Here in chapter five John is concluding his letter, and he begins the ending with a plea to receive the testimony of God or at least a plea to the believers to not give up on the testimony of God. Who is greater? Man or God? If you give up on God why go down to a lesser testimony? God’s testimony is greater. Do not fret or fear or worry, but keep your faith in God’s Word. In our passage today we see the what, how and why of God’s Testimony.
First we see what is the Testimony of God (vv. 6-8). In verse 5, John says that the one who will overcome the world is the one who that Jesus is the Son of God. Now in case you don’t know who the Son of God is John is going to tell you. He is the one who by water and blood. Now, some have taken this to mean the blood and water that flowed from the side of Jesus when it was pierced with the spear. Others say that this is a reference to the beginning of his life and the death of his life. There is no reason to not until you understand why John was writing this letter. There are those who are called Gnostics. There are signs of these kind of people in our world today. Read The DaVinci Code to find some of them. But these people find the death of Jesus to have been meaningless and not necessary. Your salvation to them is in a secret knowledge not in Christ’s shed blood. So if his death was necessary and so was the shedding of his blood as any Israelite would know, then what does the water refer to? It refers to the beginning of his ministry when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. It was at this time that God declared Jesus His Son and bestowed the Spirit upon Him. Not that Jesus was not His Son beforehand but at this point the Lord, God made it known that Jesus was His Son. At his baptism, the beginning of His ministry, Jesus was pronounced to the world of His origins and who would be His Lord. This was the first sign that He was the Messiah. So the baptism and the blood are both equally necessary. Then blood was necessary in order to atone for our sins, but also to submit himself to the utmost humility in order to perfectly accomplish what was needed. Then he says that the Spirit testifies. So not only do we see within the life of Jesus elements that testify to Jesus being the One sent of God but the Spirit of God testifies to this fact as well. Then John reminds us that the Spirit of God is truth. If the Spirit of God is truth then what is the Truth? That Jesus is the Son of God who died for the redemption of those who have faith in Jesus Christ. Moving to verse 8, verse 7 tells us that are three who testify to Jesus, but verse 8 tells us what those three are: the Spirit, the water and the blood. But here is the important part: The three are in agreement! There is no contradiction in them. The testimony is unanimous and without any disagreement!
Second we see the Greatness of God’s Testimony (v. 9). When you are attempting to discover the truth in a given situation or about a certain issue which would hold more weight, the testimony of one person or the testimony of three? Most people would go with the word of three people and not the one. In verse 9, John says if we receive the testimony of men. We take people at the word. How many times have you heard important information from one person and taken them at their word? We do it rather frequently. Think about how many times you take a news anchor or a newspaper article at its word without researching the facts. It is almost second nature which information we will trust depending on the source. John says that the testimony of God is greater than the testimony of men. Yet, even though it is greater, there are three bearing testimony to God’s Son. Why would we trust the testimony of men who are changing the message after the fact rather than the one who was submitting the proof and signs to authenticate the one bearing the message? God was demonstrating through the signs and miracles that Jesus was sent from Him. At the time of Jesus’ baptism God was demonstrating and proclaiming that Jesus was His Son. At the time of Jesus’ death it was being demonstrated that he was the Son of God. Remember that the sky turned dark. The temple veil was torn in two. In Matthew, it tells of saints already dead rising from the dead and preaching the gospel in the city. The signs and the events were to demonstrate God’s testimony that Jesus is the Son of God. Which is better is not the right question, but which is greater is the correct question. Which is greater the word of twenty men or the word of God testified to by three? Which will you believe the never changing word of God or the ever changing word of man?
Third we see the plea to receive the testimony (vv. 10-12). Verses 10-12 are a demonstration of a plea to receive the gospel message. The testimony is that Jesus is the Son of God and that God has testified concerning His Son. John says that those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony. We bear it and we accept it. To bear the testimony is to have accepted and received it. If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God then you accept the testimony which has been testified to by the Spirit, the water and the blood. But the opposite is true for those who do not believe or accept the testimony. Twice we are told what the testimony is. The first time we are told that God has testified concerning his Son. The second time we are told that God has given us eternal life. God has testified to the work He accomplished through Jesus Christ His Son. Not only has the work been accomplished but that through Christ we now have life. It has been said that you can turn to any page of your Bible and find Christ on it. God’s Word testifies to Christ and his work. What God has done is to provide the means for those who have faith in Christ to have eternal life and forgiveness of sins. In order for others to possess that faith we must tell them. This life is in Christ alone.
Points of Response:
· There is no other Word more faithful or greater than God’s Word. No other Word can transform a life. May we make a priority to take in His Word.
· If we believe God’s Word that we can have eternal life through Christ, then may we believe the parts that state that we must deny ourselves in order to be great in God’s Kingdom.
· If God’s Word is to be proclaimed in order for others to believe then may we be found faithful in proclaiming His word so that others may come to Him.
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