Jesus witnesses!
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The Claim
The Claim
Assurance, the book has hopefully by now given you some great assurance of what we have in Christ Jesus, eternal life. John also gives warnings and a defense against the false claims, false teachers trying to take away the Christians assurance.
John’s claims
Jesus came in the flesh (1Jn4:2)
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;
Those who believe the first claim are born of God (1Jn4:2, 5:1)
So you have that verse showing the claim and actually both claims, but further evidenced in:
1jn5:1
1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.
John’s offered witnesses are what are looking at tonight, witnesses to support the claim.
Witness: The water and the blood
Witness: The Spirit
Witness: God
Resulting witness: The believer
The Text
The Text
Gleaning from the text is always good, so let’s do it together.
6 This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.
10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.
Anything stick out to you in this text?
Gleaning from the scripture
Scan the passage, how many times do you see the word “witness?”
I count 7 in the NKJV
Witness in the Greek is the word “martureo” and it means
to be a witness, to attest to, to testify
To give evidence for, to bear record
Who is the “One” seen in (v.6)?
It is Jesus Christ
Who are the witnesses who testify (vv.7-8)?
The Spirit, the water and the blood .
Reason this out, why is the testimony of God greater (v.9)?
Because we receive the testimony of men. God testifies of His Son.
Whose testimony is in you according to (v.10), and why?
It is the testimony of God that is in you because you believe in the Son of God.
(Transition) now it is time to look at the witnesses and the strength of the witnesses to give the Christian assurance against the false claims
Witness: The Water and the Blood
Witness: The Water and the Blood
Remember the claim (1Jn4:2) that Jesus came in the flesh. So here come’s our first witness, the water and the blood.
Demographics to set the stage (1Jn4:1-3, 2Jn7)
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;
3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.
and add in
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
There was a doctrine that was in early stages of what was called Gnosticism. This doctrine was that Jesus did not come in the flesh, since all flesh is bad, so He only came in the Spirit and indwelt Jesus at baptism and left before he died on the cross.
FYI from World History Encyclopedia regarding gnosticism: Gnosticism is the belief that human beings contain a piece of God (the highest good or a divine spark) within themselves, which has fallen from the immaterial world into the bodies of humans. All physical matter is subject to decay, rotting, and death.
The doctrine is still around today, it became prevalent in the 3rd Century but the roots were in the 1st century. Today many come under the umbrella of New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) where one is a little god given the same abilities that Jesus had to do the the same things if you have the right faith and revealed special knowledge.
Witness of water and blood, the significance. (1Jn5:6)
6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
The witness of water, His baptism (Mt3:13-17)
13 Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”
15 But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him. 16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,
17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
And the blood, representing His death (Jn19:34-37)
34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
So, when we look at our verse that the Christ came in both water and blood, the Christ was present at baptism and at death. He suffered on the cross in the flesh so to fulfill the scripture (Jn19:35-37)
35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 36 For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “Not a bone of Him shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
So the witness of water and blood is emphasized to show the Christ present at both. This kind of witness was also seen in (Gen31:43ff) of stones set up as a reminder for the covenant between Laban and Jacob, that they could look up.
Man looks today to the cross, to the One, the Christ, whom was pierced and we can come by faith, obedient faith to the Father through the water of baptism and the blood of Jesus as our death, burial and resurrection.
(Transition) These “witnesses,” water and blood are not alone, they are joined with another.
Witness of the Spirit
Witness of the Spirit
The Spirit not only bears witness but agrees with the other witnesses (water and blood). First the witness, than the agreement.
Spirit’s involvement in life of Jesus here on earth
The conception of Jesus (Mt1:20)
20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
The baptism of Jesus (Mt3:16)
16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,
The temptation of Jesus (Lk4:1)
1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness
The ministry of Jesus (Lk4:18)
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed,
The testimony about Jesus (Jn15:26)
26 “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,
The inspiration of the Spirit regarding Jesus (Jn16:13-14; Heb2:3-4)
13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.
and the other passage
3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.
Spirit agrees with the witness of water and blood (Deu19:15)
Maybe better put verse up here again.
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.
They agree as one, the water, blood and Spirit. That He came in the flesh.
In the O.T. it was required for 2-3 witnesses to establish a truth.
15 “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.
(Transition) So we have three witnesses so far of Jesus, but more to follow, the greatest witness:
Witness of God
Witness of God
God cannot lie (Heb6:18; Tit1:2) so His witness is faithful and true (Jer42:5). So, His testimony carries a greater weight.
Should give you a couple of those scriptures at least.
heb6:18
18 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.
Now the verse we are considering
9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son.
Testimony of men accepted, God’s testimony is greater (1Jn5:9)
In our court system we accept the testimony of man, and God is greater than man, he is the creator of man so His testimony would be greater and as stated He cannot lie so what He says is faithful and true.
God’s testimony is concerning the Son (1Jn5:9; Mt3:17; Mt17:5)
You see in 1Jn5:9 that God has testified, so what did He testify? Consider these scriptures.
17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
What did God testify according to (Mt3:17)?
That this is His beloved Son (speaking of Jesus at His baptism)
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”
What did God testify and instruct (Mt17:5)?
This is my beloved Son, listen to Him.
So what we have is at His baptism and at His transfiguration God spoke up.
You may look at this and what John said as the three point to the forth to God and culminate the forth, the greatest witness (God). and the words to the people were to remind them that if their faith, their belief of the witnesses they are born of God
1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.
(Transition) this leads us to one more witness
Witness of the believer
The born again, born of water and spirit believer (Jn3:5) by baptism (Rom6:3-4) into Christ for remission of sins (Act2:38) has faith as a witness, obedient faith (Act6:7) within them.
10 The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son.
He who believes has witness in himself (Jn7:16-17)
16 So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.
To the one who believes in the Son of God knows that the words of Jesus is witness of God and from God and that is in you when you do the will of God.
Transformation is indication of witness within (Rom12:1-2; 1Jn3:14; Jn17:20-23)
1 Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
As we are transformed it is proof of our change from death to life.
14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.
Our love for one another, and then there is the unity as spoken to the apostles and those who would believe because of their word
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
22 “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
Our matter at hand again is overcoming the false teachers, false gospel that people were preaching that Jesus did not come in the flesh, and tonight we offered up witnesses to those who believe. The witnesses of water, blood, Spirit, God and YOU who believe and walk in that belief.
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
So, got forth today be a witness not of Jesus but of the faith that dwells in you, for it can be a great witness of God and the power of God that made you a child of God.
(Prayer) (Exit)