John was an eyewitness not only to Jesus’ life but also to his crucifixion and resurrection.
A particularly tender moment occurred during the crucifixion.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved [John] standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.”
Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home (John 19.26-27).
The authorities wanted to complete the crucifixion of Jesus and the two thieves due to the Passover. If their legs were broken, they would be unable to push themselves up, breathe in enough oxygen, and prevent asphyxiation.
Again, John recounts this part of the crucifixion.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out.
(He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth, so that you also may continue to believe.)
These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, “None of his bones shall be broken” (John 19.32-36).
Years later, when false teaching threatened the church, John recalled the crucifixion experience to declare that Jesus had a physical body that was crucified and raised from the dead.
False theories about Jesus have dotted the landscape of opinion for centuries.
For example, in the second century, people denied that Jesus had a body and claimed that he only appeared to have one.
Another theory that has been around for a long time is that Jesus didn’t actually die. Instead, they believe that he swooned, and in the cool of the tomb, he resuscitated and showed himself to his followers.
John had a clear rebuttal to both of those preposterous ideas.
The Testimony of Water and Blood
John was there and provided an eyewitness testimony of what happened to Jesus.
This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.
There are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree (1 John 5.6-8).
John saw the spear pierce the pericardium where both blood and water flowed from Jesus’ side.
There was no question that he had a body and had died.
As followers of Jesus, we may not have been eyewitnesses like John, but we have the witness of the Holy Spirit’s activity. The Spirit confirms to our human spirit that we are children of God.
Paul notes how the presence of the Spirit confirms our relationship with God. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father! (Galatians 4.6).
The one who said, “I know God is alive because I talked to him today,” can do so because of the work of the Holy Spirit.
God on the Witness Stand
God uses human beings to help others trust in His goodness and grace. One reason why I write blog articles and produce YouTube videos is to assist others in their faith.
However, God does not rely solely on blog articles and videos by preachers. Through the Holy Spirit, He takes the witness stand and reveals to us the reality of the finished work of His Son.
If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son (1 John 5.9).
When we trust our lives to God’s grace, he makes his presence known to our inner selves. To refuse his grace is to tell God that we don’t think he loves us and has our best interests in mind.
Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son (1 John 5.10).
If you can imagine God stooping down from heaven to sit on a human witness stand. He points to the cross and resurrection of his Son. He speaks to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
At the end of his testimony, he tells the court, “I did this so humans can have the best life possible while on earth and live in eternal bliss with me.”
This is John’s conclusion to God’s testimony on the witness stand.
And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life (1 John 5.11-12).
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I continue our study of 1 John today. Our video can be found on the Bob Spradling YouTube channel.
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