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.
THE STUDY:
The double
affirmation—by water and blood—may
have been intended to counter Gnosticizing views. Some taught that “the Christ”
(a spiritual being or “Christ-Spirit”) descended upon Jesus at his baptism and
left him prior to the cross.
John’s opponents could accept that
Jesus came by water, if this was
understood as a reference to his baptism. But they could not affirm the
genuineness of the incarnation, if coming by
water indicated his natural, human birth. Neither could they embrace
Christ’s death on the cross, if this was the reference by blood. John, however, affirmed both the incarnation and the
crucifixion as significant salvation moments, in opposition to secessionist
views.[1]
WHAT WE CAN WALK
AWAY WITH ….
- We walk away this morning with the understanding that there are many who want to have a partial belief concerning Jesus but not the whole aspect of His life and purpose. There are some who want to take certain aspects of the life of Christ and add to it.
- We understand that to be a follower of Christ we must accept the completeness of his life and purpose; nothing more or less.
CONCLUSION:
Many people look toward Christians (Especially ministers) and expect some sort of divine answer to questions
that only God can respond too. We must not try to give a humanistic answer to those questions that require a Divine response. But there are certain questions that you and I can answer
with confidence, “Is Jesus the Son of God?” “Did He die for my sins?” “Does He
love me?” The list could go on! The answer to all of these questions is “YES.”
How can
we answer these questions with certainty? Because of God’s word! As the old hymn
writer wrote, “Because the bible tells me so!” Nothing is to be added to it nor taken away from it. The Bible is the
truth and the truth is what will see us free to live our lives and fulfill the
purpose God has for each and every one of us.
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
[1]
Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3
John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary
(161). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.
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