The Testimony of God Concerning Jesus Christ: 1st John Lesson 27

The Testimony of God Concerning Jesus Christ

1 John 5:5-12

 Let’s return again to 1 John. We are moving towards the end of our study of this letter. I think we may finish 1 John in about 4 more weeks, just in time for Mother’s Day. Today we are going to try to get through verses 5-12. I know that is a lot, but it all deals with one subject. It deals with the testimony of God the Father concerning Jesus Christ. As we read this passage you will notice the prominence of the words testify, testified, and testimony. These words are used 9 times. Read the passage.

 John has written this letter to us for the purpose expressly stated in 5:13. John wants us to know we have eternal life. This knowledge is based on much more than a claim to believe in Jesus. John has said often that it isn’t what we say that gives evidence of our faith, it is what we find as evidence in our lives. This letter has been a series of moral and doctrinal tests by which we verify the reality of our faith. These tests have focused on what we believe about Jesus Christ, and how we love one another, and whether or not we obey the commandments of our Lord. John wants us to examine our lives and see the evidence. The presence of the evidence is the basis for our confidence in the fact that we have eternal life.

 Prominent throughout this letter has been the issue of believing the truth concerning Jesus Christ. Not only is it important to believe in Jesus Christ, it is just as important that we believe the truth concerning Jesus Christ. We cannot believe the lies of a demonically inspired cult that has distorted the truth about Jesus, and still have eternal life. I want to read you something John MacArthur included in his introduction to this passage.

“Now, there is a group of people that claim to be the witnesses of God. They even call themselves Jehovah’s Witnesses. And they claim to be propagating the truth that God wants revealed. They claim to be echoing the witness of God. But the truth that God once revealed, the true witness of Jehovah God is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, God incarnate. And the so-called Jehovah’s Witnesses are liars, because they deny the very thing to which God gives witness in the New Testament... The Jehovah’s Witness religious movement says that Jesus may be called a god, small G, but not the God. They say He is mighty but not the Almighty. They say He was created by Jehovah. He is not a member of the Trinity. There is no Trinity. Elohim, which is a plural word, means plural in majesty, not in person.

They say that the Son during His pre-human state was really an angel by the name of Michael. They further say that the Son did not even possess immortality. He was created and created to die. They teach that when Christ was born of Mary, He ceased being a spirit person all together and became nothing more than a human being. The Jesus that walked on earth had only one nature and that was the nature of a man. He was a perfect man, the equivalent of Adam before the Fall. The Jehovah’s Witnesses also teach that Jesus became or took on the role of Messiah when He was baptized. It was there that God made this human being His spiritual Son. And so He was first a created angel, then a created man, and finally the spiritual Son. The Jehovah’s Witnesses deny that Jesus physically, literally arose from the dead. He was not raised as a human son. He was only raised as an immortal spirit. His body never came back to life. In fact, once He had sacrificed His body, they say, He could never get it back. Judge Rutherford, the demon-inspired man who invented the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses, said that the body of Jesus was disposed of and God, who knows where it is, will bring it back and put it on exhibit in some millennial museum. They say Christ, once a mortal angel, then a mortal man, and finally an immortal spirit, will live on forever as a spirit being. And from the way I understand their writings has regained the original name of Michael. He is back enjoying angelic life.”

People who believe these false teachings about Jesus Christ may be very sincere. They may be devoted. They may be moral. But they do not have eternal life. They don’t believe the truth about Jesus Christ. This is John’s point in these verses we are looking at today. It matters what we believe about Jesus Christ. Because this is such a critical concern and because our eternal destiny is determined by what we believe about Jesus, God has not been silent on this issue.

We can outline this passage easily. In verse 5-6a we have the truth about Jesus Christ. In verses 6b-9 we have the testimony about Jesus Christ. In verse 10 we have the response to the testimony about Jesus Christ. And finally, in verses 11-12 we have the results of that response to the testimony about Jesus Christ. 

Let’s begin with the truth in verses 5 and the first part of verse 6. “Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 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.” 

