christ. Notice the certainty of his language. “This is He…” John is not speaking about myth, legend, speculation, or philosophy. Christianity is rooted in historical reality. The gospel is not merely a set of moral teachings. Christianity is centered upon a real person who truly entered human history.

The eternal Son of God came into this world. John had seen Him. John had heard Him. John had touched Him. Earlier in this epistle John wrote: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life” (1 John 1:1).

Christianity is not detached mysticism. It is historical revelation. The Son of God truly came. This language points directly to the incarnation. The word “came” implies preexistence. Jesus did not merely begin existing in Bethlehem. He existed eternally with the Father before entering the world. John declared in his Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

And later: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).

Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. This doctrine is absolutely essential to the Christian faith. If Jesus were merely a man, He could not save sinners. If Jesus were only divine and not truly human, He could not represent humanity. The gospel requires both. Only a true man could stand in the place of sinners. Only the eternal Son could bear infinite wrath and provide infinite righteousness.

Paul writes:“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).

The incarnation is not merely a theological curiosity. It is the foundation of redemption. Christ came into the world to save sinners.

Galatians 4:4–5 says: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law.”

Notice that God “sent forth His Son.” The Son already existed before He was born. The incarnation is the miracle of God becoming man without ceasing to be God. What humility is displayed here. The Creator entered His own creation. The eternal One entered time. The invisible God clothed Himself in human flesh. The King of glory was laid in a manger.

Php 2:5-8 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, (6) who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, (7) but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (8) And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Charles Spurgeon once said: “Infinite and yet an infant. Eternal and yet born of a woman. Almighty and yet hanging on a woman’s breast.”

This is the Christ John proclaims. Not merely a teacher. Not merely a prophet. Not merely a moral example. He is the incarnate Son of God.

II. The Means Identified — “By Water and Blood” (v. 6b) “…Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood.”

John now explains the means by which Christ came. He came “by water and blood.” These terms have generated much discussion throughout church history. There are three major views.

One, the water and the blood refer to that which flowed from Jesus side when he was pierced by the spear at His death. Augustine and some other ancient commentators held this view. At first glance it seems logical since John wrote both passages. Both texts emphasize the water and the blood, and both emphasize the idea of testimony. But the similarities are not so close upon further examination. In 1 John, Jesus came by water and blood, whereas in the Gospel, it was blood and water that came out of Jesus. In 1 John, the water and blood bear witness to Jesus, whereas in the Gospel, John bears witness to the blood and water. In 1 John, the water and blood seem to bear witness to Jesus’ divine-human person, whereas in the Gospel, the blood and water bear witness to Jesus’ human death, and perhaps to the salvation provided by it. In Augustus Toplady’s hymn Rock of Ages, he writes Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee; let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure.

A second approach is that of John Calvin (Calvin's Commentary). C. H. Spurgeon seems to have followed Calvin here (1 John 5:6 By Water and Blood ). Calvin viewed the terms as referring to the Old Testament rites of purification and blood sacrifice, which Jesus Christ fulfilled in His earthly ministry. Thus, as Spurgeon explains (Ibid), “By the terms ‘water’ and ‘blood’ we understand the purifying and the pardoning effects of Christ’s work for his people.” While this is true on a secondary level, I do not think that it is John’s primary meaning. He is setting forth facts that establish God’s testimony to the person and work of Jesus Christ as historically revealed. While Jesus’ person and work do cleanse us from sin and pardon us, those are not the historic facts to which John is directing his readers in order to refute the heretics

Thirdly, the the most satisfactory interpretation (and the one historically held by most commentators takes water as a reference to Jesus’ baptism (at the outset of His earthly ministry) and blood as a reference to His death on the cross. This was Tertullian’s view (circa 160/170 to circa 215/220). It is the best view because in the context, John is emphasizing the historical foundations of the faith. Both His baptism and the cross are historic experiences that bear witness to Jesus’ divine-human person. At each of these events, the Father intervened in a miraculous way to bear testimony to His Son. At Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit descended on Him as a dove and the voice from heaven declared (Mt. 3:17), “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased.” At His crucifixion, the sky was darkened, the earth quaked, numerous resurrections took place, and the veil in the Temple was torn from top to bottom (Mt. 27:51-53). This interpretation also fits with what we know of the historical setting of 1John. The Cerinthian Gnostics, whom John refutes throughout the letter, taught that Jesus was a mere man upon whom “the Christ” descended at His baptism and from whom “the Christ” departed before His death. These false teachers could not conceive of how a divine Savior could have died on the cross. To refute this serious heresy, John shows that Jesus was the Christos (God’s Anointed [Ed: See Anointed One - Messiah]) before His baptism, where that fact was authenticated by the Spirit. “Came” implies that He came to earth from heaven. Since the Gnostics agreed that Jesus was the Christ at His baptism, John adds (1Jn 5:6b), “not with the water only, but with the water and the blood.” This is to say that He was the Christ during and after His crucifixion. Then John adds (1Jn 5:6c-8): “It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.” As mentioned, the Holy Spirit bore witness to Jesus at His baptism and at His death.

