Jesus, the Son of God

And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross—not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. So we have these three witnesses— the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree. 1 John 5:6-8 NLT

John asserts from the text that the coming of Jesus is a historical event that is irrefutable. John says Jesus was revealed, “by water and blood.” The terms water and blood refer respectively to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Water refers to His baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. The blood refers to His death on Calvary’s cross. The Son of God began His earthly ministry when he was baptized, then He completed His ministry when He shed His blood at the cross and died. When Jesus was baptized, the Father from heaven spoke: “‘After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy’” (Matthew 3:16-17). When Jesus was at the cross, there were these supernatural events associated with His death. “Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened” (Matthew 27:50-52). No wonder the leader of the Roman soldiers exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54). John says that there is a third witness that testifies that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. “And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony” (1 John 5:7). We were not there when Jesus was baptized and died at the cross but the Spirit was there. We can trust the Spirit’s testimony for He speaks of the truth. “I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.” (John 15:26). “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth…He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me” (John 16:13-14). Since the Spirit lives in us when we surrendered our lives to Christ by faith, He bears witness through God’s Word that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. He helps us grow in our relationship with God by having us understand God’s Word. John says, “we have these three witnesses— the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree” that Jesus is God. This truth is foundational to everything and makes our faith in God certain.

Blessings,