This statement about the one who overcomes ties this to what we saw the last time we were in 1 John. Just to remind you, in the first 4 verses John tells us that the one who is truly born of God, possessing genuine spiritual life, will have the vital signs of spiritual life. Just like physical life, spiritual life gives evidence by the presence of vital signs. The vital signs found in verses 1-3 are faith, love, and obedience. Those who are born of God will believe the truth about Jesus Christ, having faith in Him alone, being saved through grace alone. Those who are born of God will also love God and those who are born of God. And those who are born of God observe the commandments of God. Faith, love, and obedience are the vital signs of spiritual life.

We also saw in verse 4 that the one who is born of God walks in victory. We overcome the world. The victory that has overcome the world is our faith. Our faith is in Jesus Christ. Our faith is our belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. This is the truth to which God testifies. Jesus is the Son of God. We could spend weeks describing what this means and how important it is to understand the truth about Jesus Christ. We don’t need to do that because we know. I don’t have to convince anyone here who Jesus is.

John describes the truth about Jesus like this in verse 6. “This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and the blood.” What does this mean? Some biblical scholars believe this is a reference to the ordinances of the church, baptism and the Lord’s Table. I don’t believe that fits with the context of what John is writing here. The better explanation of what this means is that the water refers to the baptism of Jesus and blood refers to the death of Jesus on the Cross. These are the “bookends” of the earthly ministry of Jesus. The baptism of Jesus marked the beginning of His earthly ministry and His death on the Cross marked the end. The testimony of God from the beginning to the end of Christ’s ministry is that Jesus is God’s Son.

You remember the words of God the Father from heaven at the time of the baptism of Jesus. Matthew 3:16-17 says, “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, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” God’s testimony when Jesus came by water, at the beginning of His earthly ministry, is that this is My beloved Son. God’s Son came by water.

There were many things that happened at the death of Jesus that gave testimony to the truth that Jesus was the Son of God. According to Matthew 27 there was supernatural darkness that fell upon the land from the sixth hour until the ninth hour. This was from noon to three in the afternoon. It was during this time that Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” The darkness represented the separation of Jesus from His Father while our sins were being borne by Him and God’s wrath was being poured out on Jesus.

Matthew tells us that the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This was the curtain that blocked the most holy place from the rest of the Temple. The tearing of the veil signified that the way to God’s presence was now open through a new and living way, Jesus Christ. The fact that the veil was torn from top to bottom, not bottom to top, showed that no man had torn it. It was God.

Matthew also tells us that the rocks were split, and the tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints were raised and came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. These signs were enough to cause the Roman centurion who was keeping guard over Jesus as He died to say, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Jesus is the One who came with the water and the blood.

This is the truth to which we have the testimony. The truth about Jesus is that He is the Son of God. Now let’s look at the testimony. In the last part of verse 6 through verse 9 we read, “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. 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.”

Let’s start with the word “testify.” It is “martureo” in the Greek. It is the Greek word from which we get the word “martyr.” The word means “to bear witness of what one has seen or heard or knows.”  It carries the idea of attestation, verification, or validation. How do we know that Jesus is the Son of God? Because of the extensive testimony regarding the indisputable truth. 

The testimony about Jesus runs from the book of Genesis to the Revelation. The entire OT is the anticipation of Jesus Christ and the NT is the consummation. In the NT, the Gospels are God’s testimony of His Son. The miracles Jesus performed give testimony regarding who Jesus is. The book of Acts is the testimony of the power of Jesus Christ to transform lives. The epistles are God’s testimony of the meaning of His life, death, and resurrection. The Bible is the testimony of Jesus Christ as God’s Son. Some form of that word “Martus” or “martureo” is used 168 times in the NT.

Our text tells us that there are three who testify. Why three? Because the OT law required that every fact was to be confirmed by the mouths of two or three witnesses. A person could not be condemned to death for a crime on the testimony of only one witness. John emphasizes the fact that we have three witnesses. We have the testimony of the water and the blood, as we have already discussed. And we have the testimony of the Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth. These three are in agreement.

The source of all these witnesses is God. Verse 9 makes an important statement. “If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater…” What is our general attitude toward the testimony of men? We tend to believe what men tell us, don’t we? Unless there is a good reason to be suspicious of what we are told, we generally believe the testimony of men. When I take a check to the bank, if the teller tells me it has been deposited into my account, I don’t make her prove it. I accept the testimony.