This is in no way to be taken as Jesus became the God/Man at His baptism. The Lord Jesus Christ From the first moment he clothed Himself with humanity in the womb of Mary, He was the God/Man

Christ’s baptism marked the beginning of His public ministry. At the Jordan River, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. Now immediately we ask: Why would the sinless Son of God submit to baptism? John himself struggled with this question.

Matthew 3:14 says: “John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’” Jesus answered: “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15).

Christ’s baptism was not for repentance of sin. He had no sin. Rather, His baptism identified Him with sinners whom He came to save. At His baptism, several extraordinary events occurred. The heavens opened. The Spirit descended like a dove. The Father declared: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

The baptism of Jesus publicly revealed His identity. It was God the Father’s declaration concerning His Son.

John the Baptist also testified: “I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God” (John 1:34).

Thus the water testifies. Christ’s baptism revealed: His divine sonship, His messianic identity, His obedience to the Father, His mission to save sinners.

The Significance of the Blood

John then points to the blood. The blood refers to Christ’s sacrificial death upon the cross. Christianity is a bloody religion because sin requires atonement. Hebrews 9:22 says: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”

Throughout the Old Testament, blood sacrifices pointed forward to Christ. Every lamb slain. Every sacrifice offered. Every altar stained with blood proclaimed one message: Sin demands death. But animal blood could never truly remove sin. Those sacrifices were shadows pointing forward to the perfect sacrifice of Christ.

John the Baptist announced: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

At Calvary, Jesus offered Himself as the substitute for sinners. He bore divine wrath. He satisfied divine justice. He accomplished redemption.

Peter writes: 1Pe 1:18-19 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, (19) but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

The blood of Christ is precious because it secured eternal salvation. At the cross: Justice was satisfied, wrath was appeased, Satan was defeated, Death was conquered, salvation was accomplished. The cross was not an accident. It was not a tragic failure. It was the very purpose for which Christ came. Jesus Himself declared: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

Notice John’s emphasis: “Not by the water only but by the water and the blood.” Why does John stress this? Because false teachers denied the significance of the cross. Some taught that the divine Christ descended upon Jesus at baptism but departed before crucifixion.

John says absolutely not. The same Jesus who was declared the Son of God at baptism is the same Jesus who shed His blood on the cross. The divine Son truly suffered. The divine Son truly died. The divine Son truly accomplished redemption.

This is essential. If Christ did not truly die, there is no salvation. If God the Son was not united to the man Jesus at Calvary, then the atonement collapses. John insists upon the unity of Christ’s person. Jesus Christ is one person with two natures: fully God and fully man. The One born in Bethlehem is the One crucified at Calvary. The One baptized in the Jordan is the One who cried, “It is finished.” What glorious truth. The Son of God loved sinners so deeply that He willingly shed His own blood for their salvation.

III. The Witness Confirmed — “The Spirit Is the One Who Testifies” (v. 6c) “And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.”

John now introduces the supreme witness: the Holy Spirit. The Spirit continually testifies concerning Jesus Christ. Throughout Scripture, the ministry of the Spirit is Christ-centered. Jesus said in Joh 15:26  “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

Joh 16:14  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The Spirit does not draw attention to Himself. The Spirit magnifies Christ.

The Holy Spirit inspired the Word of God. 2Pe 1:21  For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Every prophecy concerning Christ, every gospel account, every apostolic declaration, comes through the ministry of the Spirit. The Spirit bears witness through Scripture that Jesus is: The eternal Son The promised Messiah The suffering servant The risen Lord The reigning King

The Spirit also testifies inwardly. When the gospel is preached, the Spirit opens blind eyes. Apart from the Spirit, sinners remain spiritually dead. Paul writes: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

But the Spirit convicts sinners of sin and reveals Christ’s glory. He awakens the conscience. He grants repentance. He produces saving faith. No one comes to Christ apart from the work of the Spirit.

John gives the reason the Spirit’s testimony is trustworthy: “Because the Spirit is the truth.” The Holy Spirit cannot deceive. Everything He testifies concerning Christ is perfectly true. Human witnesses may err. Human teachers may deceive. Human philosophies may contradict. But the Spirit is truth itself. The Spirit never contradicts Scripture because the Spirit inspired Scripture. Therefore every movement, every doctrine, every spiritual experience must be tested by the written Word of God. The Spirit always leads people to the true Christ revealed in Scripture. Any spirit that diminishes Christ, denies Christ’s deity, rejects His humanity, or undermines His atoning work is not the Spirit of God.

John warned earlier in this epistle: “Test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1).

The true Spirit magnifies the true Christ.

What comfort believers find here. Our assurance does not rest merely upon human reasoning. It rests upon divine testimony. The Spirit confirms within believers that the gospel is true. Romans 8:16 says: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”

The Spirit grants confidence. The Spirit strengthens faith. The Spirit points us continually back to Christ. When doubts arise. When accusations come. When Satan tempts. The Spirit reminds believers of the finished work of Christ.

IV. The Testimony Unified — “There Are Three That Testify” (vv. 7–8) “For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood…”

John now emphasizes the unified testimony given by these three witnesses. Under Jewish law, truth was established by multiple witnesses.

