Cheryl and I led a retreat earlier this year under the theme “Blood and Water Flowed.”  It was based on this passage:

1 John 5:6–8 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.

We spent a lot of time talking about how Jesus came by water and the blood. The water points to Jesus’ baptism, and blood points us to His death. These are mentioned because Jesus’ ministry began at his baptism and ended at his death. Blood and water are both part of the crucifixion as well. Jesus’ Baptism and crucifixion revealed the love of God and accomplished His will for the salvation of the world

Throughout this letter John has been insisting that Jesus Christ is God as well as man. He now asserts that it was this God-man Jesus Christ who came into our world, was baptized and died. Jesus was the Son of God not only at his baptism but also at his death.

We need to be careful not to overlook the third witness mentioned in this passage, the third that testifies that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. In addition to the blood and the water there is ”the Spirit who testifies.”  

For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.

You may recall that the Old Testament law required things be substantiated by “two or three witnesses” in important matters.

Deuteronomy 17:6 On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.

The Holy Spirit, the water of Christ’s Baptism, and the blood of His death on the cross all bear witness that this man, Jesus of Nazareth, is the Christ of Israel and the divine Son of God.

Over the next few days I’ll share some thoughts about each of these “witnesses.”