Will men lie to us? Will men give us false testimony? Absolutely. Men lie, men give false testimony all the time. What about God? Can God lie? Can God give false testimony? Never. God cannot lie. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. What is God’s testimony? He has testified concerning His Son. He testified at the baptism. He testified at the Transfiguration. He testified at the Cross. God has given testimony throughout the Scriptures.

The textual problem is that the New King James Version (and the KJV) reads as follows (5:7-8): “For there are three who bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.” It is certain that the phrase beginning with “in heaven” (5:7) through “on earth” are not a part of John’s original letter and should be omitted. There are no Greek manuscripts with this additional phrase before the 15th century. It comes from a marginal comment that was incorporated into the text of an Old Latin 5th century manuscript. (F. F. Bruce, The Epistles of John [Eerdmans], pp. 129-130 gives a full account of this.) The original text is accurately represented in the New American Standard Bible, the English Standard Version, and the New International Version. Nothing said in the addition is doctrinally incorrect.

We have the truth. We have the testimony regarding the truth. What is to be the response? Look at verse 10. There are two possible responses. We can believe or we can not believe. “The one who believes in the Son of God…” and “The one who has not believed…” This is the response upon which our eternal destiny rests.

The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. John is referring to the inner witness of the Holy Spirit who indwells those who trust in Christ and are born again. There is an outward witness of the truth of God’s Word and there is an inner witness of the Spirit of truth who abides in us. This inner witness includes the fact that we are new creatures in Christ. We have been transformed. We are not perfect, but we have new desires, new direction, and new life.

The other possible response is to not believe the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. The issue of disbelief is a serious issue. The unbeliever is making God a liar. He is making God a liar because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. At the baptism of Jesus God’s testimony was, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” What was it that God was pleased with? Jesus had just been baptized with a baptism of repentance. Did Jesus need to repent? He did not. So why did He get baptized? It was to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus was identifying with sinful man and demonstrating man’s need to repent and turn to God. God was pleased with His Son because His Son was humbling Himself and obeying the will of His Father in carrying out the plan of redemption for sinful people.

To not believe the testimony of God concerning His Son is to reject the whole purpose for which Jesus came to earth. It is to decide that God’s way of salvation is not needed. It is to decide that we don’t need Jesus to identify with us, bear our sins on the cross, and suffer the wrath of God in our place. This is the ultimate blasphemy. This is the response that causes people to spend eternity in hell.

Every response produces a result. The truth is that Jesus is the Son of God. He is the One who came by water and blood. God has given His own testimony of the truth. He has given that testimony extensively, authoritatively, and completely. Every man, woman, and child must respond to the truth to which God has testified. In fact, every man, woman and child does respond, either with belief or unbelief. Every response produces a result. We find the result in verses 11-12. “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son does not have the life.”

The result for those who believe is that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life. This life is a gift. It has been given to us from God. We did nothing to earn it. We did nothing to deserve it. We were given this life as a gift. We were dead in our trespasses and sins. We were the enemies of God. We were incapable of any response. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, made us alive together with Christ. This life is the gift of God’s grace, given to helpless sinners to the praise of the glory of His grace.

This gift is eternal life. There is no greater gift. Remember when Jesus went to the tomb of Lazarus to raise him from death. Martha acknowledged that whatever Jesus asked of God, God would give to Him. Jesus told her that Lazarus would rise again. She said, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who believes in Me will never die.” Then Jesus asked her, “Do you believe this?” Her answer is amazing. Her answer gets at the heart of what John has been teaching us in this passage. She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.”

Martha’s response was belief in the testimony of God concerning the truth about Jesus. The result of her response was eternal life. Jesus promised that everyone who believes in Him will never die. We have eternal life.

This life is in the Son, Jesus Christ. There is life in no other. There is no other name given among men by which we must be saved. This is why he who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. “The life” is eternal life. The life is the life of Christ. To have “the life” is to walk in the grace and power of Christ every day. To have “the life” is to live in light of the truth about who Jesus is. It is to have the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit who empowers us to live for the glory of God.

If you have the Son you have the life. If you do not have the Son of God you do not have the life. This is the result.

There is no greater truth the world needs than the truth about Jesus Christ. There is no more compelling testimony about Jesus Christ than the testimony of God concerning His Son. There is no more important response in life than our response to the testimony of God. The results of our response are eternal results.

Let’s pray.