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. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 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. 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. And this is the testimony, that 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 5:6–12
Karen Jobes writes:
In the busyness of daily life, it is easy to lose sight of one’s eternal future and not even give it a thought until one is confronted with mortality at the grave of a friend or loved one. The priorities of our modern lives probably include working, meals, worship, exercise, shopping, mowing the grass, maintaining our homes and cars, spending time with family and friends, and so on. The importance of life after death seldom coms to mind, even for Christian believers.
Yet nothing seems to have been a greater concern to the author of John’s gospel and letters than securing people in the only source of eternal life, Jesus Christ, the Eternal Life sent to earth to die and to open the way through death to life for all who would believe and follow. Jesus’ atoning death – the “water and blood” gospel – is the heart of Christian theology. No theology that claims otherwise can be true, for God’s testimony confirms only a “water and blood” gospel, not a “water only” gospel. Today’s theological trend toward a “nonviolent” atonement, …, is a modern expression of the kind of thinking the apostle corrects by reminding his readers that Jesus Christ did not come by water only, but that His blood is essential for the atonement that secures our eternal life after death.
MEMORY WORK – Shorter Catechism Q/A 1
Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.