“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. For there are Three that 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.” (1 John 5:6-8)
There is a great deal of controversy and discussion that has arisen through the years over the meaning and interpretation of the words, “This is He Who came by water and blood.” Some believe that the “water and blood” refer to that which flowed from the Savior’s side in John 19:34 after the Roman soldier pierced Jesus’ dead body with a spear. Others contend that the “water” refers to the Spirit of God and that the “blood” refers to the blood Jesus shed on Calvary. Still others attach a more natural interpretation, believing this is a reference to His birth, where both “water and blood” were present. But when viewed with the purpose of battling the heresy of Gnosticism which denied the Deity of Christ, as John was doing in his writings, I believe there might be an even better explanation that can be put forth to explain accurately the meaning of this difficult passage.
The Gnostics believed that “Christ” came upon Jesus at His baptism and left Him before His crucifixion, pointing to the Garden of Gethsemane for this occurrence of separation. They would claim that Christ did not die on the cross, but Jesus the man did, robbing Jesus of His work of any atoning value for the sins of others. I believe that John is using “water” as an emblem of Jesus’ baptism and “blood” as a symbol of His atoning death. These were the two key points of His public ministry. Jesus said He was to be suffered to be baptized in order to fulfill all righteousness, and it is through His shed blood that we are washed clean in baptism.
John is telling us that Jesus was just as much the Christ when He died on the cross as when He was baptized in the Jordan River. Contrary to Gnostic teaching, here is the Person Who came by water and by blood – not just by water only – but by water and by blood. God was in the flesh and dwelt among men. Mankind is seeking constantly to rid itself of the necessity of the doctrine of the atonement. Men want Jesus as a good man, and maybe even a perfectly moral man. But John is making the case that Jesus is not only the perfect Man, He is also the perfect God, too, Who was willing to suffer baptism in the Jordan River to fulfill all righteousness and to live His life in such a manner that He could become that perfect sacrifice at Calvary. John is telling us that you cannot have the Lord Jesus Christ separated from His perfect redemptive work He accomplished on the cross.
May the Lord bless you!
There is a great deal of controversy and discussion that has arisen through the years over the meaning and interpretation of the words, “This is He Who came by water and blood.” Some believe that the “water and blood” refer to that which flowed from the Savior’s side in John 19:34 after the Roman soldier pierced Jesus’ dead body with a spear. Others contend that the “water” refers to the Spirit of God and that the “blood” refers to the blood Jesus shed on Calvary. Still others attach a more natural interpretation, believing this is a reference to His birth, where both “water and blood” were present. But when viewed with the purpose of battling the heresy of Gnosticism which denied the Deity of Christ, as John was doing in his writings, I believe there might be an even better explanation that can be put forth to explain accurately the meaning of this difficult passage.
The Gnostics believed that “Christ” came upon Jesus at His baptism and left Him before His crucifixion, pointing to the Garden of Gethsemane for this occurrence of separation. They would claim that Christ did not die on the cross, but Jesus the man did, robbing Jesus of His work of any atoning value for the sins of others. I believe that John is using “water” as an emblem of Jesus’ baptism and “blood” as a symbol of His atoning death. These were the two key points of His public ministry. Jesus said He was to be suffered to be baptized in order to fulfill all righteousness, and it is through His shed blood that we are washed clean in baptism.
John is telling us that Jesus was just as much the Christ when He died on the cross as when He was baptized in the Jordan River. Contrary to Gnostic teaching, here is the Person Who came by water and by blood – not just by water only – but by water and by blood. God was in the flesh and dwelt among men. Mankind is seeking constantly to rid itself of the necessity of the doctrine of the atonement. Men want Jesus as a good man, and maybe even a perfectly moral man. But John is making the case that Jesus is not only the perfect Man, He is also the perfect God, too, Who was willing to suffer baptism in the Jordan River to fulfill all righteousness and to live His life in such a manner that He could become that perfect sacrifice at Calvary. John is telling us that you cannot have the Lord Jesus Christ separated from His perfect redemptive work He accomplished on the cross.
May the Lord bless you!
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