1 John 5:6-12 : The Trial for Faith
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction:
Jury trials are very interesting to me. I love watching old shows that have a courtroom. I say old shows because there aren’t many new ones that are not G rated enough for me to watch! In these trials, there is a variety of evidence and multiple testimonies that are presented. After much thought is given, the judge and/or jury must make a reasonable judgement regarding all of the facts that are given to them. There is an amazing intensity in a courtroom. There is also an understanding of how serious that the trial is - especially if it is a trial of life and death. You can’t help but feel your blood pressure rising as you sense the weightiness of the decision. I don’t know about you, but I catch myself being caught up as part of the jury. I’m thinking of all of the facts and the evidence presented and wondering how everyone else is responding to the testimonies that have been presented. But in the end, no matter how hard the decision is - a verdict must be made.
This section of Scripture today provides us with a courtroom setting. The decision or verdict is one of life or death. And despite what some may believe, there is no option for a hung or indecisive jury. A firm decision must be made.
I have entitled this message - The Trial for Faith. John presents us with three different testimonies and then he provides us with two options for a verdict or decision.
Please join me in turning your Bibles to 1 John 5:6-12
Read Full Scripture:
6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
7 For there are three that testify:
8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.
9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son.
10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son.
11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Prayer
As we begin our engagement with John, we will start as any court case would - with:
I. The Deliberation (6-8)
I. The Deliberation (6-8)
6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.
Deliberation means to give long and careful consideration to something. It means to use slow and careful thought as you weigh what is said. As we begin studying this section of Scripture we need to carefully consider the evidence and the testimonies that are given. We need to weigh how accurate and credible the witnesses are who testify. John gives us three witnesses in these verses. They are:
The Witnesses of the Testimony of Christ
The Witnesses of the Testimony of Christ
1. The Water
2. The Blood
3. The Spirit
6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.
Let’s start with the first two witnesses. The water and the blood. There have been a few different ideas on what these two witnesses refer to. One such idea was espoused by godly men such as Augustine who refers back to John 19:34-35:
34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe.
At first glance this seems like a great parallel. Yet, Jesus didn’t come by the water and the blood during this event. Water and blood flowed out of Jesus’ body. Although this Scripture has some definite symbolism regarding the testimony concerning Jesus - it is not the direct application of this particular passage.
The water and blood are best understood as the bookends of Jesus’ earthly ministry as Messiah and deliverer. This interpretation was first given and explained by the second and third century theologian Tertullian. The water stands for Jesus’ baptism. It was during this baptism that Jesus’ earthly ministry began.
16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
The water testifies that Jesus is the Christ. It was during Jesus’ baptism that the Father testified that Jesus is the Son of God. His ministry was launched and His Personhood in the Godhead (or Trinity - God is one God in three Persons) was confirmed by God the Father.
What about the blood? The blood represents none other than the crucifixion of Jesus.
33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
This event continues to testify even today. Jesus took on the sin of the world and died a horrendous death. He took on your sins and mine. He suffered and bled for us. Yet, three days later He rose from the grave and is now seated at the right hand of the Father! Brothers and sisters - be sure that your trust is in Him and Him alone. He only asks that you repent of your sins and put your complete trust and faith in Him for salvation.
6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.
Going back to verse 6 we see that John wants to nail home again the fact that Jesus Christ was crucified. As we mentioned earlier in our series, some false teachers were teaching that the Spirit of Jesus departed before the crucifixion. John wants to let us know that the blood testifies that Jesus Christ was crucified and that we have an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
So these first two testimonies and the evidences presented have been the water and the blood. They testify that Jesus is the Christ - the Son of God - and that Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world.
Moving on we see that the Spirit is the one who testifies because the Spirit is the truth. The first two witnesses are the personified bookends of the earthly, Messianic ministry of Christ. The water and the blood are evidences that have been viewed in personification as testifying to the truth. Yet the third witness is the Spirit of God. This is a direct reference to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the truth. God cannot lie as we have discussed multiple times in this series as well (Hebrews 6:18).
What is the testimony of the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit testifies to the water and the blood - the baptism and death of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit testifies that Jesus is the Christ. The Holy Spirit testifies that there is only one name in which we may be saved (Acts 4:12). The Holy Spirit testifies that eternal life is found in Jesus alone.
The Spirit of God continues to testify to us today, friends. As He draws men and women to Himself through the preaching of the Gospel and the power of His grace. The Holy Spirit continues to draw us toward Himself.
Some may argue that the first two witnesses are unable to be cross-examined. We cannot go back and witness the baptism and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This may be true. However, the evidence of the truth of these testimonies is seen all around us. And we cannot help but see that the Holy Spirit continues to testify to us today.
We see the work of the Holy Spirit in healing broken hearts all around us. We see broken lives restored. We see people on the verge of suicide find a true purpose and hope in life. We see marriages restored. We see souls saved. The Holy Spirit continues to testify to us my friends.
We also see men born with a conscience. We see a created order all around us. The evidence of a Creator is only able to be denied irrationally.
Brothers and sisters there is much evidence to deliberate. We have much evidence that deserves long and careful consideration.
Do you find it interesting to see that John gives three witnesses here? Why do you think he does that?