Deuteronomy 19:15 states: “Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.”

God graciously provides not merely one witness concerning His Son but three.

The Spirit bears witness inwardly and outwardly. He gave the prophets in the OT the words concerning the future coming of Jesus Christ. He inspired every word of Scripture. He empowered Christ’s ministry. He descended at Christ’s baptism. He raised Christ from the dead. He convicts sinners today. The Spirit continually proclaims: Jesus is the Son of God.

The water points back to Christ’s baptism. At the Jordan River: The Father spoke The Spirit descended The Son obeyed. The entire Trinity testified there. The baptism of Jesus inaugurated His public ministry and publicly declared His identity.

The blood points to Calvary. At the cross we see the greatest revelation of both God’s holiness and God’s love. The cross declares:

Sin is exceedingly sinful

God is perfectly holy

Justice must be satisfied

Mercy is gloriously available

Romans 5:8 says: “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

The blood testifies that Jesus truly accomplished salvation. Not partially. Not potentially. But completely. When Jesus cried: “It is finished” (John 19:30), redemption was accomplished.

The Harmony of the Witnesses

Notice that none of these witnesses stand alone. The Spirit agrees with the water. The water agrees with the blood. The blood agrees with the Spirit. There is no contradiction. No inconsistency. No uncertainty. All three proclaim the same glorious truth: Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of sinners. What confidence this should give believers. Our faith rests upon overwhelming divine testimony. Christianity is not irrational. It is not blind faith. God has spoken clearly concerning His Son.

V. The Agreement Declared — “These Three Agree” (v. 8b) “…and these three agree.”

John concludes this section by emphasizing perfect unity. The witnesses agree completely. The Greek language here carries the idea of converging into one. All three witnesses unite toward one conclusion. Jesus is the Christ. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the only Savior.

What glorious assurance believers possess. Salvation does not rest upon human speculation. It rests upon God’s own testimony. The Father testified at Christ’s baptism. The Father testified again when the Son accomplished redemption at the cross, darkening the sky, quaking the earth, raising some of the dead.. The Spirit confirms the truth continually.

God Himself guarantees the truthfulness of the gospel. Therefore unbelief is not merely intellectual weakness. Unbelief is rejection of divine testimony. Later in this chapter John says: “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” (1 John 5:10).

To reject Christ is to reject God’s witness.

The Glory of Christ

Every witness points ultimately to the glory of Christ. The Spirit glorifies Him. The water identified Him. The blood redeemed through Him.

The entire plan of redemption centers upon Jesus Christ. Christ is not merely part of salvation. He is salvation. Outside of Christ there is no forgiveness. Outside of Christ there is no eternal life. Outside of Christ there is no reconciliation with God.

Acts 4:12 declares: “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Because these witnesses agree, believers may stand with confidence. We do not trust in our emotions. We do not trust in our performance. We trust in Christ. The gospel rests upon historical reality and divine testimony. Christ truly came. Christ truly died. Christ truly rose. Christ truly saves.

Therefore believers may say with confidence: “I know whom I have believed” (2 Timothy 1:12).

Practical Applications

1. Believe God’s Testimony Concerning His Son

The greatest issue in life is what you believe concerning Jesus Christ. Not merely whether you admire Him. Not merely whether you respect Him. But whether you trust Him as the Son of God and Savior of sinners. God has provided overwhelming testimony. The question is: Will you believe? Jesus said: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36).

2. Reject False Views of Christ

False doctrine concerning Christ remains everywhere today. Some deny His deity. Some deny His humanity. Some deny His exclusivity. Some deny His atonement. But Scripture is clear. Jesus is fully God. Jesus is fully man. Jesus alone saves. A false Christ cannot save. Therefore, believers must guard sound doctrine carefully.

3. Rest in the Certainty of the Gospel

Believers often struggle with doubt. But our confidence rests not in ourselves but in God’s testimony. The Spirit, the water, and the blood all proclaim the sufficiency of Christ. When Satan accuses, point to the blood. When doubts arise, listen to the Spirit. When uncertainty comes, remember God’s testimony concerning His Son.

4. Worship Christ with Awe and Gratitude

Consider what Christ has done.

The eternal Son came into the world. He identified with sinners. He shed His blood. He accomplished redemption.

The proper response is worship. As the hymn writer declared in his hymn “And Can it Be”: “Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.”

John presents before us a glorious threefold testimony concerning Jesus Christ. The Spirit testifies. The water testifies. The blood testifies. And these three agree.

They proclaim with one united voice that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and the only Savior of sinners. He truly came. He truly lived. He truly died. He truly rose. He truly saves. The gospel therefore stands upon unshakable certainty. Believer, rest your soul upon Christ. Your salvation rests not upon your strength but upon His finished work. The blood has been shed. The testimony has been given. The Spirit confirms the truth. And if you have never trusted Christ, hear the witness of heaven itself. God calls you to believe upon His Son. Turn from sin. Forsake self-righteousness. Come to Christ alone. For everyone who believes in the Son of God has eternal life. Amen.