Thoughts From 1John 5 - Part 2

 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. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 1John 5:6-8

         I was sharing at the Easter homeless meal yesterday and at the end I got some spontaneous questions - "Where did Jesus' soul go those 3 days?" "What happens to people that have never heard about Jesus?". Fortunately, I had studied about those things so I wasn't a deer in the headlights, and I could answer my opinion which was qualified by "this may or may not be right but as far as I understand", but those were some unexpected tough questions coming from a crowd that I presumed ahead of time weren't deep thinkers. I judged them wrongly!

       I'm glad they didn't ask me what this passage meant because it too on face value looks like commentators would not know for sure. Once again, I share that saying with you, "Don't concern yourself about what you don't understand about the Bible, concern yourself over what you do understand." In other words, John has been beating us down with obedience and loving one another and I shouldn't be focused on an obscure passage I don't understand but rather my lack of love. However, let me take a stab at what this passage means.

      Jesus was introduced to the people and His public ministry and His first disciples in John 1 at His baptism by John the Baptist. (Not this John) You could say, "He came by water", and the Spirit came down from Heaven in the form of a dove and testified to His "coming out". We learn that John the Baptist's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He was calling people to repent of their sins by washing symbolically their sins away and getting a clean start with God. In other words, "the law and the prophets have told you how to live and you have wandered away. Come back." We also learn in Acts 19 that baptism of John's was only a start. It could get your heart ready for what was coming next but it didn't save;

 "While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all." Acts 19:1-6

     So, Jesus didn't come just to teach about repenting from sins but to actually wash away their sins. He didn't just preach about the way, He was the Way. He came by blood. John had previously said, "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin." And note in the previous passage and many others the testimony of the Holy Spirit that His blood was efficacious to save completely. Therefore, I think John is saying, Jesus was more than a teacher, He was and is the savior of the World.

          Therefore, I believe what this passage is saying, unlike other teachers who came proclaiming how to restore a relationship with God, Jesus not only proclaimed it but made it possible. As God said on the Mount of Transfiguration to John who wrote this, we need to "Listen to Him!"