Interestingly, God is enough witness in Himself. The witness of the Holy Spirit needs no confirmation because He is God. Yet, God is gracious here and gives two more witnesses in fitting with the Old Testament law.
15 “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.
John gives the required two to three witnesses as required by the Mosaic law.
6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.
The other part that was necessary in Jewish law as well as our laws today is that the witnesses agree. Verse 8 shows that the Spirit and the water and the blood all agree. What do they agree upon? They agree that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who takes away the sins of the world.
The evidence has been presented by John. The deliberation has occured. Now a decision, or verdict must be made.
Scripture References: John 19:34-35, Matt 3:16-17, Luke 23:33-34, Hebrews 6:18, Acts 4:12, Deuteronomy 19:15
II. The Decision (9-12)
II. The Decision (9-12)
9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
John moves into this next section by urging a decision or verdict to be made. He wants us to know that man may give his testimony and we take it to heart in a court case. Yet God’s testimony given by the Holy Spirit is much greater.
God’s voice has been audibly heard three different times in Jesus’ earthly ministry:
1. Christ’s Baptism (Matthew 3:16-17)
16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
2. Christ’s Transfiguration (Matthew 17:5)
5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
3. Christ’s Triumphal Entry (John 12:27-30)
27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine.
10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son.
In verse 10 we see that whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in Himself. We have seen that the water and the blood and the Spirit all testify. As we discussed during our deliberation, the Holy Spirit continues to testify today. All of those who are believers in Jesus Christ carry the testimony in themselves - namely, they are filled with the Holy Spirit. Yet those who deny this testimony call God a liar.
11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
The final two verses of this section (11-12) give us two choices that we can make in response to the evidence presented and the testimonies given. We can choose to accept the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ which promises eternal life in heaven with Him. Or we can reject this free gift.
After hearing each of the three witnesses - the water, the blood, and the Spirit - each of us has to make a decision. We have to come to a verdict in our own lives of whether the witnesses are accurate in their testimony.
I pray that you do not revel in your position as a juror in this case. Yes, we each have to take the Gospel as presented to us and respond to the drawing of God in order to be saved. We must take a step of faith and make a decision in response to the truths that have been shown to us and in response to the wondrous grace given to us by God. But we must also ultimately see that we are, in fact, not the jury at all.
We are actually the defendant who has mistakenly and pridefully placed our self in the position of the juror. You see - we are actually talking about a courtroom with one Judge who is the jury, Himself. God, as the Person Jesus Christ, will judge and sentence all who are not His to an eternal death in the Lake of Fire called Hell.
We must not trick ourselves to think that we have any power as a juror. Yes, we have the ability to reason and consider the faith and take in the message of the Gospel. Yes, God has given us the capacity to make decisions and one of those can and should be to follow Christ. Yet, the power is all God’s.
John asserts that there are two different decisions or verdicts that can be made:
Acceptance
Denial
What is your response to the Gospel? Acceptance or denial. Is God a truthful and faithful witness? Or do you call Him a liar? This is the single most important decision any of us will make in our lifetime.
Contrary to what some may say - faith is more than just a blind leap off of a cliff. As Paul stated, no one can believe unless they have heard (Rom 10:14). There is a definitely a response to the information presented in the Gospel. Yet it takes a surrendering of your pride and what you think is right to be saved. It takes a great humility.
I pray that you humble yourself before God and admit that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. I pray that you believe the witnesses and evidences that were presented today by John. I pray that you place your faith and trust in Christ alone.
For those of you who have made a decision to follow Christ and have accepted the free gift of eternal life through salvation in Christ - what is your testimony? It is very interesting that the Greek word translated “to witness” or “to testify” is martyreō (mar-tu-ray-o) with the noun form being martyria (mar-tu-ree-a). These two words are found a total of around 113 times in the New Testament with more than half of these found in John’s writings! During the early church many who testified to the truth of Christ were put to death. So many so that the word for those who died for Christ chosen for the English language is none other than martyr.
How are we testifying and witnessing to the truth of Christ today? These early Christians, and even many after them, testified despite the persecution that came their way. They were willing to give up their lives so that others heard the Word of God. We see many abroad who continue doing this to this day.
I pray that we believers in America can follow in their footsteps. May our testimony be bold in the midst of a crooked and depraved world. I pray that God empowers each of us to carry this testimony to our families, friends, neighborhoods, and places of work. There is no more important testimony in the history of the world.
Scripture References: Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 17:5, John 12:27-30, Romans 10:14
Conclusion
As we come to a close, I pray that each of you have taken these three witnesses and the evidence provided seriously. I pray that you are assured that you have responded to the information and are sure of your free gift of salvation and eternal life. And I pray that you take this wonderful good news and spread it to those around you.
If you are not sure of your salvation and want to talk more about it - I would love to talk with you after the service. Or if you are sure but you need some help in sharing your testimony with others, I would love to disciple and train you in how to share the wonderful news of the Gospel with others. There is no greater testimony than the testimony of Christ.
Prayer
If you would like to learn more about salvation through Jesus Christ or want to obey Jesus by obeying the first commandment of a believer in going through the waters of baptism - please see me after the service.
God bless and have a blessed week!